6th August 2008
When a club celebrates its centenary, the opportunity is taken to look back at the club's history. When Huddersfield Town celebrated its centenary in 2008, the club entertained Arsenal at the Yorkshire club's Galpharm Stadium, on 6th August.
Huddersfield Town's 2008–09 campaign was the club's centenary season. The season did not end in promotion and if things had been left alone, relegation may have been a possibility.
The club eventually finished in 9th place, but the season was noted mainly for it being the first time in 78 years that Town had completed the double over local rivals Leeds United,
There was also the retirement of local legend Andy Booth (below) who made 457 appearances over 2 spells at the club, scoring 150 goals, putting him in the top 5 of both appearances and goals in the club's history. Yes it is Andy's recent photograph!
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–1996 | Huddersfield Town | 123 | (54) |
| 1996–2001 | Sheffield Wednesday | 133 | (28) |
| 2001 | → Tottenham Hotspur (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2001–2009 | Huddersfield Town | 270 | (80) |
| Total | 530 | (162) |
To commemorate Booth's service to the club, Town played a testimonial match against Spanish La Liga side, Real Sociedad, on 25 July 2006. The game finished 0–0 in front of over 7,000 people.
On 1 February 2007, he signed a one-year extension to his contract till the summer of 2008. On 15 February 2008, Huddersfield Town fans gave a petition to Parliament that would allow a statue of him to be erected in Huddersfield town centre. On 26 April 2008, he became the first player to sign a contract extension under new manager Stan Ternent, which would keep him at the club until the summer of 2009.
On 22 April 2009, Booth announced his intention to retire from playing and become an ambassador for the club. His playing registration will be kept by the club, in case he is required in the future.
On 25 April 2009, in his final appearance at the Galpharm Stadium, Booth was made captain of the Huddersfield team. He opened the scoring in a 2–2 draw against Brighton and Hove Albion, his 149th goal for the club. After being substituted in the last few minutes of the match, Booth earned a standing ovation from both Huddersfield and Brighton fans.
The following week, in his final match for the Terriers, he scored his 150th goal for the club in the 1–1 draw against Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road. This was greeted with delirious celebration in the away fans section with Orient supporters joining in too. His 452 appearances put him in 4th place on the club's appearances list.
| Player / Current club | Apps | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonathan Hogg Huddersfield Town | 372 |
| 2 | Alex Smithies Retired | 274 |
| 3 | Andy Booth Retired | 270 |
| 4 | Nathan Clarke Retired | 267 |
| 1995 | England U21 | 3 | (2) |
|---|
| 19 July 2008 | Friendly match | Bury | A | 1 – 1 | Codman [81] | |
| 22 July 2008 | Friendly match | A.F.C. Emley | A | 8 – 0 | N. Clarke [5, 72], Berrett [8], Jevons [15, 31], Butler [44], Parker [47], Williams [60] | 1,927 |
| 26 July 2008 | Hartlepool United Centenary Tournament Semi-Final | Hamilton Academical | N | 1 – 2 | Booth [50] | 550 |
| 27 July 2008 | Hartlepool United Centenary Tournament 3rd Place Play-Off | Hartlepool United | N | 0 – 1 | ? | |
| 2 August 2008 | Friendly match | Sheffield United | H | 2 – 1 | Cadamarteri [28], Parker [79] | 4,146 |
| 6 August 2008 | Centenary Match – The Herbert Chapman Trophy | Arsenal | H | 1 – 2 | Berrett [75] | 19,044 |
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