1988–89 Huddersfield Town A.F.C. season

Huddersfield Town's 1988–89 campaign was a fairly unsuccessful campaign following the disastrous relegation the previous season. Under the leadership of former Ireland manager Eoin Hand, a disastrous end to the season saw Town finish 14th, just 6 points and 7 places above the relegation zone, despited the 33 goals from Craig Maskell.

Huddersfield Town
1988–89 season
ChairmanEngland Keith Longbottom
ManagerRepublic of Ireland Eoin Hand
Third Division14th
FA CupThird round
(knocked out by Sheffield United)
League CupFirst round
(knocked out by Scunthorpe United)
Associate Members' CupArea quarter-final
(knocked out by Scarborough)
Top goalscorerLeague: Craig Maskell (28)
All: Craig Maskell (33)
Highest home attendance15,543 vs Sheffield United (7 January 1989)
Lowest home attendance2,216 vs Scunthorpe United (13 December 1988)
Biggest win6–0 vs Bury (1 April 1989)
Biggest defeat1–6 vs Bristol City (18 April 1989)

Squad at the start of the season edit

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
-- GK   ENG Steve Hardwick
-- GK   ENG Lee Martin
-- DF   WAL Ian Bray
-- DF   ENG Malcolm Brown
-- DF   ENG Chris Hutchings
-- DF   ENG Graham Mitchell
-- DF   IRL Ken O'Doherty
-- DF   ENG Malcolm Shotton
-- DF   ENG Simon Trevitt
-- DF   ENG Gordon Tucker
-- MF   ENG Mark Barham
No. Pos. Nation Player
-- MF   ENG Junior Bent
-- MF   ENG Paul France
-- MF   ENG Micky Holmes
-- MF   ENG Chris Marsden
-- MF   ENG Andy May
-- MF   ENG Ian McInerney
-- MF   IRL Kieran O'Regan
-- MF   ENG Julian Winter
-- FW   ENG Craig Maskell
-- FW   ENG Peter Ward
-- FW   ENG Peter Withe

Review edit

Following the disastrous campaign orchestrated by Steve Smith and Malcolm Macdonald the previous season, it was up to former Ireland manager Eoin Hand and assistant Peter Withe to try to recover Town's perilous position in the 3rd tier of English football. At the start of the season, Town seemed to register a loss and a win every alternate week. Although new signing Craig Maskell (bought using the money funded by the sale of Duncan Shearer during the close-season.) started to score the goals that would try to bring Town up to the play-off spots.

The season did not bring much joy to the Town fans probably still reeling from relegation the previous season, although Town did bring some joy with some good results during January and February, as well as a narrow defeat by soon-to-be promoted Sheffield United in the FA Cup restored some pride to the beleaguered fans.

Also during the season Town recorded their biggest ever away league victory – a 6–0 thrashing of Bury at Gigg Lane. Bizarrely, Town would lose 6–0 at Bury the following season. In the last 7 games, Town lost 5 of them and drew the other 2. But, on a positive note, Craig Maskell broke a post-war goalscoring record of 32 goals set by Jimmy Glazzard in the 1954–55 season, by scoring his 33rd goal of the season in the last game of the season at home to Wigan Athletic.

Squad at the end of the season edit

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
-- GK   ENG Steve Hardwick
-- GK   ENG Lee Martin
-- DF   WAL Ian Bray
-- DF   ENG Andy Duggan
-- DF   ENG Chris Hutchings
-- DF   ENG Graham Mitchell
-- DF   IRL Ken O'Doherty
-- DF   ENG Simon Trevitt
-- DF   ENG Gordon Tucker
-- MF   ENG Junior Bent
-- MF   ENG Paul France
No. Pos. Nation Player
-- MF   ENG Chris Marsden
-- MF   ENG Andy May
-- MF   ENG Ian McInerney
-- MF   IRL Kieran O'Regan
-- MF   ENG Mark Smith
-- MF   ENG Julian Winter
-- FW   IRL Mick Byrne
-- FW   ENG Mike Cecere
-- FW   ENG Craig Maskell
-- FW   ENG Peter Withe

