What a week, what a day, what an occasion for Huddersfield Town and their fans!
It simply doesn’t get any better than winning the Sky Bet Championship play-off final at Wembley.
The pleasure and outpouring of emotion from Town fans when Christopher Schindler’s penalty hit the back of the net was just overwhelming.
It was one of those rare moments in a sporting fan’s life when everything comes together and you get the ultimate joy of following your team.
Bank Holiday Monday was certainly that for everyone supporting Huddersfield Town against Reading.
I think it’s only when you are actually in the stadium that you get the real sense of how the occasion builds up.
You can feel how the emotions become distinct and how you know that one piece of brilliance or one mistake can turn the game.
Thankfully, Town had some Germans in their line-up when it came to penalties – not to mention a Bermudian and an Australian! – and I always thought it was going to be okay when it came to spot-kicks.
One thing you can count on is that chairman and owner Dean Hoyle will be watching back those moments in the Royal Box when the drama was unfolding.
If ever there was footage of someone being put through the wringer, then that was it.
But Dean deserves every bit of credit – and more – for what he has done for the club. A genuine fan whose commitment is engaging and unstinting and who has done it the right way.
Much of it, of course, is about backing the right man who you employ as your head coach and about bringing in the right characters to play for your club – and Town have certainly done that with David Wagner and the squad.
Now, as the celebrations die down and the hangovers become less frequent, the reality of the Premier League is just around the corner.
I am sure Wagner already has in his mind some players – from the Bundesliga or wherever – he would like to bring to the John Smith’s Stadium.
Every agent in the world will be knocking on Town’s door for the next few months, but the head coach has a style he wants to play and he will bring in the personnel to suit that style.
I don’t see any reason why Aaron Mooy, Danny Ward, Kasey Palmer and Izzy Brown wouldn’t want to continue their loans at the club.
They are not going to walk back into first-team squads at their parent clubs, and their value can only go one way in the shop window of the Premier League.
No-one will want to wish the summer away, but I am sure Town fans can’t wait for Wednesday, June 14, when the Premier League fixtures are announced or for Saturday, August 12, when the season kicks off.
Town are 8/13 favourites to go down, which is no surprise.
But that certainly doesn’t bother me.
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Town are no different to a Watford, a Bournemouth or a Swansea.
They can compete at the top level because outside the top six, the Premier League has been pretty average this season.
An exciting time awaits us all - bring it on!
