NEW ARRIVALS

Huddersfield Town medals, 1920s

The National Football Museum has recently received part of the fascinating Billy Smith collection of Huddersfield Town Supporters Association, comprising his three league championship and his FA Cup winning medals as well as a portrait photograph of Billy Smith and team photos of Huddersfield Town in the 1920s. All of these have now gone on display in the museum’s First Half gallery.

William Henry ‘Billy’ Smith, one of Huddersfield Town’s all-time goal scorers. He scored 126 goals in 574 games throughout his career at Huddersfield between 1913 and 1934 when he moved to Rochdale for a final season as player-manager. He was also the first person ever in the English League to score directly from a corner. Billy Smith scored the winning goal against Preston North End in the 1922 FA Cup final and was part of the side that won three consecutive titles in the first Division Championships. Besides his successful club career he was also capped for England three times.

Huddersfield Town had their most successful spell when Herbert Chapman was manager in the 1920s. He led the team to First Division Championship titles in the seasons 1924/25 and 1925/26 before leaving for Arsenal. Under his successor Cecil Potter they won the Championship for the third time and were the first English team to win the title for three consecutive seasons. In 1920 the Terriers made it into the FA Cup Final but lost against Aston Villa. In the 1922 Final they finally won the FA Cup after beating Preston North End 1-0. They also won the Charity Shield that year.