[L]eague One still hurts for Preston North End supporters. Although current travails don't come close to the dark days of the 1980s when the club flirted alternately with going out of the league and out of business altogether, a fanbase reared on the successes of the David Moyes era, not to mention the enduring legacy of the Invincibles, are very unwilling to accept the third level as their place in the natural order of things.
For our profile this week, we welcome back Craig Telfer, author of a deservedly well received post
recently identifying those players in Scotland who might attract the attention of NPower League
Clubs in the coming months. Craig runs his own blog dedicated to Stenhousemuir FC, Who the hell is
Akabusi?
The moment when Huddersfield striker James Vaughan went all "Liu Kang" on the corner flag's ass after scoring The Terrier's third goal in their 3-0 win over Millwall yesterday...
[T]oday, we revisit the topic of barmy kick off times. Matthew Rudd is a failing radio host, club DJ, newly-qualified lifeguard, prolific tweeter and, most relevantly, lifelong Hull City supporter and senior writer for the Amber Nectar fanzine, which is 15 years old this year. He also contributes to talkSPORT and When Saturday Comes on matters concerning the Tigers.
[J]ust a year after Lee Clark left Huddersfield Town, the man who took the Terriers to promotion, ex-Blackpool and Leeds United boss Simon Grayson, has followed his footsteps in the snow. So, once again, close Town watcher John Dobson, identifiable on Twitter here, has something to write about.
When he arrived at Forest on loan a season or so ago he came billed as 'The White Pele' though I've no idea who by and/or why, as he didn't appear to bequite in that league but never-the-less, here's Peterborough's George Boyd cracking on in from inside the centre-circle against Huddersfield in the Championship last night.
http://youtu.be/Uc8108ZtgCY Anyone that watches, follows, bets on or cares about the Championship knows that it is the most ridiculously unpredictable league. New Leicester City signing Anthony Knockaert got in on the surprise act by scoring two incredible, if completely different, goals against Hudderfield on Tuesday night to give his side an away victory.
1. Blackburn have finally found a Kean capable of competing against Premier League opposition. 2. Oldham striker Matt Smith either loves the FA Cup or hates Merseyside. It's hard to tell at this stage. 3. Smith and his Latics team-mates can be grateful that goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis failed with his attempt at a blatant handball [.
The managerial merry-go-round has gone in to overdrive recently with no fewer than 11 managers across all four English divisions leaving their positions in the past five weeks. Nine of those were sacked whilst two resigned to fill vacancies elsewhere, making it a total of 13 clubs who have been searching for a new manager [.
After joining Huddersfield Town's academy as a young boy, Duane Holmes is making great strides in the 2012/13 season and has his eyes set on breaking into the first team soon.
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 1-1 LEICESTER CITY Saturday 26th January 2013 FA Cup 4th Round John Smith's Stadium, Stadium Way, Huddersfield
match ticket
programme cover
Admission: £10 Programme: £2 Attendance: 11,945 (4,000 away) Original plans for today was as is normally the case a visit to a non-league club, with plan A being that of Oakham United in the Peterborough & District League.
We continue our series of video highlights of the clubs in the Football League Championship today with Huddersfield Town. Three times champions of England in the 1920s under the managership of Herbert Chapman, we kick off with a curio from a little later in the clubs history and a recording of their player Alex Jacksons preview of the 1930 FA Cup Final against the club that Chapman left Huddersfield to manage, Arsenal.
The January transfer deadline is less than a week away now and message boards everywhere are heralding a cry for more experience to be added to Championship squads. The judicious addition of a central defender with a Premier League background or a proven striker could be enough to convert pretenders into serious challengers.
20:00 Blackpool (2-1) Leeds at Bloomfield Road20:00 Bolton (2-0) Derby at Reebok Stadium19:45
Brighton (0-0) Cardiff at Amex Stadium19:45 Bristol City (4-1) Crystal Palace at Ashton Gate19:45
Huddersfield Town (1-1) Nottingham F. at The Galpharm Stadium19:45 Peterboro (1-2) Millwall at
London Road Ground19:45 Middlesbrough (3-2) Burnley at The Riverside Stadium19:45 Charlton (-)
Swansea at The [.
Of all the categories in this year's awards, the most clear cut winner was Rickie Lambert. The
barrel chested scouser swept all before him in 2011-12 and how heartening it was to see this 30
year old veteran of Edgeley Park and Spotland so dominate the division. The parallels with Grant
Holt have oft been drawn and no wonder – Lambert has every chance of matching the Norwich man's
achievements.
