1953–54 Huddersfield Town A.F.C. season
# 1953–54 Huddersfield Town A.F.C. season

Huddersfield Town's 1953–54 campaign is Town's best ever finish in a season since World War II. Following the previous season's promotion onslaught, Town and especially Jimmy Glazzard made sure that the previous season's achievements weren't forgotten in a hurry. They finished in 3rd place in Division 1 with 51 points, just 6 points behind the champions Wolverhampton Wanderers. The goalscoring feats of Jimmy Glazzard, who scored 29 goals and the assistance of Vic Metcalfe, who himself scored 11 goals helped Town finish in their highest post-war finish to date.

## Squad at the start of the season

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 | Harry Mills |
| -- | GK | ENG | Jack Wheeler |
| -- | DF | ENG | John Battye |
| -- | DF | ENG | Brian Gibson |
| -- | DF | ENG | George Howe |
| -- | DF | ENG | Laurie Kelly |
| -- | DF | ENG | Don McEvoy |
| -- | DF | ENG | Bill McGarry |
| -- | DF | ENG | Len Quested |
| -- | DF | ENG | Ron Staniforth |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| -- | MF | SCO | Willie Davie |
| -- | MF | SCO | Alistair Gunn |
| -- | MF | ENG | Vic Metcalfe |
| -- | FW | ENG | Tommy Cavanagh |
| -- | FW | ENG | Bryan Frear |
| -- | FW | ENG | Jimmy Glazzard |
| -- | FW | ENG | Roy Shiner |
| -- | FW | ENG | Ron Simpson |
| -- | FW | SCO | Jimmy Watson |

## Review

Andy Beattie's team were on an all-time high following their immediate return to Division 1 after just one season in Division 2. The start of the season continued where the previous season left off and after 4 games, Town were top of the table with 3 wins, including a 5–1 win over Portsmouth, where Jimmy Glazzard got the first of his 3 hat-tricks that he would achieve during the season. His other 2 came in the space of 3 matches against Sheffield United and Aston Villa.

The team's performances kept them up in the upper realms of the division, with the chance of winning the title, not being too unrealistic. The season ground to a halt near the end, when Vic Metcalfe was forced to miss the last 7 games of the season and many say this was the reason that Town failed to win the title for the first time in 28 years. They did however finish 3rd, just 6 points behind Wolverhampton Wanderers, who Town actually beat in their penultimate game of the season.

## Squad at the end of the season

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 | Harry Mills |
| -- | GK | ENG | Jack Wheeler |
| -- | DF | ENG | John Battye |
| -- | DF | ENG | Brian Gibson |
| -- | DF | ENG | George Howe |
| -- | DF | ENG | Laurie Kelly |
| -- | DF | ENG | Don McEvoy |
| -- | DF | ENG | Bill McGarry |
| -- | DF | ENG | Len Quested |
| -- | DF | ENG | Ron Staniforth |
| -- | DF | ENG | Ken Taylor |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| -- | MF | NIR | Gerry Burrell |
| -- | MF | SCO | Willie Davie |
| -- | MF | SCO | Alistair Gunn |
| -- | MF | ENG | Vic Metcalfe |
| -- | FW | ENG | Tommy Cavanagh |
| -- | FW | ENG | Bryan Frear |
| -- | FW | ENG | Jimmy Glazzard |
| -- | FW | ENG | Roy Shiner |
| -- | FW | ENG | Ron Simpson |
| -- | FW | SCO | Jimmy Watson |

