Huddersfield Town's 'hard men'

After statistics revealed Huddersfield Town are among the top eight sides in the Championship in terms of fouls committed this season, we recall six of the club’s best-remembered ‘hard men’.

Jimmy McGill

The midfield enforcer of the Ian Greaves era.

The Glaswegian was an ever-present in the 1969-70 Second Division title-winning side and provided plenty of bite in the top flight.

Signed from Arsenal, he made 184 appearances before a £55,000 transfer to Hull City in October 1971.

McGill sadly died last March.

Brian O'Neil

He wasn’t the biggest, but few opponents took liberties with the ‘Bedlington Terrier’.

The North-Easterner earned that nickname long before joining Town from Southampton in 1974.

He spent a decade with Burnley and four years with the Saints before helping Town come close to promotion from Division IV in 1976.

O’Neil, who played 67 games for Town, now works at old mate Mick Channon’s horse racing stables.

Tom Cowan

There’s an old saying that men from the West of Scotland don’t scare easily.

That was certainly true of the Bellshill-born former Clyde and Rangers player.

Cowan was the left-back in the first Town team to win at Wembley, against Bristol Rovers in the 1995 Division II play-off final.

A £150,000 signing from Sheffield United by Neil Warnock, he made 165 Town appearances all told.

Ronnie Jepson

Another Warnock recruit (for £70,000 from Exeter City) and Wembley hero, ‘Rocket’ Ron was a throwback of a striker.

He enjoyed a cigarette and learned to look after himself in the non-league game until turning professional af 25.

Jepson not only scored goals for Town (42 in 125 games), but acted as a minder for the emerging Andy Booth.

He later had a spell as assistant Town manager to Stan Ternent, hardly a shrinking violet himself!

Andy Morrison

Built like a bouncer, the centre-back took no prisoners when he made a tackle.

There were few jokes made about Scottish football when Inverness-born ‘Jock’ was about.

The son of a sailor who had his scrapes off the pitch, Morrison was brought up in Plymouth.

He joined for £500,000 from Blackpool in 1996 and skippered the Tangerines, Town, for whom he played 55 times, and Manchester City.

Danny Adams

The aggressive left-back was picked up for nothing by Peter Jackson after being released by Stockport County in 2005.

Mancunian Adams made 77 appearances and helped add balance to the rearguard.

He moved to Morecambe in 2007 after a dispute with Jackson.

Having played Conference football for Altrincham and Macclesfield Town, he helped the Shrimps win promotion to the Football League.