Season’s over, but plenty for Town to be getting on with
HUDDERSFIELD Town will now switch into summer mode after the 2021/22 season came to a close at Wembley with their play-off final defeat to Nottingham Forest.
That leaves the club preparing for another Championship season and the hope of pushing for promotion again when the new campaign gets under way.
Town have already released their retained list - but there is plenty of work for them to do away from transfers.
Here are some of the key items on the Terriers’ to-do list this summer...
THE deal to buy back Phil Hodgkinson’s 75 per cent share in the club looks to be almost complete, and that will formalise Hoyle’s position as the man calling the shots at the top of the club, as he effectively has been since November.
Getting the deal done would bring certainty to the fanbase and set the tone for the continuation of a new era in which the club can concentrate firmly on the future, rather than having to unpick the mistakes of the past as Hodgkinson found himself in the unfortunate position of having to do throughout his tenure as chairman.
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JOSH Koroma and Harry Toffolo have both had their one-year extension clauses triggered, but longer-term deals would be welcomed if agreements can be reached with the pair.
There’s a few others they should consider looking at too, in our book.
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One of the red-letter days in any self-respecting fashion-conscious fan’s diary, we can only imagine Town will be going with blue and white stripes again for the home shirts. Just a guess, like.
Beyond that we have no idea, other than knowing Umbro will be producing it – as they will until 2025 – and Utilita will be the front-of-shirt sponsors, and will be until 2024.
When we might expect an announcement is unknown, but if previous seasons are anything to go by we’re probably looking at mid-tolate June or early July.
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TOWN ended the season late thanks to their involvement at Wembley and will start it early next season with the campaign getting under way in the last weekend of July to help make room for the winter World Cup, meaning we’re likely to see the Terriers back in pre-season training something like three weeks after their season ended.
Details of where Town will be going for their customary pre-season training camp or who they will be playing in friendlies this summer are yet to be confirmed.
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PATRICK Stewart’s dramatic reading was lovely and all, but only underlined a feeling we’ve had for a while now that Town could do with a proper version of the song that is suitable for use at the John Smith’s Stadium before games - not a brass band version, not a novelty hard rock version, but something people can actually sing along to.
There’s also a lot of fans out there who don’t know the words.
Might a section in the programme or words on the big screen help build the atmosphere if more of a ceremony were made of singing the song pre-match?