2021/2022 Season Awards!
Matt Shaw, Founder.
Twitter: @TTCMatt
Roll up, roll up, it’s that time of year again. We don our suits, black ties and shiny winklepickers as it’s time for the And He Takes That Chance end of season awards! This year the results will be announced LIVE from Magic Rock Brewery Tap in Birkby. That’s right, we’ll be leaving our hovel’s, squinting at the sun light and making our way down to the finest establishment in Huddersfield, and the best thing is you can come join us! We’ll be joining forces with The Examiner and BBC West Yorkshire Sport and will be joined by Steven Chicken, David Hartrick and Matt Glennon! However, before we can do that, we need your help in selecting the winners of each of our categories. So, enough waffle and on we go!
Player of the season
Lee Nicholls ran away with the official club poll, but the decision wasn’t that cut and dried amongst the Takesthatchance gang. I put forward a case for the underrated consistency of Lewis O’Brien, Kosi for the skill and creativity of Sorba Thomas and Neil Waine has championed the defensive abilities of Tom Lees. In truth there are several players who on any other year would have won the prize, but in true Highlander style, there can be only one! The voting form will appear at the foot of this article.
In a season of high’s (and High’s) it was difficult to find many low points. We have though found five! Town’s defeat at Wembley and the officiating during the game will live long in the memory, perhaps too long if you’re as bitter and twisted as I! At the other end of the timeline Ryan Schofield and Town had an absolute nightmare start to their home campaign against Fulham. A 1-5 spanking also with its own refereeing whoppery seemed to indicate tough times were ahead. How wrong that indication turned out! Also in contention is the comeback by West Brom in a televised game at The Hawthorns. Town were looking to start a run to close the gap on a rather rocky Bournemouth in 2nd place. Things were going very well until once again a referee intervened giving WBA a late ludicrous penalty. The Baggies scored and then equalised to puncture Town’s late jaunt up the table. Bournemouth were a distant but faintly possible target when they rolled into Huddersfield in March, but after a comfortable win Town would have to give up on any incredibly slim automatic chances. Finally, it’s been 100 years since Huddersfield Town won The FA Cup and 50 years since we were last in the quarter final. Tom Lees nodded Town in front at The City Ground but with Liverpool waiting Nottingham Forest proved too strong against a depleted Town side and history was made to wait another year.
I don’t really need to fluff out this section, these baby’s sell themself! I’m starting to get lazy and tired so I’m going to start bullet pointing.
Huddersfield Town 4-0 Reading. Town banished the aforementioned Fulham result with a resounding victory on my birthday. Sorba Thomas thrilled the crowd with a fine solo goal and Town weren’t as bad as we had feared a week or two earlier.
Huddersfield Town 3-2 Blackburn Rovers. Both teams went at each other in an end-to-end thriller. Danny Ward was the hero for Town who managed to outshine the inform Blackburn striker Ben Brereton-Diaz.
Huddersfield Town 3-2 Blackpool. Early goals, late goals, a sending off, 442 (Poz just got a semi-on with me just typing that), bad refereeing and something for everybody.
Reading 3-4 Huddersfield Town. In truth the highlights are better than the game but a real to and fro with Town taking the win.
Fulham 1-2 Huddersfield Town. Town executed a superb counter attacking game plan and deservedly beat the runaway leaders on their own patch.
Imagine rating Mick Wadsworth… Anyway, this season has seen a couple of players really take the bull by the horns and force their way into the side. Jon Russell was a frustrated spectator until January, but the FA Cup allowed the man affectionately known as “Joninho” to me and a few others to stake his claim. JR’s passing ability kept out last season’s IFollow favourite Carel Eiting and Russell played a key part in Town’s impressive run. The summer saw a lean, mean Sorba Thomas return (I don’t think he actually left) to Canalside and become a serious player. This season Sorba came 5th in The Championship for most assists and key passes, his creativity especially from set pieces has become the cornerstone of Town’s attacking play. Scott High is perhaps the less remarkable of the three contenders, but Town have only lost twice in the 14 games that he has started and he has played key roles in the goals against West Brom at home and Bristol City away.
Leigh Bromby had a rough start to life as Head of Football Operations but his transfer business over the summer will go down as one of the best windows that this club has had in living memory, especially in terms of value for money. Tom Lees, Ollie Turton, Matty Pearson, Jon Russell and Lee Nicholls all came in on free transfers and played a huge role throughout the season. Levi Colwill and Danel Sinani both joined on loan and make key contributions throughout the season.
Watch the video and vote for your favourite moments. I’ve probably missed a load so feel free to use the ‘other’ option!
GOALS! GOALS! GOALS! Pick your favourite and vote away.
Finally a new category and a couple of strong contenders. Again, watch the video and vote away!
