All the way to Huddersfield

Oct 18, 2024 | News

Bristol Rovers and Huddersfield Town meet for the 37th time in the league this weekend, their first meeting since 2010/11.

Rovers were 1-0 winners at Huddersfield’s Galpharm Stadium on 2nd October 2010 thanks to a 90th minute Will Hoskins goal, which came just a minute after Town’s Jamie McCombe had been sent off.

Huddersfield won by the same score in the return fixture at The Memorial Stadium on 12th March 2011 when a fifth minute goal, scored by Jordan Rhodes, settled things in Huddersfield’s favour.

Huddersfield’s home, shared by the football club and rugby league club Huddersfield Giants, was first opened in 1994 and is jointly owned by both clubs and Kirklees Council.

The Kirklees Stadium has attracted three sponsors since its official opening; from 1994 until 2004 it was the Alfred McAlpine Stadium, when it became the Galpharm Stadium before assuming its present name in 2012.

As well as the 36 league meetings between the clubs to date, there has been one FA Cup tie, which Huddersfield won 2-0 back in January 1953.

In addition, the clubs met at Wembley in the Second Division Play Off Final in 1995 when the Yorkshire side won promotion by virtue of their 2-1 victory in front of a crowd of 59,175. Andy Booth and Chris Billy scored the Huddersfield goals that day, while Marcus Stewart scored for Rovers.

One year later, Marcus joined Huddersfield and he is one of a number of players to have turned out for both clubs (at least 26) and three of them might well be involved in this weekend’s action.

Antony Evans only left Rovers for Huddersfield this summer, after scoring 21 goals in 121 league games in his three years at The Memorial Stadium. To date he’s scored twice in nine league appearances for Huddersfield

Rovers defender Jack Hunt joined Huddersfield as a nine year old and graduated through their Academy, going on to make 104 league appearances for the club. He arrived at The Mem in August 2023 and his current stats show that he’s scored three goals in 28 league appearances in that time.

Goalkeeper Lee Nichols made 15 league appearances for Rovers, when on loan from Wigan Athletic, in 2016/16; Rovers were the sixth club he’s been loaned out to. He later signed a permanent deal with MK Dons and joined Huddersfield in May 2021 and he has since made 115 league appearances for the club, a total that includes seven this season.

Huddersfield, relegated from The Championship last season, are looking for a swift return and are currently ninth in the League One standings, with 15 points from their 10 games.

Rovers, although in 18th position, are only two points adrift of this weekend’s opponents, having played the same number of games.

It will certainly be a stern test for Matt Taylor’s side, but having secured wins in their last two league games, against Charlton Athletic and Burton Albion, they will be hoping to record a third successive League One victory and Taylor will surely be looking for a response from his side after a dismal showing in the Bristol Street Motors game against Swindon Town.

By my reckoning, it’s around 200 miles from Bristol to Huddersfield and to all of the Rovers supporters making their way to West Yorkshire, whether you are travelling on one of the Supporters Club coaches, with another provider, driving, or letting the train take the strain, please travel safely.