Andy Booth column: A wonderful send-off I’ll always remember

May 8 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

EVEN though this season and my playing career have just finished, I am already looking forward to next year.

There are exciting times to come with Dean Hoyle taking over from Ken Davy at the head of the club, a very ambitious manager and coaching staff in place with Lee Clark and his team and a very good squad already on the books.

If the gaffer can now sign two or three of the names who have already been mentioned in connection with the club, then I think we will be very well set up on the playing side and can go into next season with lots of optimism.

A few new faces among the playing staff will really finalise things, because League I is going to be a tough level to play at in 2009-10.

The three clubs coming down – Southampton, Charlton and Norwich – are all massive and will be determined to go straight back up into the Coca-Cola Championship.

There’s some travelling to be done to the three teams who have come up in Brentford, Exeter and Wycombe and, as Peterborough have shown this time, those promoted clubs could be flying as well.

It will be a difficult league to play in and a very competitive one, but I really do believe we will be up there challenging.

In my new office role as ambassador for Town, I will do whatever I can to help the club go forward in a new era and I’m really looking forward to getting started, meeting people and becoming involved.

That’s after a nice rest on holiday this summer!

THE play-offs are always a lottery and I reckon this season’s will again produce a few shocks along the way.

In League I, I reckon the Millwall v Leeds semi would have made an excellent final.

They are two of the most physical sides in the league and whoever comes out on top will have a good chance of toppling either MK Dons or Scunthorpe (who play tonight).

I was impressed with Millwall at our place as they were very well organised, but Leeds will always score goals if Beckford plays.

MK Dons always play good football, as do Scunthorpe who will be hoping Hooper carries on his scoring form.

Over two legs, though, I think MK will be too strong and will deny my old mate Dave Mirfin a second appearance at Wembley.

Scunthorpe have had a tough run-in with all the games they’ve played and I just think this will be too much.

I fancy Leeds to pip the other semi, so my advice would be to go out and back Millwall and Scunthorpe – because I’m a hopeless tipster!

I FELT sorry for Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final.

They did not get the rub of the green and then lost out on the biggest game in club football to a late strike.

I can understand their frustration, although you can never condone confronting the referee in the way some players did.

It would have been nice to see two English teams in the final again because it would have underlined the Premiership is the best league in the world.