Stevenage v Huddersfield Town: Snodin nails new colours firmly to Huddersfield mast

He was then due to follow that by travelling to Holland with former Leeds United coach Ian ‘Dusty’ Miller to study training methods at a few Dutch clubs as part of their sabbatical from football after being shown the door at Elland Road.

Simon Grayson’s plans, meanwhile, were even grander with the former Leeds manager having a flight booked for New York in the next few days to attend a gig by his favourite band, the Kaiser Chiefs.

Those plans, however, were destined to be dashed the moment Huddersfield Town chairman Dean Hoyle made it clear he wanted Grayson and his reliable deputies.

The upshot is that instead of spending tonight eagerly looking forward to foreign travel, Snodin, Grayson and Miller will be otherwise engaged in the away dugout at Stevenage’s homely Broadhall Way ground.

Fresh from Saturday’s 2-0 win over Exeter City, Snodin, who like Grayson and Miller only left Leeds on February 1, insists they would not have it any other way.

“It is great to be at a great club like Huddersfield Town,” admits assistant manager Snodin when sitting in the main bar of the club’s Canalside training complex.

“What happened at Leeds did hurt. In fact, it still does. I realise being sacked is part of football and it had happened to me before at West Ham (when Alan Curbishley’s assistant) but Leeds have always been my club so that meant it probably hurt that bit more.”

At this point, Grayson, who along with Miller is sitting at the same table as myself and Snodin, can’t resist chipping in with the comment: “You’re Doncaster, not Leeds.”

All three men laugh before Snodin, a former Rovers favourite as a player, turns to the Town manager: “Oi! Leeds are my club and Soots knows that. I’ve even got Marching On Together on my ’phone.”

For the next few years, Snodin might be best advised to turn his mobile to silent mode – at least when walking the corridors of Canalside and the Galpharm Stadium.

Leeds are certainly not the most popular team around Huddersfield, a point all three members of the Terriers’ new management team acknowledged.

Any Town fans fearing the trio’s commitment to the cause might be diluted by their Leeds allegiances can rest easy with Snodin revealing just how much he is enjoying life in new surroundings.

He said: “Coming to Huddersfield has been like a breath of fresh air. It is a lovely, family club and the people are so friendly.

“The lads are great, too, and the training has been great. We are all really enjoying the challenge. As a coaching team, we worked together closely.

“We wanted to take Leeds to the next level but it didn’t happen, for whatever reason. We think with that bit of help we could have made it happen.

“But it didn’t and we were sacked.

“To be fair, after two days out of work, we were all texting each other and saying how bored we all were. The longest I had been out of football before was when waiting for (his compensation package at) West Ham to be sorted so I could join Leeds.

“Even then, though, I kept myself busy and went out to watch games, knowing I was going to become part of Simon’s coaching team.

“We were all going to do something similar this month. We were on about going to watch training at different clubs. At home and abroad, too.

“Dusty had even fixed up for us to go to Holland. That would have been a good trip but as soon as Huddersfield came up that went out of the window. It was an opportunity we all jumped at.”

Grayson’s tenure, starting with the win over Exeter together with Wednesday winning the Steel City derby, means Town travel to Stevenage just four points adrift of the automatic promotion places.

Town are without top scorer Jordan Rhodes due to international duty but Snodin insists the squad travel in confident mood.

“Stevenage have changed a bit since the new manager has come in. They were a bit more route one under the previous regime.

“I went to watch Stevenage at Notts County with Dusty. They are strong and energetic but they have also got a lot of games coming up, including an FA Cup replay against Tottenham Hotspur.

“What struck me the most about Stevenage is they are men who fight for each other. They are having a great season, especially as no-one will have expected them to come out of League Two like they have.”

For Town’s new management team, the past week has brought a return to League One and Snodin says the run-in is likely to be a thrilling affair. “When we were at Notts County (last week), me and Dusty both said we had to get used to the division again.

“It is amazing how things move on even after 18 months. The great thing is there are so many good players here that it has made things easier.

“They look like being capable of taking us to where we want to go and that is the Championship.”

As for the promotion race, Snodin added: “Three out of the top four being from Yorkshire makes it very special. There is a bit of a gap but we know how quickly things can change in League One from our time at Leeds.

“Nothing is decided in February and we need to concentrate on ourselves.”

Last six games: Stevenage DWWWDL, Huddersfield Town WWDDLW.

Referee: D Whitestone (Northamptonshire).

Last time: No previous meetings.