Our former striker Alan Smith was attacked by some awfully nice Huddersfield Town fans last night as he tried to leave the pitch at the end of last night’s play-off game.
Smith spent the second half of the season on loan at MK Dons, and came on as a late substitute at the Galpharm. His late goal ensured that MK won the match 2-1 on the night, but that wasn’t enough to save them from an aggregate defeat, as they had already lost the home leg 2-0 on Saturday.
At the final whistle hundreds of Huddersfield fans swarmed onto the pitch to celebrate as their team clinched a place at Wembley, but a minority took advantage of the opportunity to confront Smith, no doubt because of his past connection with our wonderful club. How very brave of them. I wonder if they’re ever quite so keen to get involved in bother when they don’t get the chance to pick on one single person.
Smith was rescued by police and then helped down the tunnel by his manager Karl Robinson, who later spoke to the Yorkshire Post. “It was embarrassing. The Huddersfield fans were magnificent and had this place rocking but it’s one or two muppets, that’s all it is. He got spat at kicked and punched. He’s fine, but you get worse than that. I’ve been brought up in Liverpool!”
It might have been a minority, but there seem to be one or two Huddersfield fans who get over excited whenever anyone from Leeds is in town. Whenever we visit the Galpharm the seats immediately to the away stand on both sides are taken up with fans who are far more concerned with trying to provoke us then they are with watching the game.
And they’ve obviously got a good youth policy going, as I remember one kid of no more than 12 moving into the seats that were kept empty for segregation, and gesturing wildly before he had to be dragged away by a steward. Yet whenever I have the temerity to suggest that games against us are Huddersfield’s cup final, they come on here to complain. So do they behave like this towards all visiting fans?
We can only hope that those who carried out the attack on Smithy can be identified on the film of the incident and punished most severely. Last night’s result ensured that we will have another local derby to look forward to next season, as the Terriers will now face Sheffield United in an all-Yorkshire play-off final. I really can’t wait.