Emotional day in store for Town's Andy Booth

Apr 24 2009 By Mel Booth

ANDY BOOTH will walk out alongside his children for a final home appearance in Huddersfield Town colours tomorrow and admits: "It will be emotional."

The 35-year-old striker is calling time on a career which spans 17 years, 600-plus matches and 182 goals – most of them playing for his beloved hometown club.

Six-year-old Harrison and two-year-old Hermione will be at his side as mascots – and the rest of the family in the stands – as Town take on Brighton in 24 hours and thousands of supporters raise the roof in his honour for one last time.

"It will be emotional because playing football has been part of my life for so long and I’ve had fantastic support from the Town fans," said Booth, who plans to play some cricket for Hall Bower this summer and make the most of a family holiday at their home in Spain.

"I really would like to thank every single person for their support over the years and I’m sure it will get to me a bit as we say goodbye.

"It will be really nice for me, though, to walk out on the field for the final time here with Harrison and Hermione holding my hands and, obviously, it would be nice to go out with a couple of wins and a couple of goals in these final two matches.

"If that doesn’t happen (he needs two goals to reach 150 for Town), I’ll still be very happy about everything in my career, that I’ve been able to play through this centenary season before bowing out and especially that I’ll still be involved at the club – I’m really excited about that."

Booth, who had back surgery earlier this season, will return in July not for the rigours of a pre-season which is promised to be tough by manager Lee Clark but for a place in the office as ‘the face’ of Town in a new era, under soon-to-be-chairman Dean Hoyle.

"I will have a lot of different tasks working with the commercial department and marketing, developing relationships and also being the link between the players and the community," he explained.

"It’s a new challenge and a big challenge, not only because it’s so different but because working 9 o’clock to 5 o’clock is totally alien to me!

"Since I left school at 16 my day has started with training around 10 or 10.30 and then the most intensive part of the day has been over by about 1pm, so this is a whole new ball game.

"I don’t really think it will hit me my career is over until I’m going down there in a shirt and tie and the lads are going out to train, but I do have to say I won’t miss pre-season training.

"Any pre-season is difficult because you’ve got to achieve that basic fitness you need and while all managers and coaches have their own way of going about things, it is always very hard."