Huddersfield Town's 1988–89 campaign was a fairly unsuccessful campaign following the disastrous relegation the previous season. Under the leadership of former Ireland manager Eoin Hand, a disastrous end to the season saw Town finish 14th, just 6 points and 7 places above the relegation zone, despite the 33 goals from Craig Maskell.
Squad at the start of the season
Review Following the disastrous campaign orchestrated by Steve Smith and Malcolm Macdonald the previous season, it was up to former Ireland manager Eoin Hand and assistant Peter Withe to try to recover Town's perilous position in the 3rd tier of English football. At the start of the season, Town seemed to register a loss and a win every alternate week. Although new signing Craig Maskell (bought using the money funded by the sale of Duncan Shearer during the close-season.) started to score the goals that would try to bring Town up to the play-off spots.
Following relegation the previous season, Huddersfield Town achieved several positive results during January and February. They also played soon-to-be promoted Sheffield United in the FA Cup, losing by a narrow margin.
Also during the season Town recorded their biggest ever away league victory – a 6–0 thrashing of Bury at Gigg Lane. Bizarrely, Town would lose 6–0 at Bury the following season. In the last 7 games, Town lost 5 of them and drew the other 2. But, on a positive note, Craig Maskell broke a post-war goalscoring record of 32 goals set by Jimmy Glazzard in the 1954–55 season, by scoring his 33rd goal of the season in the last game of the season at home to Wigan Athletic.
Squad at the end of the season
Results Division Three DateOpponentsHome/AwayResultF – AScorersAttendancePosition27 August 1988BrentfordA0–15,63220th3 September 1988Preston North EndH2–0Maskell, Shotton5,62212th10 September 1988Cardiff CityA0–33,89118th17 September 1988GillinghamH1–1Hutchings4,68818th20 September 1988Notts CountyH3–1Byrne (2), Maskell (pen)5,65511th24 September 1988Chester CityA0–33,31914th1 October 1988FulhamH2–0Maskell (2)4,57610th3 October 1988Port ValeA0–25,93811th8 October 1988Northampton TownA3–1Bent, Hutchings, Maskell (pen)3,97510th15 October 1988Bristol CityH0–15,95216th22 October 1988AldershotA1–0Hutchings2,15512th25 October 1988Swansea CityH1–1Hutchings5,71112th29 October 1988Bristol RoversA1–5Hutchings4,46015th5 November 1988Sheffield UnitedH3–2Byrne, Maskell (2)10,40014th8 November 1988Bolton WanderersH0–17,80215th12 November 1988Wolverhampton WanderersA1–4Maskell12,69716th26 November 1988Wigan AthleticA2–0Maskell, Cecere2,77914th3 December 1988BlackpoolH1–1Maskell5,73815th17 December 1988BuryH3–2Bent, O'Regan, Maskell5,15012th26 December 1988ChesterfieldA1–1Bent5,53913th31 December 1988Mansfield TownA0–14,62814th2 January 1989Southend UnitedH3–2Maskell, Bent, Byrne6,40314th14 January 1989Preston North EndA0–16,95914th21 January 1989Cardiff CityH1–0Bent4,86911th28 January 1989GillinghamA2–1Maskell, O'Regan3,53010th4 February 1989FulhamA2–1O'Doherty, Cecere4,0819th11 February 1989Port ValeH0–08,0049th18 February 1989Northampton TownH1–2Maskell (pen)5,80210th28 February 1989Swansea CityA1–0Match abandoned due to floodlight failure.?4 March 1989AldershotH2–1Winter, Byrne4,70910th7 March 1989ReadingH2–2Duggan, Maskell4,93310th11 March 1989Sheffield UnitedA1–5Marsden13,68010th14 March 1989Bristol RoversH2–3Cecere, Maskell4,10510th22 March 1989Swansea CityA0–14,07512th25 March 1989Southend UnitedA4–2Duggan, Byrne, Maskell (2, 1 pen)3,58210th27 March 1989ChesterfieldH1–1Maskell5,81911th1 April 1989BuryA6–0Cecere, Maskell (3), Smith, Byrne4,14510th5 April 1989ReadingA1–2May3,80212th8 April 1989Mansfield TownH2–0Maskell, McInerney5,3279th15 April 1989Chester CityH3–1Winter, Smith, May6,1099th18 April 1989Bristol CityA1–6Maskell4,5429th22 April 1989Notts CountyA0–35,49912th25 April 1989BrentfordH1–2Maskell3,53812th29 April 1989Wolverhampton WanderersH0–08,75712th1 May 1989Bolton WanderersA1–3Maskell (pen)5,51112th6 May 1989BlackpoolA1–2Maskell4,07014th13 May 1989Wigan AthleticH1–1Maskell4,22514th
FA Cup
DateRoundOpponentsHome/AwayResultF – AScorersAttendance19 November 1988Round 1RochdaleH1–1May6,17828 November 1988Round 1 ReplayRochdaleA4–3Withe, O'Shaughnessy (og), Maskell, Bent5,64510 December 1988Round 2Chester CityH1–0O'Regan6,2957 January 1989Round 3Sheffield UnitedH0–115,543
League Cup
DateRoundOpponentsHome/AwayResultF – AScorersAttendance30 August 1988Round 1 1st LegScunthorpe UnitedA2–3Maskell, Mitchell3,8206 September 1988Round 1 2nd LegScunthorpe UnitedH2–2Maskell, Trevitt4,237 Huddersfield lost 5–4 on aggregate.
Associate Members' Cup
DateRoundOpponentsHome/AwayResultF – AScorersAttendance13 December 1988Preliminary Round Group 6Scunthorpe UnitedH1–0Byrne2,21620 December 1988Preliminary Round Group 6Halifax TownA0–12,43717 January 1989Round 1Grimsby TownA3–1Cecere, Maskell, Withe2,11621 February 1989Area Quarter-FinalScarboroughH1–2Maskell4,665
Appearances and goals NameNationalityPositionLeagueFA CupLeague CupAssociate Members' CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsMark BarhamMF1000000010Junior BentMF14 (8)531002019 (8)6Malcolm BrownDF10000 (1)0001 (1)0Mick ByrneFW29 (8)72 (1)00 (1)02113 (10)8Mike CecereFW28 (3)440004136 (3)5Andy DugganDF142000000142Paul FranceDF2 (1)00000103 (1)0Steve HardwickGK460402030550Micky HolmesMF3 (4)00010004 (4)0Chris HutchingsDF415402040515Chris MarsdenMF10 (4)10 (2)0203015 (6)1Lee MartinGK0000000 (1)00 (1)0Craig MaskellFW46284122425633Andy MayMF452411040543Ian McInerneyMF5 (5)1000 (1)0005 (6)1Graham MitchellDF33 (1)040213042 (1)1Ken O'DohertyDF371401030451Kieran O'ReganMF362412040463Malcolm ShottonDF2100200041Mark SmithFw17 (3)200000017 (3)2Simon TrevittDF35 (4)010211039 (4)1Gordon TuckerDF11 (1)00 (1)01 (1)01 (1)013 (4)0Peter WardFW1 (3)0000 (1)0001 (4)0Julian WinterMF352400040432Peter WitheFW14 (12)02 (1)1200 (2)118 (15)2
References