As promised, the pride of Huddersfield
Remember that blog I wrote a couple of months back about visiting Huddersfield Town? Well, the January snow might have delayed us, but Dirs and Fordyce don't give up that easily - and here's that video I promised!
on our Marvellous, Magical, Mad Football League Tour, with Tom and me planning to visit more clubs from outside the in future.
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And what glorious stories we uncovered at the Galpharm: of ancient toilet seats and turnstiles, , Herculean feats - and of a man who spends so much money on the club, he's afraid to tell his wife.
Sound familiar? Then tell us : about local legends, great cup nights, , improbable escapes and goals. Of match-day rituals, mascot misbehaviour, , the best local boozers or the poshest local pies. Or perhaps you're your club's most obsessive fan? Get in touch, and we could end up having a natter in your team's dugout.
Before I go, I should just say thank you to Town's press officer Dave Sykes for being so welcoming and fitting us in around all those Huddersfield Giants. Having seen them up close, that's no easy task. And thank you to everyone who sent us their Terriers memories and to those who appear in the video. We hope the love you have for your side comes across.
PS. Now, I know what you might be thinking after watching the video, that our ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ bosses, in , have got the props department to hew a couple of Tom and Ben doubles from pine, we look that wooden at times.
But that really is us staring into the camera, like a couple of refugees from a film from the early 1900s... but then we're as new to this sort of thing as they were...
Hello. I have been working for the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ for more than a decade now and cover almost all sports. It would be good to hear from you - just don't be nasty or my mum might get upset.
Here are 
Comment number 1.
At 24th Mar 2009, YTFCinLeeds wrote:Hello!
I look forward to seeing what the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ do with the lower leagues and well i was wondering, is a trip to the wonderful world of Yeovil on the Horizone???
YTFCinLeeds!
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Comment number 2.
At 24th Mar 2009, Nathan J wrote:Whos is the blonde....and why is she looking at the Lion as if he has just pinched her chips?
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Comment number 3.
At 24th Mar 2009, ThomThomTiger wrote:Nice work guys but Ben, your Star Trek bit made me spit out some coffee. You're quite right. I think it's fair to say your acting skills require a little polish. Solid start though. Well done!
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Comment number 4.
At 24th Mar 2009, tajblue wrote:Twas a Huddersfield man who formed the St Domingo's football team that subsequently changed its name to EVERTON which notoriously spawned the creation of those "johnny come lately's" liverpool!
Huddersfield has a lot to answer for!
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Comment number 5.
At 24th Mar 2009, MrBolvine wrote:Enjoyable watch, look forward to more!
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Comment number 6.
At 24th Mar 2009, RastrickBerr wrote:No real mention of Alex Jackson scoring a hat-trick against England in the "Wembley Wizards" game. Alex was the tallest at 5'7" of the Scots forward line.
Interesting middle name for Alex tho?
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Comment number 7.
At 24th Mar 2009, steedee wrote:Honestly now.....
How many attempts of the chairman challenge did it take for someone to win?
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Comment number 8.
At 24th Mar 2009, Tom Fordyce wrote:steedeemonkey - HTFC representative Sean Jarvis nailed his second attempt, exactly as you saw it. Which was hugely disappointing, as I'd nailed my practice go before the camera was turned on, and was thus convinced I was going to win. Just couldn't cut it when the pressure was on. Gutted. Although Sean was the only one of us wearing football boots. I'll say no more.
tajblue - lovely little fact. YTFCinLeeds - why not? What treats would we find at Huish Park?
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Comment number 9.
At 24th Mar 2009, TheSpoo wrote:jones5n wrote:
Whos is the blonde....and why is she looking at the Lion as if he has just pinched her chips?
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Shes probably wondering why that mascot looks like a lion when its supposed to be a Terrier :)
Still its an improvement the previous effort that looked like a jacket spud!
p.s. Worryingly Sean Jarvis takes a better corner than Gary Roberts!
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Comment number 10.
At 24th Mar 2009, Bamber Boozler wrote:Hey Ben,
Good to see this up and running.
Remember to get yourself down to Ninian park on the 5th of April to sample the LAST EVER Cardiff v Swansea derby to be held at Ninian.
It is an atmosphere that you have to sample!!
You won't be dissapointed.
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Comment number 11.
At 24th Mar 2009, Grizz wrote:Could the presenters be any more wooden
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Comment number 12.
