Ground-hopping Huddersfield Town fanatic Michael Scott has turned detective to complete his latest mission.

The lifelong supporter marked his favourite club’s centenary seven years ago by watching 100 different matches in a season.

Now he’s trying to visit every location Town played at in their first-ever campaign, in the North Eastern League in 1908-09.

And as a non-driver, all of his trips are by public transport.

The term ‘location’ is key, because some of the grounds no longer exist.

Town’s opponents that season included the reserve teams of clubs like Newcastle United, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Bradford Park Avenue, Carlisle United and Workington.

Some of Michael Scott's collection

Hartlepool United and Darlington, both clubs with a special meaning for Scott, were also destinations.

Then there were names from the past like Hebburn Argyle, Seaham White Star, South Shields Adelaide, Town’s first-ever competitive opponents, Sunderland Royal Rovers, Wallsend Park Villa and West Stanley.

“It’s been fascinating delving into the past, but it can also be frustrating,” said the Mirfield-based accountant, 59.

“Details of the clubs themselves can be sketchy, never mind where they played.

“Take Sunderland Royal Rovers, for example.

“They were among probably half a dozen clubs in what has always been a football-mad area.

“Most of them came and went, some merged, and a lot of them changed grounds at various times.

“That means there are a few possibilities as to where they played.”

Scott continued: “I’ve been to Workington to watch Town play in my lifetime.

“But it’s a different club to the one which was around in 1908-09.

“And the ground where Town picked up their first competitive win (2-0 on September 12, 1908) wasn’t the current Borough Park, which didn’t open until the 1930s.

“It seems they were playing at a ground called Lonsdale Park, which was close to where Borough Park is, but different.”

That said, Scott is closing in on the full list of 17 1908-09 opponents (Town finished 16th with 10 wins and four draws before moving into the Midland League the season after, then the Football League in 1910).

And he has now seen matches (more than 3,000 of them, many involving Town) at 327 different grounds.

Of those, Feethams, home to Darlington up until 2003, is his favourite.

“There was just something about the setting next to the cricket club and the feel of the place,” he explained.

“It was completely different to the Darlington Arena, where they moved to, and it’s been sad to see the club hit financial trouble, slip into non-league football and leave the town.”

That explains the significance of Darlington, but why Hartlepool?

“They were Town’s opponents in the first match I saw, and FA Cup third-round tie at Leeds Road in January 1966.

“We won 3-1 (Johnny Quigley (2) and Tony Leighton scored), and we went on to win at Plymouth Argyle.

“That set up a big home game with Sheffield Wednesday in round five.

“There was a massive crowd (49,514) but I was committed to going to a birthday party that day, and I remember the final score (2-1 to Wednesday) coming through on television.

“At least there were some highlights on the following afternoon!”