Results edit

Division Three edit

Date Opponents Home/
Away
Result
F – A
Scorers Attendance Position
27 August 1988 Brentford A 0–1 5,632 20th
3 September 1988 Preston North End H 2–0 Maskell, Shotton 5,622 12th
10 September 1988 Cardiff City A 0–3 3,891 18th
17 September 1988 Gillingham H 1–1 Hutchings 4,688 18th
20 September 1988 Notts County H 3–1 Byrne (2), Maskell (pen) 5,655 11th
24 September 1988 Chester City A 0–3 3,319 14th
1 October 1988 Fulham H 2–0 Maskell (2) 4,576 10th
3 October 1988 Port Vale A 0–2 5,938 11th
8 October 1988 Northampton Town A 3–1 Bent, Hutchings, Maskell (pen) 3,975 10th
15 October 1988 Bristol City H 0–1 5,952 16th
22 October 1988 Aldershot A 1–0 Hutchings 2,155 12th
25 October 1988 Swansea City H 1–1 Hutchings 5,711 12th
29 October 1988 Bristol Rovers A 1–5 Hutchings 4,460 15th
5 November 1988 Sheffield United H 3–2 Byrne, Maskell (2) 10,400 14th
8 November 1988 Bolton Wanderers H 0–1 7,802 15th
12 November 1988 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 1–4 Maskell 12,697 16th
26 November 1988 Wigan Athletic A 2–0 Maskell, Cecere 2,779 14th
3 December 1988 Blackpool H 1–1 Maskell 5,738 15th
17 December 1988 Bury H 3–2 Bent, O'Regan, Maskell 5,150 12th
26 December 1988 Chesterfield A 1–1 Bent 5,539 13th
31 December 1988 Mansfield Town A 0–1 4,628 14th
2 January 1989 Southend United H 3–2 Maskell, Bent, Byrne 6,403 14th
14 January 1989 Preston North End A 0–1 6,959 14th
21 January 1989 Cardiff City H 1–0 Bent 4,869 11th
28 January 1989 Gillingham A 2–1 Maskell, O'Regan 3,530 10th
4 February 1989 Fulham A 2–1 O'Doherty, Cecere 4,081 9th
11 February 1989 Port Vale H 0–0 8,004 9th
18 February 1989 Northampton Town H 1–2 Maskell (pen) 5,802 10th
28 February 1989 Swansea City A 1–0 Match abandoned due to floodlight failure. ?
4 March 1989 Aldershot H 2–1 Winter, Byrne 4,709 10th
7 March 1989 Reading H 2–2 Duggan, Maskell 4,933 10th
11 March 1989 Sheffield United A 1–5 Marsden 13,680 10th
14 March 1989 Bristol Rovers H 2–3 Cecere, Maskell 4,105 10th
22 March 1989 Swansea City A 0–1 4,075 12th
25 March 1989 Southend United A 4–2 Duggan, Byrne, Maskell (2, 1 pen) 3,582 10th
27 March 1989 Chesterfield H 1–1 Maskell 5,819 11th
1 April 1989 Bury A 6–0 Cecere, Maskell (3), Smith, Byrne 4,145 10th
5 April 1989 Reading A 1–2 May 3,802 12th
8 April 1989 Mansfield Town H 2–0 Maskell, McInerney 5,327 9th
15 April 1989 Chester City H 3–1 Winter, Smith, May 6,109 9th
18 April 1989 Bristol City A 1–6 Maskell 4,542 9th
22 April 1989 Notts County A 0–3 5,499 12th
25 April 1989 Brentford H 1–2 Maskell 3,538 12th
29 April 1989 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 0–0 8,757 12th
1 May 1989 Bolton Wanderers A 1–3 Maskell (pen) 5,511 12th
6 May 1989 Blackpool A 1–2 Maskell 4,070 14th
13 May 1989 Wigan Athletic H 1–1 Maskell 4,225 14th

