Huddersfield Town's 2004–05 campaign was their first competitive campaign in the restructured Coca-Cola League One. They finished 9th with 70 points, just one point less than Hartlepool United in 6th, the lowest playoff position.

Squad at the start of the season

Review Town beat Stockport County on the opening day, but then failed to score in their next 4 games, including a 1–0 defeat to Leeds United in the first round of the League Cup at Elland Road. The season included victories away at eventual champions Luton Town and at home over runners-up Hull City but also included two derby defeats against Bradford City. However, a disastrous mid-season spell of form (including seven successive away league defeats and having Efe Sodje stripped of the captaincy after his red card against Blackpool in the Football League Trophy) saw the side slump and in real danger of a relegation battle.

Jon Worthington was made captain after the Blackpool game, but then Huddersfield gained a recovery in form with the loan signing of Luke Beckett from Sheffield United, but he was then recalled by Sheffield in mid-February.

The team were in deep trouble in mid-March, with relegation being a big possibility, but the play-offs were still possible, although Town had to win all their final 10 games to have a realistic chance of reaching the play-offs and all was going well, until Town played Colchester United at the Galpharm Stadium. With 1 minute to go, Town were leading 2–1, but then a goalkeeping error by Paul Rachubka (signed earlier in the season from Charlton Athletic) let Colchester equalise the game. That proved to be fatal, Town did win all the other 9 games and they missed out on the play-offs by one point.

During the season, many graduates from Town's own academy started to cement first-team places, such as Andy Holdsworth, David Mirfin, Nathan Clarke, Tom Clarke, Adnan Ahmed and Michael Collins. Beckett departed to join local rivals Oldham Athletic before the transfer deadline.

Squad at the end of the season

Final league table

Results

Pre-season matches DateCompetitionOpponentsHome/AwayResultF - AScorersAttendance12 July 2004Friendly matchWakefield-EmleyA2 - 1Mirfin, Holdsworth1,58917 July 2004Friendly matchMiddlesbroughA1 - 2Booth?19 July 2004Friendly matchOssett TownA2 - 0A. Sodje, McCombe1,000+21 July 2004Friendly matchBradford Park AvenueA2 - 1McAliskey, Carss800+24 July 2004Friendly matchHarrogate TownA2 - 2Abbott (pen), Brandon70427 July 2004Friendly matchRotherham UnitedA2 - 02 og1,72028 July 2004Friendly matchFarsley CelticA1 - 1A. Sodje?31 July 2004Friendly matchMacclesfield TownA1 - 0Brandon?3 August 2004Friendly matchGuiseleyA2 - 0Brown, Fowlerc. 500

