By Chris Rowland and Daniel Rhodes.

23rd October 1971 – it’s 46 years almost to the day since The Terriers last played a league game at Anfield. Liverpool won 2-0 that day, completing a double over the West Yorkshire outfit with a 1-0 win at Leeds Road in February.

Liverpool went on to finish third that season behind Leeds United and champions Derby County, under Brian Clough and Peter Taylor. And Huddersfield finished bottom, 22nd, and haven’t been in the top flight since, until now.

There was one more recent game, an FA Cup 3rd Round tie in December 1999, at the by-then renamed Kirklees Stadium, which Liverpool won 2-0. It’s now the John Smith’s Stadium, named after that insipid, inert factory-produced pseudo-beer and advertisement for temperance.

Right, back to the football …

Our historical record against Huddersfield is surprisingly shocking, especially at home – maybe because we weren’t playing them we were really good! Some reversion to the mean is well overdue.

Liverpool’s league record against Huddersfield Town:

All	Home	Away
Games played: 68	Games played: 33	Games played: 35
Won: 25	Won: 11	Won: 14
Drawn: 17	Drawn: 10	Drawn: 7
Lost: 26	Lost: 12	Lost: 14
Goals scored: 112	Goals scored: 62	Goals scored: 50
Goals against: 113	Goals against: 56	Goals against: 57

Of course there is one factor above all others which bind Liverpool and Huddersfield Town – it was of course where Bill Shankly had been manager since Bonfire Night 1956, before he was tempted to Anfield in 1959.

For this rarity, a Saturday 3.00 pm kick off UK time, there couldn’t be a greater contrast in the mood of the two sides based on their previous matches, with Liverpool’s introspection following the chastening, error-laden 4-1 defeat by Spurs at Wembley last Sunday set against Huddersfield’s buoyancy from their  2-1 win over Man Utd the day before. The Terriers currently sit 11th in the table, just two places behind us.

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