FA Cup edit

Date Round Opponents Home/
Away
Result
F – A
Scorers Attendance
19 November 1988 Round 1 Rochdale H 1–1 May 6,178
28 November 1988 Round 1 Replay Rochdale A 4–3 Withe, O'Shaughnessy (og), Maskell, Bent 5,645
10 December 1988 Round 2 Chester City H 1–0 O'Regan 6,295
7 January 1989 Round 3 Sheffield United H 0–1 15,543

League Cup edit

Date Round Opponents Home/
Away
Result
F – A
Scorers Attendance
30 August 1988 Round 1 1st Leg Scunthorpe United A 2–3 Maskell, Mitchell 3,820
6 September 1988 Round 1 2nd Leg Scunthorpe United H 2–2 Maskell, Trevitt 4,237
  • Huddersfield lost 5–4 on aggregate.

League Trophy edit

Date Round Opponents Home/
Away
Result
F – A
Scorers Attendance
13 December 1988 Preliminary Round

Group 6

Scunthorpe United H 1–0 Byrne 2,216
19 December 1988 Preliminary Round

Group 6

Halifax Town A 0–1 2,437
17 January 1989 Round 1 Grimsby Town A 3–1 Cecere, Maskell, Withe 2,116
21 February 1989 Area Quarter-Final Scarborough H 1–2 Maskell 4,665

Appearances and goals edit

Name Nation Position League Apps League Goals FA Cup Apps FA Cup Goals League Cup Apps League Cup Goals FLT Apps FLT Goals Total Apps Total Goals
Mark Barham   England MF 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Junior Bent   England MF 14 (8) 5 3 1 0 0 2 0 19 (8) 6
Malcolm Brown   England DF 1 0 0 0 0 (1) 0 0 0 1 (1) 0
Mick Byrne   Republic of Ireland FW 29 (8) 7 2 (1) 0 0 (1) 0 2 1 13 (10) 8
Mike Cecere   England FW 28 (3) 4 4 0 0 0 4 1 36 (3) 5
Andy Duggan   England DF 14 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 2
Paul France   England DF 2 (1) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 (1) 0
Steve Hardwick   England GK 46 0 4 0 2 0 3 0 55 0
Micky Holmes   England MF 3 (4) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 (4) 0
Chris Hutchings   England DF 41 5 4 0 2 0 4 0 51 5
Chris Marsden   England MF 10 (4) 1 0 (2) 0 2 0 3 0 15 (6) 1
Lee Martin   England GK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (1) 0 0 (1) 0
Craig Maskell   England FW 46 28 4 1 2 2 4 2 56 33
Andy May   England MF 45 2 4 1 1 0 4 0 54 3
Ian McInerney   England MF 5 (5) 1 0 0 0 (1) 0 0 0 5 (6) 1
Graham Mitchell   England DF 33 (1) 0 4 0 2 1 3 0 42 (1) 1
Ken O'Doherty   Republic of Ireland DF 37 1 4 0 1 0 3 0 45 1
Kieran O'Regan   Republic of Ireland MF 36 2 4 1 2 0 4 0 46 3
Malcolm Shotton   England DF 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 4 1
Mark Smith   England Fw 17 (3) 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 17 (3) 2
Simon Trevitt   England DF 35 (4) 0 1 0 2 1 1 0 39 (4) 1
Gordon Tucker   England DF 11 (1) 0 0 (1) 0 1 (1) 0 1 (1) 0 13 (4) 0
Peter Ward   England FW 1 (3) 0 0 0 0 (1) 0 0 0 1 (4) 0
Julian Winter   England MF 35 2 4 0 0 0 4 0 43 2
Peter Withe   England FW 14 (12) 0 2 (1) 1 2 0 0 (2) 1 18 (15) 2