98 Years Later

Huddersfield Town 1-1 Blackburn Rovers (Friendly)

21st April 1928 was the last time Blackburn Rovers won the FA Cup. It was the sixth time in the club’s history that they had won it too. In fact, nobody had ever won it more (Aston Villa also won six by then), and Rovers opponents that day? Huddersfield Town, who ended their season as runners up in both cup and the league, after three years previously winning a hat-trick of back to back to back titles (two under the great Herbert Chapman and one under Jack Chaplin).

Quite frankly, we were talking about two of the biggest sides in the country.

Two goals from Jack Roscamp and one from Tommy McLean helping Bob Crompton's Rovers beat Chaplin's Terriers 3-1. It seems quite a way from that spring day in front of 92,000 supporters at Wembley all of 98 years on, but I'm heading to Huddy to try and relive the ages, as the two take on each other in a pre-season friendly.

Huddersfield are nowadays in the third tier of the Football League, Blackburn in their ninth year in the Championship, Rovers Manager Tony Mowbray has brought in Moussa Baradji (permanently) and Jayden Fevrier (from Blackpool) this summer. Huddersfield have been much busier under Martin Drury. Derensili Sanches Fernandes and Ilias Brockhorst head in from Excelsior of Rotterdam in Holland, whilst Ashley Fletcher is a free signing from Blackpool, Goalkeeper Matty Young comes on loan from Sunderland and one I really like, young Ethan Brierley joins from Brentford. 

It's a decent drive off the M1 through West Bretton and past the Yorkshire Sculpture park on the A637, I'm through Flockton and Lepton with the huge Emley Moor Mast imposing on the hills in the distance ever nearing, the traffic picking up as I drive down into the built up valley of Huddersfield town centre before parking up on a side street a short walk from the ground.

The Venue

I cross the busy Leeds Road and walk down the Bradley Mills Lane past the retail park of numerous well-known outlets. I'm cutting through a car park as I see the floodlights nearing above the trees. Curved blue roofing makes this place most noticeable to anyone that knows a thing or two about British football.

As stadiums go, it's probably one of the most iconic looking in England, and built in 1994, over 32 years ago, it still looks as modern and as unique as anything in the game.

I've time on my side so have a little look around the club shop, before heading into the turnstiles and up for a Balti pie and bottle of Pepsi, I had a late one last night, so I also grab a bag of munchies for a bit of extra sugar.

Built by the McAlpine construction company it will probably always be the McAlpine Stadium to me. Known at the moment as the Accu Stadium for sponsorship reasons, previously as the John Smith’s Stadium before that, its official unbranded name is the Kirklees Stadium, it has four separate stands, each with magnificent curved roofs above, blue and white seating of just under 25,000 when full, today just two stands in use and neither are even near capacity.

I love the place, it's a stadium to be proud of in a humble West Yorkshire town. A hidden showstopper tucked between the River Colne and a huge bank of trees which line the eye above the stunning curved arches that the great Wembley stadium some years later would model their very own on.

The Game

I'm sat in the Riverside Stand with a good view at the back of the lower tier but in the corner near the South Stand goal as the two teams come out onto the field. ‘Cmon Town’ shouts a fan in front.

Both stands either side are empty, the one across has a scattering of Blackburn fans, Rovers are in red and Huddersfield in their traditional stripes. The Championship team start the more comfortable attempting to enforce in possession, but opportunity is limited. Todd Cantwell these days a Rover, stroking it about with the armband on.

Playmaker Cantwell has a low shot well saved by young Huddersfield loanee Matty Young whilst the best moments come over on the far side, I really like Blackburn’s right back Ryan Alebiosu who’s powerful and gets forward, he whips a brilliant cross in but a last ditched defensive tackle by Bronkhorst stops Dapo Afolayan having an easy tap in at the back post.

Huddersfield are game, their advanced players in what looks like a 4-2-3-1 formation in possession (switching at times defensively to 5-4-1) all link up well with nice one and two touch football all be it sometimes not always pulling off. When it does, those flicks from Fernandes, Fletcher and Kasumu are too fast for Blackburn to deal with and Lynden Gooch is set away down the left wing, he runs through too quick to catch but his shot is saved by Toth in the Blackburn goal.

