F.C. Halifax Town
Encyclopedia
Football Club Halifax Town, otherwise known as FC Halifax Town are an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 football team who currently play in the Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...

. The club replaced Halifax Town A.F.C.
Halifax Town A.F.C.
Halifax Town Association Football Club were an English football team who most recently played in the Conference National, although prior to that they participated in the Football League for over eighty years...

who went into administration during the 2007–08 season.

Formation

Huge tax debts buried Halifax Town A.F.C.
Halifax Town A.F.C.
Halifax Town Association Football Club were an English football team who most recently played in the Conference National, although prior to that they participated in the Football League for over eighty years...

 after almost 100 years as a football club.
New figures put to a reconvened creditors meeting in May 2008 showed the cash-strapped Shaymen owed over £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...

800,000 to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs
Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs
Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs is a non-ministerial department of the UK Government responsible for the collection of taxes and the payment of some forms of state support....

.
The Revenue refused any deal and that effectively finished the club – already over £2 million in the red.
Administrators had been trying to broker a rescue package but speaking after five hours of talks that left liquidation near inevitable, administrator
Administrator (law)
In law an administrator can be:* a person appointed by the court to handle the estate of someone who died without a will ....

 Rob Sadler said: "Halifax Town will probably perish."
It was originally thought the club owed the taxman around £500,000, which might have left scope for a deal.
But the news that it owed £814,000 meant that even if all the other creditors had accepted the 2.5p-in-the-pound offer originally on the table it would not have been enough.

At a meeting of The Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...

, discussing the makeup of the football pyramid
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...

 for the 2008/09 season, F.C. Halifax Town were not placed in either the Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...

, the Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...

 or the Northern Premier League Premier Division
Northern Premier League Premier Division
The Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the Premier League...

.
Halifax appealed against the decision to remove them from the Football Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...

. Though the appeal was rejected on June 11, the hope was that Halifax could play in the NPL Premier Division. This did not materialise, and eventually Halifax Town were accepted to play in the Northern Premier League Division One North
Northern Premier League Division One North
Division One North is one of the two second-tier divisions of the Northern Premier League. It is at tier 4 of the National League System, tier 8 of the English football league system...

 in the new season under the new name F.C. Halifax Town.

2008–09

The club's first game under the new name FC Halifax Town was a friendly away against Tamworth
Tamworth F.C.
Tamworth Football Club are an English semi-professional football club based in the town of Tamworth, Staffordshire. Nicknamed 'The Lambs', they are currently members of the Conference National, the fifth highest tier in the English league system....

 on 19 July 2008. There was to be no fairytale ending however, and the game ended in a 2–0 defeat. The club's first ever victory was against Alsager Town
Alsager Town F.C.
Alsager Town F.C. is an English association football club, based in Alsager, Cheshire. They currently play in the North West Counties Football League Premier Division and are members of the Cheshire County Football Association. The club have gone through a number of name changes since they were...

 on 26 July 2008 by a 2–0 scoreline. Colin Hunter scored the new club's first ever goal after six minutes. Their first competitive Northern League Division One North match was at The Shay against Bamber Bridge
Bamber Bridge F.C.
Bamber Bridge F.C. are an English football club based in Bamber Bridge, near Preston, Lancashire. They currently play in the Northern Premier League Division One North and are full members of the Lancashire County Football Association. They play their home games at the QED Stadium in Bamber Bridge...

 on 16 August 2008, but the game resulted in a 3–0 loss for the Shaymen.

The club got off to a poor start, despite recording their first competitive victory in the next match. However, a 7–1 home win against Salford City
Salford City F.C.
Salford City F.C. are a semi-professional football club based in the Kersal area of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. They are the only semi-professional side in the City of Salford, with Manchester United the closest league club. Salford City currently play in the Northern Premier League...

 in late September seemed to turn the tide for Town. They went on an 8-game unbeaten run, 7 of those being victories, and shot to the top of the league table. The run eventually came to an end against Rossendale United
Rossendale United F.C.
Rossendale United F.C. was an English football club based in Newchurch, near Rawtenstall, Lancashire. The club was formed in 1898 but was expelled from the North West Counties League Premier Division on 18 June 2011....

, who ended up doing the league double over Halifax and finishing the season bottom of the table.

Despite the loss, Halifax remained top and more good results, including 5–1 and 4–1 victories against Garforth Town
Garforth Town A.F.C.
Garforth Town Association Football Club are an English football team based in Garforth, West Yorkshire. They currently play in the Northern Premier League Division One North, the 8th level of the English football pyramid.-History:...

 and Wakefield
Wakefield F.C.
Wakefield F.C. is an English football club based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The club was previously known as Emley A.F.C. from 1903 to 2002.-History:...

 respectively, kept their promotion hopes alive. After the Wakefield match however, Halifax won just 2 of their final 14 league games, the wins coming against Harrogate Railway Athletic
Harrogate Railway Athletic F.C.
Harrogate Railway Athletic F.C. is an English football club based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The club was founded in 1935. It currently plays in the Northern Premier League Division One North.-History:...

 and Clitheroe
Clitheroe F.C.
Clitheroe F.C. are an English football club based in Clitheroe, Lancashire, playing in the Northern Premier League Division One North. They were established in 1877 as Clitheroe Central...