A couple of the nominees for this year's best young player – Jordan Rhodes and Matt Phillips –
have been so well tracked by the blogosphere that any further attempt to describe their abilities
is probably about as welcome as the sight of the Cornish national flag on the Olympic Torch Relay.
Some of our other suggestions have perhaps been less heralded, though.
[O]nce upon a time, the PFA Awards were the undisputed measure of a season's most valuable players.
Voted for by the Professionals themselves, the response to their announcement was one of awed hush
and consent – how could mere onlookers presume to know better than those involved in the rough
and tumble of the actual sport?
Liverpool forward Nathan Eccleston could soon be presented with the option of playing his club
football in Holland after it emerged that PSV Eindhoven were interested in the youngster.
According to Sky Sports, the 21-year-old has emerged as a genuine target for the Dutch giants,
despite making just two Premier League appearances for Liverpool.
Our latest scouting report from outside the Football League comes from Craig Telfer, whose website
Who the hell is Akabusi? documents the thrills and spills of supporting Scottish Second Division
side Stenhousemuir FC. Here, Craig widens his brief to consider those SFL players potentially
capable of doing a job in England's equivalent divisions.
Despite the latest unseemly outburst from a Blackburn Rovers official, on the pitch at least the
Lancashire club look well-placed to secure promotion from the Championship in the coming season and
a quick return to the Premier League awaits.
Rovers were distracted by all sorts of off-field problems last term when they were relegated from
the top flight.
Spanish starlet Suso netted twice as Liverpool Reserves beat Huddersfield Town 2-0 in a pre-season
friendly at the Academy on Wednesday.
Rodolfo Borrell's squad featured eight youngsters who have just returned from being part of the
first team tour to North America.
Joining Suso in the starting XI were Daniel Pacheco, Andre Wisdom, Stephen Sama, Ryan McLaughlin,
Krisztian Adorjan, goalkeeper Danny Ward and Jordon Ibe who came on as a second half substitute.
As Nottingham Forest enter a brave new era under the ownership of the Al-Hasawi family, they
enter it without manager Steve Cotterill.
Despite only taking over in October after the sacking of Steve McLaren, the former Notts County
man has been removed from his position with immediate effect.
Today we welcome back regular contributor Phil Ascough. Here, he provides his reaction to Steve
Bruce's arrival and early weeks in the job at Hull City. One of the best things about following
football is that it gives you the chance to butt in on disputes that are none of your business. So
when Sunderland fans sang: 'Where were you when you were skint?
Here we have former Chelsea, QPR, Huddersfield, Sheff Wed, Brighton, Swansea, MK Dons, Wycombe,
Rushden & Diamonds, Thrasivoulos Fylis, Hamilton Academicals, Queen of the South, Coleraine and
current Glentoran striker Leon Knight taking us through a highlight reel of his best moments.
Here we have former Chelsea, QPR, Huddersfield, Sheff Wed, Brighton, Swansea, MK Dons, Wycombe,
Rushden & Diamonds, Thrasivoulos Fylis, Hamilton Academicals, Queen of the South, Coleraine and
current Glentoran striker Leon Knight taking us through a highlight reel of his best moments.
-QPR History in Photos: From the 1880s to the 21st Century - The Bushman QPR Photo Archives - The Main QPR REPORT MESSAGEBOARD - Follow QPR REPORT on TWITTER! _______________________________________ - - "Spot The Ball" - 12 Years Ago Today: QPR Relegated at Huddersfield - Five Years ago Today: The New (Horrible) Crest Leaked.
While most of the attention surrounding the FA Cup fourth round will focus on Premier League teams and possible giant-killing fixtures, there are six Championship clubs going head-to-head with league rivals to earn a place in the fifth round.
No doubt Derby v Blackburn, Hull v Barnsley and Huddersfield v Leicester will see little air time on Match of the Day Saturday evening, but just ask fans of this Championship sextuple if they care about progressing or not.
Though the season itself was far from Fiorentina's finest moment (they were relegated from Serie
A for the first time in 55 years after dive-bombing down the table from sitting second behind Milan
in December), their 1992/93 away strip was very nearly a wonderful piece of work.
Last year, the comments section in this category combusted at the suggestion that QPR's Celtic
aping green and white away kit was the best of the 144 or so outfits on offer to choose from. A
day later, we were engulfed in yet more hot water when citing ignorance of tradition as a reason
to dislike Southampton's Peruvian impression.
Chris Powell's Charlton Athletic romped away with League One this season
Following our look at the Championship, it's now time to cast our eyes towards League One, the
launchpad for both Norwich and now Southampton's march to the Premiership. How did the early season
predictions pan out?
