Huddersfield Town fan Chris Woolfitt will miss the biggest game of the season.
But it’s for a special day of his own – just like dad Vaughan 31 years ago!
Transport manager Chris, 29 – a Revell Ward Stand lower-tier season-ticket holder and lifelong Town fan – will miss the Leeds United home game on November 7 because he is marrying fiancee Josie Schofield, 25, at Denton Hall in Ilkley.
It’s a massive coincidence, because his parents Vaughan and Ruth got married on the day Town hosted Leeds United in October 1984 – and Town won 1-0 with a goal from Mark Lillis.
“I’ll be having a tenner on 1-0 to Town, that’s for sure!” joked Chris, who is originally from Mirfield and now lives in Dalton.
“I couldn’t believe it when the fixtures came out – I hardly dare tell Josie.
“We picked the date after we got engaged on Christmas Day 2013 and for it to be the same Town v Leeds date as mum and dad is incredible.
“I know my dad got a lot of stick from his mates back in 1984 and I’ve been getting the same, because we are all massive Town fans.”
While Josie isn’t that interested in football, Chris doesn’t miss at the John Smith’s with his dad, sister Hannah and her boyfriend TJ.
“Myself and Josie have been together eight years, having met on bonfire weekend, and that’s why we picked that weekend to get married this year,” explained Chris.
“No-one could believe it was the Leeds match again, and I reckon a few people will be having a little flutter on 1-0 to Town when they find out about this.”
Chris works for his dad’s company, Maru International Ltd, in Dewsbury.
Town play host to their Yorkshire rivals at 12.30pm next Saturday.
The game is expected to draw one of the biggest crowds of the season.
Here's the match report from the game back in 1984.
A game of shame off the field was West Yorkshire "derby" of distinction as far as the actual football on the Leeds Road pitch was concerned.
Considering the attempted sabotage of a fine sporting spectacle by mindless, intimidatory violence, the quality of the soccer supplied by Town and Leeds United on Saturday was all the more remarkable.
It really was the sort of committed, full-blooded entertainment that football's paying customers want to witness.
Town - and let's not overlook how well they performed to win their third successive home match in less than a fortnight - and Leeds deserve everyone's gratitude and praise.
They refused to be influenced by the hate and fury erupting around them or let the heated scenes affect their concentration.
Apart from one flash-point right at the finish, when Leeds had what they believed to be an equaliser disallowed, all 22 players kept heir emotions and actions completely in check.
Referee Robert Nixon, who delayed the start of the second half as police attempted to restore order, also emerged form the afternoon of turmoil and terror with great credit.
Town's winning goal, which spared off more trouble, came 13 minutes from the finish and was scored by Mark Lillis - his second in five first-team matches since his comeback from injury, but his first in the Second Division.
It was a magnificent goal worth of settling any match, as the ball curled beyond the desperate reach of United goalkeeper David Harvey.
Daral Pugh's corner was cleared, but the winger retrieved the ball and flighted a lovely cross towards Lillis, who leaped high to beat defender Martin Dickinson and glance an accurate powerful header into the roof of the net.
It was the breakthrough the Town supporters in the 15,000 crowd - more than double Leeds Road's previous highest this season - longed for and knew their side deserved.
In fact, if Mick Buxton's team enjoyed a two-goal advantage at the interval it would in no way have flattered them.
Town began the first half - a swirling wind at their backs - in convincing fashion and their prolonged pressure seemed certain to reap a dividend, providing they could find the decisive finish which has eluded them in many games this season.
The fact that Pugh created Town's goal must have been a relief for the winger because his finishing was sadly wasteful. In the first half he mistimed and misdirected a downward header wide of an upright and, in the second, he flashed another header over the bar.
There were other Town chances too. Dale Tempest, so keen to score against the club he supported as a youngster, almost opened the scoring with a spectacular near-post headlong plunge and Lillis stumbled in the six-yard box when he tried to poke in a cross from Steve Doyle.
Doyle and his midfield partner, Phil Wilson, displayed great authority, particularly in the first period, but it was from a long clearance by goalkeeper Brian Cox that Town should have had either a goal - or a penalty - in the 20th minute.
Tempest, with only Harvey to beat, would surely have done so had Dickinson not been frantically hauling the striker back illegally.
To be fair, Leeds can reflect on chances they squandered as well. Andy Ritchie stabbed the ball wide of the target from close range, Tommy Wright, with great invention and improvisation, almost put Leeds in front with a teasing, flouting effort and then missed a much more straight-forward opportunity as he slid in at the far post.
But it was after Lillis headed Town ahead that Leeds will complain that they were most unlucky.
In the 88th minute Peter Lorimer was convinced that he had equalised after nudging the ball in after Mark Gavin's shot crashed against a post but the referee promptly awarded Leeds a flag kick.
Then, in the dying seconds, substitute John Donnelly shaved the angle of Cox's bar and post with the cleverest of free kicks from 20yds.
Town - Cox, Laws, Burke, Doyle, Jones, Allardyce, Lillis, Cooper, Tempest, Wilson, Pugh. Sub Cowling.
Leeds United - Harvey, Irwin, Gray, Sellars, Linighan, Dickinson, Wright, Sheridan (Donnelly 82min), Ritche, Lorimer, Gavin.
Caution - Gray (Leeds)
Referee - R F Nixon (Wirral)
Attendance - 15,257
Town man-of-the-match - Mark Lillis