At 24th Mar 2009, YTFCinLeeds wrote:"8. At 12:02pm on 24 Mar 2009, Tom Fordyce - ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Sport wrote:...YTFCinLeeds - why not? What treats would we find at Huish Park?"
Im not so sure its the place itself that would attract you, i think its everyting that the club is about.
Maybe not having the best of times at the moment, but you mention in you Blurb about having some great giant killings... well surley there is no greater giant killers than Yeovil... SUnderland in 1949! (ironically, a legends match will hopefully take place on the day after the final day of this season)
My beloved club would welcome you with open arms... especially if we stay up!!!
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Comment number 13.
At 24th Mar 2009, U11846789 wrote:Rochdale. It's got to be Rochdale.
I'm not a fan. Dont know hardly anything about them.
But theyve been in the bottom tier - unbroken -for 2,000,000 years.
And this year they might get out of it!!
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Comment number 14.
At 24th Mar 2009, shine_a_light wrote:Definitely think you should go to Rochdale - crackin little ground Spotland and they could actually get promoted this year !! Plus its the wonderful birthplace of Gracie Fields and Lisa Stansfield ... need I say more !!
Also - amazing moobs Ben ... :o)
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Comment number 15.
At 24th Mar 2009, cambridge_bum wrote:With the possibility of a Cambridge v Histon blue square premier play-off final this year I think maybe you should make an exception to the program title and visit this beautiful city! If wembley gets to witness this local derby it will be a VERY special afternoon! I was at Cambridge's play off final last year and the Amber army were in very high spirits, but if it's a Cambridge derby..... I don't think you'll ever have seen an atmospere like it!
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Comment number 16.
At 24th Mar 2009, Tom Fordyce wrote:Hmmm - a lot of love for Rochdale coming through. shine_a_light - easy on Ben's moobs. If you tease him he'll only get unhappier and end up eating more.
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Comment number 17.
At 24th Mar 2009, Id rather drive up the tourmalet to ski down wrote:Tom & Ben,
I read on the other blog linked to this that the inspiration for going to Huddersfield was the fact that Bill Shankly was their manager before Liverpool. Perhaps then the next port of call should be Preston! Shankly played for them over 300 times and the kop end is now named after him.
Apart from having a great stadium, Preston North End also boast a fantastic history (shame the present isn't as good!). First ever league winners, first ever team to do the double (league and cup), first ever team to complete the league without losing a single game. They still hold the record for the highest win (26-0 in the FA Cup against Hyde). Although all this did happen before 1900!
Come to Preston!
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Comment number 18.
At 24th Mar 2009, mathiasmaximus wrote:Even try other league teams, like in Northern Ireland, my local club Glentoran. We couldn't buy our way into the UEFA Cup, but back in the sixites, our greatest ever result was a 1-1 draw in Belfast against Benfica. A young man called Eusebio scored for the Portuguese, then we went out on the away goals rule, sickening!
Glens for the league '09!
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Comment number 19.
At 24th Mar 2009, Christian_Dailly_Religious_Magazine wrote:Charlton are going on their very own Football League tour!
But instead of Marvellous, Magical, Mad
its Depressing, Woeful and Sad.
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Comment number 20.
At 24th Mar 2009, barnes wrote:Ben,
Love your cricket live text commentary and thought that you were some trendy young london fop but you look like a bloke who would go and watch burnley play with a whippet on a string....
Funny how you imagine what people look like. Keep up the good work though.
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Comment number 21.
At 24th Mar 2009, grandchien wrote:I think I'll give the rest of the series a miss...
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Comment number 22.
At 24th Mar 2009, U13691348 wrote:Why not Leeds
A huge worldwide giant now a sleeping giant ready to return to the Championship, once deep in debt, now no longer.
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Comment number 23.
At 24th Mar 2009, Unusualj wrote:Great show, & even better when I could see my old house near the Leeds Road ground. Now I'm living down south & trying to get my son to understand there is more to life than Chelsea, I have to thank you for the interesting facts. I'll be watching the series...
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Comment number 24.
At 24th Mar 2009, sam_imp wrote:Get down to Lincoln City and become a LCFC PASSIONISTA for the day. We are all part of a newly formed, quite eccentric fan group and would love you guys to be part of it!
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Comment number 25.
