Fans react on Huddersfield’s decision to appoint Martin Drury as their new head coach

Fans have wasted no time to react on Huddersfield’s decision to appoint Martin Drury as their new head coach.

As interim head coach, he had lost just one of his seven games, but it is fair to say his appointment really has caused quite a stir on social media.

His assistant will be Jon Stead who had also been joint interim head coach with Drury, who already knows the club well from his previous coaching roles with the hope of bringing fresh energy and direction to the team.

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Martin Drury as Head Coach of the Men’s First Team.

Comments from Sporting Director Chris Markham ⤵️#htafc

— Huddersfield Town (@htafc) May 27, 2026

CLUB STATEMENT:

Huddersfield Town is delighted to announce the appointment of Martin Drury as Head Coach of the Men’s First Team.

Martin, 40, has been appointed to the role following a thorough recruitment process led by Sporting Director Chris Markham, in which he established himself as the outstanding candidate.

Before joining Town’s coaching staff in January 2026 as assistant to Liam Manning, Martin enjoyed a wide range of football experiences across a 15-year coaching career. Working his way through academy football with Bradford City and then Manchester United, Drury subsequently worked in the Premier League with Brentford, in La Liga at Valencia under Carlos Corberán and in the Sky Bet Championship with West Bromwich Albion.

Jon Stead has been appointed as Assistant Head Coach to Martin, in a continuation of their working relationship as the caretaker duo in our final seven games of the 2025/26 season.

With this appointment, Martin becomes the first Huddersfield-born manager or Head Coach of the Men’s First Team since Steve Smith in 1987.

Huddersfield Town Sporting Director Chris Markham explained:

“We’re extremely happy to announce Martin Drury as our new Head Coach today.

“As I have said since my return to the Club as Sporting Director in November, we are focused on delivering a style of winning football that Town fans can get behind and enjoy. With our owner Kevin Nagle and Chief Operating Officer David Threlfall-Sykes, we approached this appointment with a clear focus on identifying a Head Coach whose playing style, energy, and leadership aligned with the football identity we want to represent Huddersfield Town.

“We’ve had the benefit of seeing Martin’s work for the last six months. It was immediately clear why he has a reputation across football as an elite coach, but his leadership over the final seven games in difficult circumstances was impressive too.

“Even with this in mind, we quickly decided that we had to run a full process to identify our next Head Coach. Martin entered that process alongside other potentials with very different experiences and profiles and, having interviewed several – including Martin – over the past three weeks, he was the unanimous choice.

“We believe that Martin can be a successful Head Coach at Huddersfield Town based on the way he works and his alignment with us on what needs to be delivered for the Club’s fans. We will ensure that Martin gets the support he needs to be successful, and that starts with Jon’s appointment as assistant.

“Although their working relationship only started in January, there is a natural synergy between Martin and Jon in terms of their coaching and their personalities. Martin led the day-to-day when they took charge of the side in March, but he would be the first to tell you that Jon’s insight, counsel and expertise were invaluable to him.

“There will be more additions to Martin’s coaching team over the coming weeks, as the staff around him will be integral to his success.”

Martin said: “I am delighted, naturally delighted. Obviously, coming in back in January and everything that has happened between then and now, it has been quite a journey in such a short space of time, but to get to this stage and be trusted with this responsibility to take this Football Club forward is something that I’m immensely proud of, my family are proud of, and I’m looking forward to getting going.”

On his interim charge: “I enjoyed it first and foremost. I loved the whole process of that. I think when we were first given the opportunity to do it and asked to take on that responsibility, I think we prioritised how we attacked, and we wanted to attack teams. If you look across those seven games, we scored 14 goals, which was a real uplift from where we were before.

“We are looking forward to working with the players we have here, and potentially players that might come in the building that will make sure that next season we are strong in those moments next season.”

Fans react on Huddersfield’s decision to appoint Martin Drury as their new head coach…

@Lambypie_: Congratulations Martin lad. Well deserved. Now go smash it and shut up a few 👊

@guvna02: What an absolute fucking sham, clubs rotten from top to bottom. Would rather watch us in non league then have to suffer this boring shite with managers that are glorified PE teachers

@Dan_Htafc: Fucking pathetic 😂

@BrimfulOfAshia: 7 games with a squad that’d given up playing Mannings formation and tactics and he’s being written off already. You don’t know if he’s good, neither do I. Just get behind him 👍

@TerrierNigel: Back from summer hiatus to offer few comments on latest man given hot seat. Whilst football under drury was stark improvement on the dross before him ultimately those running club have done it on the cheap & rewarded failure again with Drury and co who failed to reach playoffs…

@I_am_Adz: 100% back him. Think it’s a risk and I don’t like how the club gas light is into thinking there were interviews. However Drury probably shown glimpses. Positive. The real issue is the recruitment. We have massively failed for years. Get that right and we can start talking #htafc

@PrestonTerrier: Embarrassing from Town fans here. I suspect MD will prove a lot of people wrong. Season cards renewed #htafc

@SteveG01046959:
I’m on board with this .
He speaks a language we can understand and has shown he’s no
Pushover for lazy has been players.
Good luck to the Huddersfield lad UTT

@huddshomepen: Gonna back him of course. Did however think the Mansfield performance alone ruled him out, players looked like they couldn’t be arsed and certainly weren’t playing for him #htafc

@JulieAnnMulvey: Not exactly the dynamic, season-card shifting appointment we were hoping for 🤷‍♀️… 🙄

@EthanHtafc: Get behind him for fuck sake. All you in the comments slating a Huddersfield born and bred fan and now manager should be ashamed. The lad managed 7 games with a squad that had given up. I’m behind you @Mjdrury3, smash it ❤️

@MarcyD23: Actually quite disgusted by this. 2 wins in 7 is an accepted rate to get the permanent job of a side supposedly chasing promotion. The standards are so low.

@V1ctor_Meldrew: I don’t believe it, What a lazy appointment why a standby, have you had to pay him compensation to leave his coaching role 😂. The arrogance of this club It’s like we think we can just put anyone in the managers seat. Another massive gamble. I’m not delighted to hear this, you tried this trick last summer and look how that worked out, at least be honest and just say we’ve gone with the bloody cheap option.

@rcrowther10: waited all fucking week getting excited for that. Fuck off town

@NorthernJJ1111: Rotten to core this football club. We ain’t going no where.

@TheTwatOfHTAFC: 2 wins in 7 against 20th and 19th in the League is good enough for the role? Hahahahaha. Drury named as #HTAFC head coach, already set up for failure. Has to make use of Chris Markham’s signings with, I’m guessing, little input into who he wants. And for those who don’t know, his reputation at #BWFC was shambolic when it came to permanent signings. Feel for him..

@andymortby: Stop insulting the fans, don’t make out there was a process. You didn’t know what else to do. It’ll be Hoggy by Xmas

@MickeyDN7: following a thorough recruitment process led by Sporting Director Chris Markham. This a piss take @KevinNagleMLS 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 #htafc