It’s rare in the extreme for Huddersfield Town to be without a match at Easter.
Thanks to the fourth international break of the campaign, David Wagner’s side don’t return to Championship action until they host Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday week, April 2.
It’s traditionally been a busy and crucial phase of the season.
And Easter 1970 was especially telling - and time-consuming - for both Town and the Owls.
Ian Greaves’ Leeds Roaders memorably clinched a place in the top flight for the first time in 14 years.
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Amazingly, they played three matches in four days, and the schedule included trips to Portsmouth and Middlesbrough!
While Second Division (now Championship) leaders Town were on a high, Wednesday were on the slide and heading in the opposite direction.
Danny Williams’ side went into three matches in six days two places above the First Division (now Premier League) drop zone.
But they came out of Easter having lost at Chelsea and Stoke City and at home to Tottenham Hotspur.
That left them second-bottom and after a decade at the top table, heading for relegation alongside Sunderland.
Town’s triumphant campaign was based on consistency, both in performance and team selection.
Greaves used only 15 players over the course of 42 league games, 24 of which were won and 12 drawn.
Those 15 included deadline-day signing Dick Krzywicki, the Wales international winger arriving from West Bromwich Albion for a then Town-record £65,000.
Nine players, Terry Poole, Dennis Clarke, Geoff Hutt, Jimmy Nicholson, Roy Ellam, Trevor Cherry, Jimmy Lawson, Frank Worthington and Jimmy McGill, played in all three Easter matches.
They were joined by Krzywicki and Bobby Hoy for the game at Fratton Park, where Town won 3-1 in front of 17,326.
Krzywicki had made a scoring full debut in the previous game, a 1-1 home draw with Swindon Town, and was on the mark at Portsmouth, in between goals by Worthington and Ellam.
There were 26,046 inside Leeds Road for the visit of Hull.
Steve Smith came in for Krzywicki and was on the scoresheet alongside Cherry in an exciting 2-2 draw.
Town went to Ayresome Park, where Krzywicki replaced Hoy, for their Tuesday-evening encounter knowing a point would ensure promotion.
Huddersfield-born Smith became a local hero, claiming the goal in a 1-1 draw in front of 27,519 which took Town and their supporters into dreamland.
Those supporters included Prime Minister Harold Wilson.
He sent a telegram to say: “Heartiest congratulations on a magnificent season, getting Town back where you belong,”
Meanwhile Town chairman Frank Drabble unveiled his big First Division preparation plan.
Leeds Road was to be upgraded, with the terraced paddock area in front of the main stand to be seated.
New secretary Bill Brook, who had stepped up from promotions manager after Tony Galvin’s decision to leave after 22 years, was to spend a week at Glasgow Rangers learning how to “think big”.
And Drabble also cancelled plans for himself and Brook to jet out to Mexico for the forthcoming World Cup so that the pair could devote all their energies to getting ready for the 1970-71 campaign.