At 24th Mar 2009, CrosbyTown wrote:It just stuns me how patronizing people can be. "Ho ho let us visit a lower league club and show everyone how clever we are". I just can't believe that this kind of production gets any airtime/webtime at all. If you had any real interest you should have done something sensible, not this horrific codswallop. I fear for any club next on your list. Disappointed is an understatement.
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Comment number 26.
At 25th Mar 2009, icetorresisgod wrote:Just wanted to let you guys know great film and really good idea. I think Leeds are pushing it they are a big club and not really worthy of this type of film. How about Doncaster Rovers? From a few years ago looking at administration to recent successes would be a nice place to go given current economic climates that face many clubs this season.
They also hav loads of moors for you to walk those whippets on
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Comment number 27.
At 25th Mar 2009, Swiss Tony wrote:Huddersfield has one of the best supporters websites which is fabulously witty for all fans (apart from the opposition in the match reports):
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Comment number 28.
At 25th Mar 2009, MadMancHatter wrote:How about getting yourselves down to Kennilworth Road for lutons final home game of the season against rochdale on 25th April.
After all its not inconcievable that the english central defence might be made up of ex luton youth stars (Upson and curtis Davis), You can hear about how we release andrew johnson as a youth porspect because he was too small (D'oh).
Listen to stories of decades of crook owners who have run luton into the ground all for a plot of development ground (the list of dodgy owners is too long to put here but it makes a mockery of the FA's fit and proper person tests).
Meet the fans who despite thier team being cut adrift at the bottom of the football league have got together in thier thousands (almost 40,000) to see their beloved club at Wembley.
You never know it might even be the day we catch Chester or Grimsby (i live in hope).
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Comment number 29.
At 25th Mar 2009, Tom Fordyce wrote:Doncaster, Lincoln, Luton - sounds tremendous. They're on the list.
CrosbyTown - shame it's not your cuppa - we'll try to win you over with later episodes. Barnes116 - whenever I see Ben's mug-shot on this blog, it always makes me picture him with a bull terrier or Rottweiler straining on the leash just out of shot, in a "Get off my manor!" sort of way.
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Comment number 30.
At 25th Mar 2009, Nomadic Terrier wrote:Have to agree with Crosbytown I was very disappointed. The whole thing looked poorly produced. Did no one think to phone the Bradley Mills WMC? Was there no contingency plan? Obviously not! I hope that this is not an indication of how the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ will treat the lower leagues when their coverage starts in a year or so.
More research, more takes and more effort next time please. And can some one send a can of charisma down to these two please!
2/10
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Comment number 31.
At 25th Mar 2009, oke2008 [RIP #15] wrote:Can't believe no-one has mentioned Crewe Alex "conveyor belt for the stars" (lol)awesom history, one of the only teams with a unique name, longest serving league manger, excelent youth policy. need i say more. at least i can say i support the same team as the great Bobby Charlton, if you watch those activia adverts he's in.
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Comment number 32.
At 25th Mar 2009, Sven_Terforrard wrote:I am a Huddersfield Town fan of long standing, and I gave up on the first offering of ‘Tom and Ben’s Marvellous, Magical, Mad Football League Tour’, well before the end, as I was running out of cringes.
The whole charade was about half a notch above the level of CBeebies, and a further example of a substantial amount of licence payers’ money being doled out to ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ employees, who are then told to go and play.
The Corporation will of course, be delighted with it, as it was another massive contribution to their dumbing down drive. I suggest the title be changed to ‘Strictly Come Duncing’, and those two guys should be sent back to their ice-cream parlour.
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Comment number 33.
At 26th Mar 2009, shine_a_light wrote:Looks like someone got out the wrong side of bed this morning, then stumped their little toe on the way to the bathroom ...
Keep up the good work fellas, can't wait for the cricket to start - I'm guessing you'll both be covering the IPL?
PS - you should still come to Rochdale, even after last nights shocking result!
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Comment number 34.
At 14th Apr 2009, royalchocolatelegs wrote:If anyone watching this is struggling to make it to the end, then email me and I'll invite you round to my house to watch some paint dry.
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Comment number 35.
At 3rd Aug 2009, Captain_Dubbin wrote:Whatever happened to the Marvellous, Magical, Mad Football League Tour that was launched with such lavish line-shooting earlier this year?
Could this be one of the rare occasions when, after the Huddersfield hokum, Auntie took heed of the licence fee payers' putdowns and actually pulled the plug?
No... I suppose that would be too much to hope for. The old girl always sticks by the seeds of her loins, through thin and thinner, doesn't she?
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