Lincoln City and Huddersfield Town Last Time We Almost Went Up Automatically

Lincoln City travelled to face Huddersfield Town in buoyant mood in March 1982, the side carrying a quietly impressive run of form into a demanding Third Division fixture at Leeds Road.

* This was the last time we flirted with automatic promotion from the third tier in non-COVID times, just to clarify the title!

Manager Colin Murphy had watched his side put together a six-match unbeaten sequence, a spell that included three successive away draws and suggested that the Imps were beginning to develop the resilience required to climb the table. With defender Phil Neill still struggling to recover fully from a ligament injury, the City boss kept faith with the same core of players who had travelled to Wimbledon previously. Wayne Turner, on loan from Luton Town, continued at left back while Phil Turner operated in midfield.

Murphy hinted before kick-off that a change remained possible, explaining that the final selection would come from the same group of 13 players who had been involved in recent matches.

“We’ve been looking at one or two things in training and we might make a change,” he remarked beforehand. “But I’m not certain about that.”

One possibility was the inclusion of David Bevan as an additional left-sided midfielder, though the alternative was to keep Dave Gilbert wide on the flank following his introduction at half-time during the draw at Wimbledon. Ultimately, City retained the familiar shape that had served them well in recent weeks.

Huddersfield, under the management of Mick Buxton, entered the contest after drawing 2-2 away at Fulham. The Yorkshire club were preparing for a heavy run of fixtures on home soil and Buxton believed the opportunity existed for his side to climb the table.

“I was pleased with our effort at Fulham,” he said before the match. “With so many home games this month I think we can do a Rotherham and shoot up the table.”

However, Huddersfield were missing captain and centre-half Dave Sutton, sidelined by a broken toe, leaving Bernie Purdy to fill the role once again. Midfielder Mike Kennedy was suspended, with Phil Wilson drafted into the side.

What followed was a contest played in conditions that might have discouraged many teams from attempting anything resembling attractive football. Rain fell relentlessly throughout the evening, while a strong, swirling wind whipped around the Leeds Road stands and turned the pitch into a difficult surface. The weather was so severe across the region that a nearby Yorkshire League fixture had already been abandoned before half-time.

Yet remarkably, it was City who adapted best to the elements.

Despite the conditions seemingly favouring the home side, the Imps produced a display full of confidence and technical quality. Their willingness to move the ball quickly and support one another all over the pitch surprised the Huddersfield crowd, who at times found themselves applauding the visiting players while directing frustrated remarks towards their own team.

The opening exchanges saw Town attempt to use the wind at their backs, pushing forward in numbers and trying to pin City deep inside their own half. For a spell midway through the first period the pressure was intense.

Trevor Peake, Steve Thompson and David Carr stood firm at the heart of the defence, while goalkeeper David Felgate delivered a performance of exceptional assurance. One fierce drive from Cowling brought a tremendous reaction save, Felgate throwing himself across goal to push the ball around the post. Moments later Wilson rose to meet a cross with a powerful header that seemed destined for the net, only for Felgate to again produce a brilliant stop.

Those interventions proved vital.

Once the initial storm had been weathered, City began to show their attacking quality. Gordon Hobson looked particularly lively, twisting and turning in possession to keep Huddersfield’s defence unsettled. Glenn Cockrell and George Shipley also drove forward with intent, and gradually the balance of the game shifted.

Just as the half appeared to be drifting towards the interval, City struck.

A strong run from Shipley began the move near the centre circle before Hobson, Stuart Hibbard and Phil Turner combined neatly to push play forward. Hibbard then delivered a swerving cross that Hobson cleverly headed back into the goalmouth. Huddersfield goalkeeper Dick Taylor hesitated for a crucial moment and Tony Cunningham seized the opportunity, nodding home to register his 11th goal of the season and send City into the break with the advantage.

The goal stunned the home supporters, but worse was to follow almost immediately after the restart.

Only three minutes into the second half City doubled their lead. Shipley again caused problems on the left before being brought down, earning a free kick in a dangerous position. Hibbard’s delivery arced towards the far post where Peake rose powerfully to meet it. Taylor initially grasped the header but lost control as he fell backwards, the ball slipping from his hands and over the line.

From that moment the Imps looked increasingly comfortable.

Cunningham threatened again with a sharp snapshot that Taylor gathered at full stretch, while Hobson twice found himself narrowly caught offside as Huddersfield’s defence grew increasingly anxious. At the other end Felgate continued to command his area superbly, tipping a wind-assisted centre over the bar and collecting several dangerous deliveries.

Huddersfield introduced Ian Robbins in an attempt to revive their attack, but the change brought little reward. One opportunity fell his way inside the penalty area, yet he fired well wide from close range.

As the closing stages approached, City controlled proceedings with authority. For the final quarter of an hour they calmly repelled everything the home side attempted, their teamwork and discipline ensuring there would be no route back into the match.

With the rain still falling and the wind still swirling, many home supporters drifted away before the final whistle, accepting that Huddersfield had been comprehensively outplayed on their own ground.

For the travelling City fans, however, the evening ended in celebration. Their side had produced a performance of real quality in the most testing of conditions, securing a fourth away league victory and continuing the impressive unbeaten run that had begun to push the club steadily up the Third Division table.

The line-up that evening read: Felgate, Carr, Phil Turner, Cockrell, Peake, Thompson, Shipley, Wayne Turner, Hobson, Cunningham and Hibbard, with Dave Gilbert the unused substitute. A crowd of 5,874 witnessed a display that left City sitting just outside the promotion places, their points tally placing them firmly among the division’s chasing pack.

Away from the pitch there was also news from the boardroom, where commercial manager David Mitchell received an extension to his contract. Chairman Dennis Houlston praised the impact Mitchell had made on the club’s finances, describing the role as a valuable investment at a time when careful management of resources remained essential.

City would go on to finish fourth, just one point behind Fulham in third, having failed to beat the Cottagers in the final game of the season. This would go on to be our highest finish in the third tier to date.

To date….