## Results

### Division One

| Date | Opponents | Home/ Away | Result F - A | Scorers | Attendance | Position |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 19 August 1953 | Preston North End | A | 2 - 1 | Watson (2) | 35,925 | 6th |
| 22 August 1953 | Arsenal | A | 0 - 0 | | 54,847 | 4th |
| 26 August 1953 | Cardiff City | H | 2 - 0 | Watson, Metcalfe | 30,089 | 1st |
| 29 August 1953 | Portsmouth | H | 5 - 1 | Glazzard (3), Davie, Watson | 22,474 | 1st |
| 2 September 1953 | Cardiff City | A | 1 - 2 | Glazzard | 29,446 | 2nd |
| 5 September 1953 | Blackpool | A | 1 - 3 | Davie | 34,507 | 6th |
| 9 September 1953 | Manchester City | H | 1 - 1 | Metcalfe | 24,341 | 7th |
| 12 September 1953 | Chelsea | H | 3 - 1 | Davie, Glazzard, Watson | 29,631 | 3rd |
| 16 September 1953 | Manchester City | A | 1 - 0 | McGarry | 24,580 | 3rd |
| 19 September 1953 | Sheffield United | A | 6 - 3 | Glazzard (3), Metcalfe (2), Davie | 40,065 | 2nd |
| 26 September 1953 | Middlesbrough | H | 2 - 1 | Glazzard (2) | 37,054 | 2nd |
| 3 October 1953 | Aston Villa | H | 4 - 0 | Glazzard (3), Metcalfe | 36,534 | 2nd |
| 10 October 1953 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 0 - 4 | | 47,043 | 4th |
| 17 October 1953 | Liverpool | H | 2 - 0 | Glazzard, Metcalfe | 30,115 | 3rd |
| 24 October 1953 | Newcastle United | A | 2 - 0 | Glazzard, Brennan (og) | 46,644 | 2nd |
| 31 October 1953 | Manchester United | H | 0 - 0 | | 34,175 | 3rd |
| 7 November 1953 | Charlton Athletic | A | 1 - 2 | Glazzard | 23,733 | 3rd |
| 14 November 1953 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 2 - 0 | Glazzard (2) | 30,671 | 3rd |
| 21 November 1953 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 0 - 1 | | 42,503 | 3rd |
| 28 November 1953 | Burnley | H | 3 - 1 | Glazzard, Davie (2) | 34,666 | 3rd |
| 5 December 1953 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 0 - 0 | | 36,077 | 3rd |
| 12 December 1953 | Preston North End | H | 2 - 2 | Cavanagh, Metcalfe (pen) | 26,972 | 3rd |
| 19 December 1953 | Arsenal | H | 2 - 2 | Glazzard (2) | 34,018 | 3rd |
| 25 December 1953 | Sunderland | A | 1 - 1 | Watson | 36,751 | 4th |
| 26 December 1953 | Sunderland | H | 2 - 1 | Cavanagh, Metcalfe | 40,898 | 3rd |
| 2 January 1954 | Portsmouth | A | 2 - 5 | Mansell (og), Quested | 27,533 | 3rd |
| 16 January 1954 | Blackpool | H | 0 - 0 | | 25,733 | 3rd |
| 23 January 1954 | Chelsea | A | 2 - 2 | Glazzard (2) | 45,041 | 3rd |
| 6 February 1954 | Sheffield United | H | 2 - 2 | Frear (2) | 27,335 | 4th |
| 13 February 1954 | Middlesbrough | A | 3 - 0 | Metcalfe, Burrell, Glazzard | 18,717 | 3rd |
| 20 February 1954 | Aston Villa | A | 2 - 2 | Metcalfe, Glazzard | 24,118 | 3rd |
| 27 February 1954 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 0 - 2 | | 48,237 | 3rd |
| 6 March 1954 | Liverpool | A | 3 - 1 | Burrell (2), Cavanagh | 46,074 | 3rd |
| 13 March 1954 | Newcastle United | H | 3 - 2 | Cavanagh (2), Glazzard | 25,710 | 3rd |
| 20 March 1954 | Manchester United | A | 1 - 3 | Metcalfe (pen) | 41,184 | 3rd |
| 27 March 1954 | Charlton Athletic | H | 4 - 1 | McGarry, Frear (2), Cavanagh | 20,896 | 3rd |
| 3 April 1954 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 4 - 1 | Glazzard, Frear (2, 1 pen), Cavanagh | 31,106 | 3rd |
| 10 April 1954 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 2 - 5 | Glazzard, Shiner | 26,232 | 3rd |
| 17 April 1954 | Burnley | A | 1 - 2 | Cavanagh | 26,180 | 3rd |
| 19 April 1954 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 0 - 4 | | 42,862 | 4th |
| 20 April 1954 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 2 - 1 | Glazzard, McGarry | 35,814 | 3rd |
| 24 April 1954 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 2 - 1 | McGarry (pen), Cavanagh | 25,635 | 3rd |

### FA Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | Home/ Away | Result F - A | Scorers | Attendance |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 9 January 1954 | Round 3 | West Ham United | A | 0 - 4 | | 25,250 |

## Appearances and goals

| Name | Nation | Position | League Apps | League Goals | FA Cup Apps | FA Cup Goals | Total Apps | Total Goals |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| John Battye | England | DF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Gerry Burrell | Northern Ireland | MF | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 3 |
| Tommy Cavanagh | England | FW | 29 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 9 |
| Willie Davie | Scotland | FW | 30 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 6 |
| Bryan Frear | England | FW | 14 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 6 |
| Brian Gibson | England | DF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Jimmy Glazzard | England | FW | 37 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 29 |
| Alistair Gunn | Scotland | MF | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| George Howe | England | DF | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Laurie Kelly | England | DF | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 0 |
| Don McEvoy | England | DF | 35 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| Bill McGarry | England | DF | 42 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 4 |
| Vic Metcalfe | England | MF | 35 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 11 |
| Harry Mills | England | GK | 38 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| Len Quested | England | DF | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 1 |
| Roy Shiner | England | FW | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Ron Simpson | England | FW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ron Staniforth | England | DF | 40 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| Ken Taylor | England | DF | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Jimmy Watson | Scotland | MF | 30 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 6 |
| Jack Wheeler | England | GK | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