Of the playmakers in the Town team, Marcus Harness is most busy and has a couple of chances before finally putting the hosts in the lead. A Rovers player is down with a head injury as the ball is played forward, before the Referee can stop the game Harness strikes low and hard into the corner of the net, cheers in the home end as the goalscorer walks nonchalantly off, Blackburn players surround the Referee as they bemoan his decision to play on.

The Score

The second half has Rovers on top but it's stop and start as injured stallions hobble off for treatment between a flurry of away team corners, pressure seems to be averted as Tony Mowbray then makes five changes ahead of the hour, but it’s one of those changes who produces the moment of the game from nothing, as a ball falls kindly to Jake Garrett, he swings his left foot around 25 yards out and unleashes a bullet into the roof of the net. “That’s the quality Championship sides have” says one fella who’s sat in front of me.

Late on there are chances for Huddersfield as the busy Joe Taylor has a shot deflected off the crossbar, Sean Roughan then heads onto the post from a set play but in the end a worthy work out, just one week until the season starts properly, both teams will be happy with their performances against tough and testing opposition.

The Stars

I liked some of Huddersfield’s one touch intricate movement and new signing Derensili Sanches Fernandes shown that he had some pace to burn and neat interchange although not yet quite on the wavelength of others, that may take time? Ashley Fletcher led the line well up front whilst Marcus Harness got forward brilliantly and made things happen, outside him on the left, Lynden Gooch to the home cries of ‘Gooooch’ every time he got the ball, shown explosive pace, a real crowd favourite, whilst I liked the work of David Kasumu in midfield, defensively new signing Bronckhorst having a very solid game at right back.

Blackburn had nineteen year old centre back Tom Atcheson who is one to watch, he played with composure and is of decent size and stature but lacking a bit of pace perhaps, beside Sean McLoughlin at the heart of defence who also did well, whilst Yuri Ribeiro shown his usual grit at left back, I was mightily impressed with right sider Alebiosu, a former Arsenal youngster (now 24) who is quick, powerful, direct, and after beating his man for pace, put a couple of lovely teasing crosses into the box.

In midfield the pivot Adam Forshaw was well backed by the neat and inventive Todd Cantwell and Kristi Montgomery who’s an academy product with neat and sensible choice making skills. The two Japanese players Ohashi and Morishita largely disappointed, as did Oladapo Afolayan in attack, but the big and bulky Jayden Fevrier came on to prove a handful, less mobile than most, he’s a thick set solid looking fella who will look to power his way through, reminding me of a much younger, Mikel Antonio.

The Verdict

If I were to have a punt on either for promotion in their respective divisions that punt note would be placed on Huddersfield who have a good squad for the league they are in, some savvy acquisitions this summer will see them slowly improve as they gel, they need goals, and in Joe Taylor who they loaned out to Wigan last season, they might get more of them through him, than they would in Ashley Fletcher, perhaps.

I fancy Huddersfield to be kicking around the playoffs and I still think in Ethan Brierley and Tom Iorpenda they have two young players untapped that could play a huge part over the coming months.

As for Blackburn, I wonder if they lack a bit of depth? They’ll be resilient under Tony Mowbray and could if not spectacularly, grind out a few ugly results, but I would be more concerned about those below, than I would be by those above, as I’m not entirely sure they have the tools just yet, for a challenge fit to return to the Premier League.

The Teams

Huddersfield Town: Matty Young, Ilias Bronkhorst (Lasse Sorensen 85), Radino Balker, Jack Whatmough, Sean Roughan, Ryan Ledson, David Kasumu (Bali Mumba 82), Derensili Sanches Fernandes (Marcus McGuane 71), Marcus Harness (Jay Smith-Sway 82), Lynden Gooch, Ashley Fletcher (Joe Taylor 71).

Blackburn Rovers: Balazs Toth, Ryan Alebiosu, Tom Atchison (Hayden Carter 58), Sean McLoughlin, Yuri Ribeiro (Harry Pickering 58), Adam Forshaw (Jake Garrett 58), Kristi Montgomery (Axel Henriksson 80), Ryota Morishita, Todd Cantwell, Oladapo Afolayan (Jayden Fevrier 58), Yuki Ohashi (Andri Gudjohnsen 58).

3:00pm Kick Off. Saturday 1st August 2026, Kirklees Stadium, Huddersfield (att 3,821).