Coca-Cola League One DateOpponentsHome/AwayResultF - AScorersAttendanceLeagueposition7 August 2004Stockport CountyA3 - 2Carss , Booth , Abbott 7,4734th10 August 2004ChesterfieldH0 - 011,9426th16 August 2004Hartlepool UnitedH0 - 29,96814th21 August 2004Sheffield WednesdayA0 - 126,26417th28 August 2004Peterborough UnitedH2 - 1McAliskey , Worthington 9,53114th30 August 2004Doncaster RoversA1 - 2Worthington 7,06816th5 September 2004Hull CityH4 - 0Abbott , Edwards , Brandon , Booth 13,54211th11 September 2004Port ValeA3 - 0Abbott [62, 67, 65]6,2985th18 September 2004BarnsleyH0 - 214,7949th25 September 2004Bristol CityA3 - 3Schofield , Abbott , Brandon 10,78310th2 October 2004WalsallH3 - 1Abbott, [29, 68], Mendes 11,3247th9 October 2004Torquay UnitedA1 - 2Mendes 3,0339th16 October 2004Luton TownA2 - 1Mendes [14, 36]8,1927th19 October 2004Tranmere RoversH1 - 3Abbott 10,3248th23 October 2004Milton Keynes DonsH3 - 0Abbott [33, 45 (pen)], Mendes 10,7097th30 October 2004BlackpoolA1 - 1Booth 7,6768th7 November 2004BrentfordH1 - 1Abbott 10,8109th20 November 2004Colchester UnitedA0 - 03,97211th27 November 2004WrexhamH1 - 2Schofield 11,12714th8 December 2004Swindon TownA2 - 1Abbott , Brandon 4,82810th11 December 2004Oldham AthleticA1 - 2Abbott 8,38911th18 December 2004Bradford CityH0 - 117,28113th26 December 2004Port ValeH2 - 1Schofield , Abbott 12,24312th28 December 2004AFC BournemouthA2 - 2McAliskey , Mirfin 8,44812th1 January 2005Hull CityA1 - 2Brandon 22,29113th3 January 2005Bristol CityH2 - 2Orr [18 (og)], Abbott 11,15113th8 January 2005Torquay UnitedH1 - 1E Sodje 9,19413th15 January 2005BarnsleyA2 - 4Abbott [55 (pen)], Booth 11,72514th22 January 2005AFC BournemouthH3 - 2Abbott [8 (pen)], Beckett [35, 45]9,75413th29 January 2005WalsallA3 - 4Booth , Beckett [11, 33]5,72714th5 February 2005Luton TownH1 - 1Beckett 12,61114th12 February 2005Milton Keynes DonsA1 - 2Booth 4,79315th19 February 2005BlackpoolH1 - 0Beckett 10,61414th22 February 2005Tranmere RoversA0 - 37,61314th26 February 2005Oldham AthleticH2 - 1Abbott [4, 29]11,16113th5 March 2005Bradford CityA0 - 215,41714th12 March 2005ChesterfieldA1 - 2Mirfin 4,82715th19 March 2005Stockport CountyH5 - 3Booth , Abbott , Mirfin , Ahmed , Dolan [90 (og)]11,18014th25 March 2005Hartlepool UnitedA1 - 0Booth 6,20513th29 March 2005Sheffield WednesdayH1 - 0Worthington 17,29213th2 April 2005Peterborough UnitedA2 - 1Brandon , Schofield 3,97612th9 April 2005Doncaster RoversH3 - 1Abbott , Booth , Brandon 12,7928th16 April 2005Colchester UnitedH2 - 2Abbott , Schofield 10,8319th23 April 2005BrentfordA1 - 0Abbott 7,70310th30 April 2005Swindon TownH4 - 0Abbott [62, 80], Booth , Edwards 13,5599th7 May 2005WrexhamA1 - 0Mirfin 7,1519th

FA Cup DateRoundOpponentsHome/AwayResultF - AScorersAttendance13 November 2004Round 1Stockport CountyA1 - 3Abbott 3,479

League Cup DateRoundOpponentsHome/AwayResultF - AScorersAttendance24 August 2004Round 1Leeds UnitedA0 - 130,115

Football League Trophy DateRoundOpponentsHome/AwayResultF - AScorersAttendance28 September 2004Round 1 NorthMorecambeH3 - 0Mirfin , Mendes [84 (pen)], Fowler 3,8312 November 2004Round 2 NorthBlackpoolA3 - 6 (aet, 90 mins: 2 - 2)McAliskey , Schofield , Ahmed 3,533

Appearances and goals Squad No.NameNationalityPositionLeagueFA CupLeague CupFootball League TrophyTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals1Ian GrayGK1200010001302Andy HoldsworthDF38 (2)010101041 (2)03Anthony LloydDF10 (1)010002013 (1)04Lee FowlerMF8 (12)00 (1)0002110 (13)15Steve YatesDF15 (2)010001017 (2)06Nathan ClarkeDF3701010104007Chris BrandonMF42 (2)610100044 (2)68Tony CarssMF23 (4)100101025 (4)19Pawel AbbottFW36 (8)2611100 (1)038 (9)2510Junior MendesFW13 (12)5100 (1)01115 (13)611Danny SchofieldMF21 (12)510002124 (12)612Luke BeckettFW760000007612Delroy FaceyFW400000004014Rob EdwardsDF21 (3)200100022 (3)216Efe SodjeDF24 (4)100101026 (4)117David MirfinDF38 (3)410101141 (3)518Jon WorthingtonMF39310101042319Akpo SodjeFW1 (6)000001 (1)02 (7)020John McAliskeyFW7 (11)2000 (1)01 (1)18 (13)321Danny AdamsDF500000005022Phil SeniorGK5 (1)00000207 (1)023Andy BoothFW25 (4)1000101027 (4)1024John McCombeDF4 (1)00000206 (1)025Adnan AhmedMF16 (2)100000 (2)118 (4)226Paul RachubkaGK29010000030027Nat BrownDF7 (10)00000108 (10)029Michael CollinsMF7 (1)00000007 (1)036Tom ClarkeDF120000000120

References