Huddersfield Town handed nostalgic trip to Palace for Premier League debut

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN have been handed a favourable run of early fixtures in their first-ever Premier League campaign, which starts with a nostalgic trip to Crystal Palace on August 12.
Huddersfield Town's Mark Hudson celebrates with the trophy after winning the Sky Bet Championship play-off final.Huddersfield Town's Mark Hudson celebrates with the trophy after winning the Sky Bet Championship play-off final.
Huddersfield Town's Mark Hudson celebrates with the trophy after winning the Sky Bet Championship play-off final.

Selhurst Park was the venue where Huddersfield’s last top-flight match was staged on April, 29, 1972 and the Yorkshire outfit return for their first game back at this level in over 45 years.

Town then host Newcastle and Southampton in back-to-back home games and make their first visit to West Ham’s London Stadium on September 9 – with Spurs being the only top side who they face up to mid-October.

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But despite a benign-looking start, David Wagner’s side have been handed a teak-tough end to the campaign, which sees them visit champions Chelsea and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in their final two away games of 2017-18 and welcome Everton and Arsenal in their last two home assignments.

Town’s season ends at home to the Gunners on May 13.

Other highlights see Wagner pit his wits against Liverpool boss and good friend Jurgen Klopp on October 28 when Town make their first trip to Anfield since October 1971 – the return taking place on January 30.

Three days after that on February 3, Town visit Old Trafford for a league fixture at Manchester United for the first time in almost 46 years – with Jose Mourinho’s side visiting Yorkshire on October 21.

Town – linked with a loan move for Derby County winger Tom Ince – face eight matches in a frenetic December and festive season with Wagner’s side handed Yuletide home games with Stoke on Boxing Day and Burnley on December 30 before visiting Leicester on New Year’s Day to start 2018.

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Despite Huddersfield not being handed a glamour opening day match, club ambassador and former striker Andy Booth feels the club’s start to the season provides cause for optimism.

He said: “Realistically, it is a good start for us to get points on the board and we have some winnable games and other teams will be under pressure to get points against Huddersfield.

“We need to get our points early. In April, there are not many points we are guaranteed.

“We have got to be realistic. It is going to be tough and there are going to be weeks where we probably take a bit of a drubbing. But there will be other weeks where we beat teams. Let us enjoy it and not worry about the last weeks of the season.”

The first batch of televised games for August and September are likely to be announced on July 10.