RIP Steve Smith

Born at Huddersfield on 28th April 1946, Stephen Smith’s football career was always intertwined with that of Huddersfield Town F.C.. The following is ‘lifted’ from Lee Morris’ excellent book, ‘Where Are They Now?’.

Left-Back, Midfielder, Chief Scout, Coach, Youth Coach, Caretaker Manager, Manager, Head of Academy Recruitment, Academy Scout.

Town Years: 1963-1977, 1979-1987 (non-contract player), 1979-1987 (chief scout, coach, youth coach), 1986-1987 (caretaker manager), 1987 (manager), 1978-1988 (youth coach), 2012-2013 (head of Academy recruitment)

Playing career: Huddersfield Town, Bolton Wanderers (loan), Halifax Town (1961-1987)

Steve Smith is the only man to manage his home-town club but began his Town career in 1961 as an apprentice. Smith spent sixteen years at Leeds Road and was part of the 1969-70 promotion season and was in the side that was relegated in 1972, 1974 and 1975, thus becoming one of the select few players to play in all four divisions for the club. Tom Johnston allowed Smith to leave in 1977 to join Halifax Town but he returned two years later to become Mick Buxton’s chief scout. Smith was also a regular in the Reserves from 1979 onwards before he returned to the first team in 1981 to play in an FAC game [at Workington]. Smith later took the youth team before he was appointed caretaker manager after Mick Buxton was sacked, getting the job full time in January 1987. He lasted less than a year in the top job before resigning and reverting to his previous role of youth coach. Smith was sacked in 1988 for economy reasons and went on to work at Bradford City as Youth Development Officer. He later returned to Town in 2012 as Head of Academy Recruitment before stepping down just a year later.

Smith was always an invited guest to Town home games but in later years he suffered from dementia, a disease which finally claimed him on 13th March 2024 at a Bradford card home. A very sad end for such a stalwart Town figure.

RIP Bobby Hoy

Robert Hoy (born 10 January 1950 in Halifax) made 273 appearances and scored 38 goals in the Football League playing as a midfielder in a creer spread across five clubs: Huddersfield Town, Halifax Town, Blackburn Rovers, York City and Rochdale. He later went on to play non-league football for Macclesfield Town. In later years he became as a folk singer working the Yorkshire club circuit and then delivered car parts for Dews Vauxhall in Lindley, Huddersfield.

Hoy came through the junior ranks at Town and made a name for himself as a flying winger between 1966 and 1985. He was famously a member of the squad that earned promotion to the top division having become Second Division Champions in May 1970. He was also one of the few who went on to play in all the divisions as Town slid all the way down to the basement in the 1970s. He made a total of 144 league appearances for Town, scoring 18 goals in the process.

Hoy died at Birchencliffe, Huddersfield on 1st January 2024.

RIP Gordon Low

Gordon Alexander Low, born at Aberdeen on 11th July 1940, was a defender for Town between 1957 and 1961. Arriving at the club from Aberdeen after being scouted by Archie Beattie – brother of ex-Town boss Andy – he had been playing for Powis YC before moving down to West Yorkshire in 1957. He was joined on the journey down to Huddersfield by his good friend and fellow Aberdonian, Denis Law.

Low subsequently made his debut for the club on Christmas Day in 1957, playing in a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the old Division 2 under then manager Bill Shankly. In all, Low went on to make 68 appearances for Town, scoring six goals, as he operated from left half, before departing for Bristol City on 16 March 1961.

His career would later take him to Stockport County, Crewe Alexandra and Selby Town, before eventually returning to Leeds Road for some years as youth team coach after hanging up his playing boots.

Gordon Low died on 16th October 2023.

RIP Andy Rankin

Andrew George Rankin was born 11th May 1944 at Bootle, Merseyside. A goalkeeper of some renown, he started out at Everton in 1963 where he would make 105 appearances in al. e will always be remembered by Evertonians of a certain generation for being the first goalkeeper to ever save a penalty in a European Cup shoot-out. After Everton drew 2-2 on aggregate with Borussia Monchengladbach in 1970, the tournament’s inaugural penalty shoot-out occurred and Rankin saved Ludwig Muller’s fifth kick for the Germans to send Everton through.

Rankin moved on to Watford in 1971 where he made 329 appearances for the Hornets, becoming the club’s inaugural Player of the Season in 1972-73, and then being awarded their Player of the Decade accolade for his efforts in the 70s.

He signed for Town on 3rd December 1979, initially on loan then as a ‘free’ permanent move, and went on to play in the successful team that won the old Fourth Division in 1980. Town had apparently tried to sign him a decade earlier in 1968 with Ian Greaves agreeing a £25,000 fee with Everton, but the deal fell through due to a ‘medical problem’.

Rankin suffered a career-ending facial injury when he was in collision with Chic Bates of Shrewsbury Town in a FAC R3 game at Leeds Road, a match made famous by the fact that with Town already 0-1 down, Rankin had to leave the field to be replaced between the sticks by Mark Lillis who, in turn, conceded the second goal. Manager Buxton felt that Lillis’ box-to-box energy would be better employed outfield so subsequently shifted bustling striker Steve Kindon into nets, but “Kindo” would concede a third and the game just ran away from Town who ended up just the wrong side of a 0-3 scoreline.

Forced out of the game by that injury, Andy spent time as a fork-lift driver at a printers in Denby Dale for eighteen years. He retired to Thongsbridge and his 1979/80 4th Division Winners Medal is on display at the club’s Canalside training complex.

One of my abiding memories of the man is that he never wore goalkeeping gloves, something that would never ever happen these days.

Andy Rankin died on 21st August 2023.

RIP John Coddington

Born at Worksop in on 16 December 1937, John played for Worksop Boys Club before joining Town in 1953 shortly after leaving school in Shirebrook; a school that future teammate Ray Wilson also attended. John signed as a part-timer in 1955 and soon made his debut in the difficult 1955/56 season against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

After a spell on National Service, he returned and signed a full-time contract in 1958, aged 21, and immediately became a regular in the side. Known for being dominant in the air and nearly impossible to knock off the ball, he was a first choice of manager Bill Shankly. In fact, he barely missed a game over the next eight seasons in the Second Division and was named captain by the following manager, Eddie Boot. Famed for his enormously long run-up and powerful shot, John was also given the responsibility of being penalty taker; most of his 18 goals for Town came from the spot.

Coddington’s teammates included Denis Law, the aforementioned Wilson, Kevin McHale and even Frank Worthington, amid many other famous names in our history.

His time at Town eventually ended in 1967. John spent three years with Blackburn Rovers before a move to Stockport County, and after hanging up his boots he was chief coach for Bradford City and Middlesbrough.

John Coddington currently stands 13th in the all-time appearance list, behind former teammate Les Massie and just ahead of current club captain Jonathan Hogg. His grandson, Luke, a goalkeeper, also played for Town at Academy level in the 2016/17 season.

John Coddington died in Middlesbrough on 9th August 2023, aged 85 years.