Bromby: I tipped us for Wembley at start of the season
HUDDERSFIELD Town head of football operations Leigh Bromby admitted watching the play-off semi-final victory over Luton Town was more anxietyinducing than exciting, but hailed the efforts of Carlos Corberan and his players in booking a place at Wembley.
Bromby twice enjoyed promotion as a player, under former Town managers as it happens. He helped Neil Warnock’s Sheffield United side reach the Premier League in 2006 and was part of Simon Grayson’s Leeds United team when they returned to the Championship from League One in 2010.
But he found watching Town from the stands to be a completely different experience to being on the pitch.
He said: “As a player it was exciting – in this role now that was nerve-wracking!
“I don’t think it’s a nice position to be, you’ve got no control over what’s going on, so I definitely prefer the feelings as a player.
“We set out a project at the beginning of the season, we’ve achieved a step. I did say to David Threlfall-Sykes (Town’s marketing and communications director) in the summer, he asked me where we would end, and I said we would definitely get to the play-off final. So we’ve achieved that. In a one-off game I believe we’ve got enough in there in the dressing room to compete.”
He added: “I thought Luton were excellent, but I think the work that the players and the staff have put in during the season, that got them over the line. That togetherness that we always talk about, the Terrier Spirit, you can see it’s live within the players. Credit to everyone.”
Bromby’s remit includes overall responsibility for Town’s recruitment, which has received deserved plaudits after last summer’s transfer window brought Jordan Rhodes, Lee Nicholls, Matty Pearson, Tom Lees, Levi Colwill, Danel Sinani, Ollie Turton, Josh Ruffels and Jon Russell to the club, with Tino Anjorin and Carel Eiting arriving in January.
That has given Corberan a real mix of experience and youth to call upon, with Bromby saying: “I think the balance in the squad is right. There was criticism [in previous seasons], and fairly enough, but I think the balance that we have within the squad with the young players coming through - the likes of Jon Russell, the likes of Sorba Thomas - are complemented by some of the experienced players.
“You see these players day in, day out and the professionalism they bring to this club. They set the standards for the younger players, and that’s what we needed at the club.
“We don’t want to be signing players that are too old and there was that criticism and that’s fair, but I think they’ve shown this season that they’ve come here, they’ve come here hungry, they’ve set the standards for all the younger players.
“As a club and for me to watch, it’s fantastic.”