Andy Booth

Andrew David "Andy" Booth (born December 6, 1973 in Huddersfield, England) is a professional association football for Huddersfield Town F.C. in Football League One.

Career

Early years

"Boothy", as he quickly became known, was born in Huddersfield, England. Andy began his career playing for his home town club as a trainee, making his first team debut as a substitute in a 1-0 defeat at Fulham F.C. in March 1992, but had to wait until November that year to score his first goal (in a 2-2 draw at Blackpool F.C.) for the club. A few more goals followed in the 1992-93 in English football, but it was the season after, the last at Huddersfield Town F.C. Leeds Road, Huddersfield ground, that he really forced his way into the first team.

The next season was probably the best of Booth's career. Partnered with maverick red-head Ronnie Jepson, Booth netted 29 goals, of which six came in two hat-tricks, and finished the season by scoring one more in the The Football League The Play-Offs, guiding the Terriers to promotion into Division One. His efforts got him international recognition and earned him an England debut for the England national under-21 football team. The next season, in which Huddersfield finished just outside the playoff spots in the division above proved to be the last Booth would play for Huddersfield after four seasons, during which he had scored 53 league goals for the club.

The Premiership

In the summer of 1996, Sheffield Wednesday F.C. bought Booth for a then club record transfer, £2.7 million , and his goal-scoring form continued into the Premier League, scoring 13 goals for the Owls in his first season making him the club's highest goal scorer for that season. Although Booth is not the tallest player, exactly six feet tall, he has always been known for his aerial ability and a good many of the goals he has scored have been with his head. Perhaps it was this, allied with the cartilage operation that kept him out for two months during the next season that proved pivotal in his career. He scored only seven goals - indeed, Booth was never to reach double figures in the Premiership again, although there were thrilling highlights, none better than the hat-trick he scored on

Booth stayed with Wednesday until 2001, a period which included their relegation from the top flight. It was during his final season with the Owls that he made his final Premiership appearances, during a loan spell with Tottenham Hotspur F.C., and his Wednesday career came to an end shortly after his return to Hillsborough Stadium.

Return to Huddersfield

In March 2001, Huddersfield Town were struggling towards the bottom of Division 1. On March 22, they paid Sheffield Wednesday F.C. Pound sterling200,000 for the services of Booth, who returned with the intention of scoring the goals that would help him avoid his second successive relegation, and keep the club he had supported as a boy in the division he helped them reach. Sadly his goals were not sufficient and Huddersfield Town were relegated.

In his first full season back with the club, he helped them into the The Football League The Play-Offs. Despite another goal for Booth, Huddersfield lost to Brentford F.C. and were denied the opportunity to bounce straight back. Worse was to follow next season, when Booth's six goals did little to help his team avoid relegation, and they fell into the Football League Third Division for the first time since 1980.

Despite this setback, Booth stayed with Huddersfield Town F.C. and his experienced head was crucial in guiding a team of youngsters through a difficult season, culminating in a drop into the The Football League The Play-Offs on the last day of the season. This time, though, Huddersfield Town F.C. were victorious, and their fans at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff could proclaim a new legend - Andy Booth.

Now playing their trade in Football League One, Huddersfield have been in the upper reaches of that league since their return. Booth has scored 23 goals in that period, including his 100th league goal for the club (after which a DVD was released showing all 100 goals) and a hat-trick, all headers, on March 18, 2006 against Rotherham United F.C..

At the end of the 2005-06 in English football, following another The Football League The Play-Offs appearance (defeat against Barnsley F.C. over two legs), Booth had scored 12 goals for Huddersfield Town F.C..

To commemorate Booth's service to the club, Town played a testimonial match against Spain La Liga side Real Sociedad on July 25 2006. The game finished 0-0 in front of over 7,000 people.

On 1 February 2007, he signed a one year extension to his contract which will keep him till the summer of 2008. On 15 February 2008, Huddersfield Town fans gave a petition to Parliament of the United Kingdom that would allow a statue of him to be erected in Huddersfield. On 26 April 2008, he became the first player to sign a contract extension under new manager Stan Ternent, which will keep him at the club until the summer of 2009.