The Yorkshire “league” is back!

Congratulations to Barnsley on their success in last Sunday’s League One play-off final against Millwall.

The addition of Barnsley means there will be a good “mini-Yorkshire League” within the Championship again next season, and along with the Wendies and the lads from down the A62, there will be three keenly-fought local derbies to whet the appetite.

I hope the fixture list is kind to us..

This week’s HTSA Legends come from our Chair, Ian Lawrence. Here are his recollections:

“I’ve picked an obvious first choice in Frank Worthington.

“I could have said Steve Smith for the goal at Middlesbrough to get us promotion, Jimmy McGill for his tackling, Jimmy Nicholson or any of the others from that team of 1969-72. “Frank Worthington was my first footballing hero; never mind George Best. He was ours and “we’d walk a million miles for one of his goals”. That expectation that he was going to do something special when he got the ball was the thing that got me hooked.

Huddersfield Town footballer Frank Worthington in July 1970

“My second choice could have been from the modern era, Anthony Pilkington for his exciting runs and goals, Peter Clark for always giving 100%, Theo Robinson for making me believe I too could be a professional footballer!

“But my choice is again from that early era. He’s not a player but the first-team coach at the time, Henry Cockburn.

“He was Ian Greaves’ first-team coach between 1965 and 1975. He was an unsung hero at the time, from the terraces he was the bloke with the sponge, but to speak to any of the players of the time, they all speak so highly of him.

“In fact, when Henry passed away in 2004 at the age of 82, the whole team of the early 70s turned up to pay their respects.

“He played 13 times for England, made 275 league appearances for Manchester United, was an FA Cup winner, and a League title winner.

“I had the pleasure of working with Henry following him leaving Town in 1975. He came to Mitre Sports in Heckmondwike as a “stop gap” until he found another job in football; and he stayed until he, like the rest of us, were made redundant in 1992-93.

Members of the England team of 1948 at Highbury. From left: Frank Swift, John Aston, Alf Ramsey, Howe, Billy Wright, Neil Franklin, Bill Nicholson, Henry Cockburn, Tom Finney, Tommy Lawton, Wilf Mannion, Bobby Langton, Stanley Mortensen, Stan Pearson, Stanley Matthews and Laurie Scott. Photo by Reg Birkett/Keystone/Getty Images

“He was always up for a laugh and always had stories to tell. I remember one day after we had been ribbing him about being the sponge man, he brought a rolled-up towel in, unrolled it on the table where we were eating our ‘snap’, and there in front of us was a full England cap, a First Division title medal, an FA Cup winners’ medal and various other memorabilia from his playing career.

“We all fell silent, looking at objects we could only dream of. We felt we were in the presence of something and someone special.

“Henry, being naturally quite shy, just rolled the towel back up and went back to work in the warehouse. He was a lovely, genuine man and I’m honoured to have known him.”

Manchester United's team for the 1948 FA Cup Final, led by Matt Busby (back left). Henry Cockburn is sitting front right.

The HTSA are the voice of the Town Fans, and we are always available for advice and guidance.

If you’d like to know more and get involved with us, email our Chairman, Ian Lawrence, at chair@htsa-online.co.uk, and we’ll give you more details.

We are active on your behalf all the year round.

Until next week, UTT

John Sealey, Treasurer, HTSA