Huddersfield Town F.C. season 1972-73

Infobox Football club season
club = Huddersfield Town

season = 1972-73
manager = flagicon|ENG Ian Greaves
chairman = flagicon|ENG Frank Drabble
flagicon|ENG Stanley Kinder
league = Division Two
league result = 21st "(relegted)"
cup1 = FA Cup
cup1 result = Third Round
cup2 = Football League Cup
cup2 result = Second Round
league topscorer =
Alan Gowling (17)
season topscorer =
Alan Gowling (17)
highest attendance = 13,689 vs Burnley (14 April 1973)
lowest attendance = 3,871 vs Luton Town (20 January 1973)

Huddersfield Town's 1972-73 campaign saw Town get relegeated for the second season in a row, which saw them drop into the 3rd Division for the first time in their history. Despite the 17 goals of new signing Alan Gowling from Manchester United, Town were relegated by goal average from Cardiff City, who ironically were beaten by Town to the 1st Division title in 1924.

quad at the start of the season

Review

Following the relegation of Town from 1st Division at the end of the previous season, Town's three most experienced players, Trevor Cherry, Roy Ellam and Frank Worthington all left for pastures new, but the money received from their transfers was used to sign the experience of Alan Gowling from Manchester United and Graham Pugh from Sheffield Wednesday. However, a rise back up to Division 1 had a bad start, with Town drawing most of their opening matches and not making any realistic ground on any of the promotion chasing teams such as Burnley and Queens Park Rangers.

Town had only 7 wins in the league by the end of the season, with Town needing to win the last game of the season at home to Portsmouth to have any chance of Town avoiding the unthinkable drop to Division 3. Town beat Pompey 2-0 thanks to goals from Mick Fairclough and new signing Phil Summerill gave Town the needed win, but they had to wait on other results to go their way. Cardiff City got their needed result from their game in hand, which relegated Town on goal average. It was revenge on Town, who pipped Cardiff to the 1st Division title in 1924. They finished 21st with 33 points, getting relegated to Division 3 with Brighton & Hove Albion.

quad at the end of the season

Results

= Division Two=