, both 2–1. This poor run led to the sacking of manager Jim Vince, and senior player Nigel Jemson
Nigel Jemson
Nigel Jemson is an English footballer, who represented his country at the Under-21 level and was the manager of Ilkeston Town, until May 2008...

 stepped up to the manager's position for the remainder of the season. The automatic promotion places were certainly out of Halifax's reach going into the final 5 games, but the club needed to win a minimum of 3 of these final 5 games to have any chance of reaching the play-offs. They could only manage 2 draws and so a poor ending to the season cost them dearly, and they had to settle for a final position of 8th.

2009–10

With new manager Neil Aspin
Neil Aspin
Neil Aspin is an English former professional footballer turned football manager, who is now managing Conference North club F.C. Halifax Town....

 taking the helm near the start of close season, Halifax Town got off to a much better start. Promising results in pre-season friendlies were consolidated after beating Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay F.C.
Colwyn Bay F.C. are a Welsh football club, as of the 2011–12 season are playing in the Conference North. Nicknamed the Seagulls, the club play at Llanelian Road in Old Colwyn.-History:...

 3–0 on their own turf in the first league match of the season. The results continued to be impressive, most notably in September, winning every game and conceding only one goal in the process. This included a 2–0 away victory over promotion-pushing Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...

 team Droylsden
Droylsden F.C.
Droylsden F.C. is an English football club based in Droylsden, near Manchester. As of the 2011–12 season, they play in the Conference North.-History:...

, before coming to a home defeat to Wrexham in the Fourth Qualifying Round in front of a then record gate for FC Halifax Town, 2,843. Furthermore, first-choice goalkeeper Jonathan Hedge was called up for the England C national football team. Halifax's glory streak faltered a little after losing 1–0 away to Prescot Cables
Prescot Cables F.C.
Prescot Cables F.C. is a football club based in Prescot, Merseyside. It was established in 1884 and has also been known as Prescot and Prescot Town...

 in the only game during the season where they failed to score.

Halifax failed to record a game for over a month during the heavy weather in the winter, and Lancaster City
Lancaster City F.C.
Lancaster City F.C. is an English football club based in Lancaster, Lancashire. The club are currently members of Northern Premier League Division One North and play at Giant Axe.-History:...

 dominated the promotion race for a while. However, Halifax continued to rake up impressive results, and during a congested schedule beat Ossett Albion 5–0, and Harrogate Railway Athletic
Harrogate Railway Athletic F.C.
Harrogate Railway Athletic F.C. is an English football club based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The club was founded in 1935. It currently plays in the Northern Premier League Division One North.-History:...

, Prescot Cables
Prescot Cables F.C.
Prescot Cables F.C. is a football club based in Prescot, Merseyside. It was established in 1884 and has also been known as Prescot and Prescot Town...

 and Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay F.C.
Colwyn Bay F.C. are a Welsh football club, as of the 2011–12 season are playing in the Conference North. Nicknamed the Seagulls, the club play at Llanelian Road in Old Colwyn.-History:...

 3–0 apiece among other results. A decisive moment came against Garforth Town
Garforth Town A.F.C.
Garforth Town Association Football Club are an English football team based in Garforth, West Yorkshire. They currently play in the Northern Premier League Division One North, the 8th level of the English football pyramid.-History:...

 away, when, after a Garforth substitute being sent off, Halifax came back from 3–1 down to win 3–4 in the last stoppage time.

That following Saturday, 10 April, Halifax faced Lancaster City
Lancaster City F.C.
Lancaster City F.C. is an English football club based in Lancaster, Lancashire. The club are currently members of Northern Premier League Division One North and play at Giant Axe.-History:...

 at home, beating them 4–0 in front of a new record gate, 3,152. This result gained Halifax points over Lancaster for the first time since the beginning of the season. The Shaymen followed this excellent result on Monday 13 April by beating 3rd placed Curzon Ashton
Curzon Ashton F.C.
Curzon Ashton F.C. are a football club who currently play in the Northern Premier League Division One North. Nicknamed "The Blues", the club play their home games at the Tameside Stadium in Ashton-under-Lyne.-History:...

 away 5–0. They held onto the top spot until the end of the season, becoming champions of the Northern Premier League Division One North
Northern Premier League Division One North
Division One North is one of the two second-tier divisions of the Northern Premier League. It is at tier 4 of the National League System, tier 8 of the English football league system...

 with 100 points. The title was sealed with a 2–2 home draw against Clitheroe
Clitheroe F.C.
Clitheroe F.C. are an English football club based in Clitheroe, Lancashire, playing in the Northern Premier League Division One North. They were established in 1877 as Clitheroe Central...

 after beating Ossett Albion away 4–2 the previous Saturday in front of over 1000 travelling supporters.

2010–11

FC Halifax Town start life in the Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...

 (or what is now known as the Evostik Premier Division) by signing defenders Mark Bower
Mark Bower
Mark James Bower is an English professional footballer. He plays for Guiseley.Born in Bradford, he played for more than a decade with his hometown club Bradford City as a central defender until his release in May 2009. He moved to Darlington, where he spent just one season, then dropped into...

 from Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...

, Matty Plummer
Matty Plummer
Matthew Robert 'Matty' Plummer is an English professional footballer, who plays as a defender for Bradford Park Avenue, having previously played for Hull City, Darlington and North Ferriby United, Westella & Willerby, FC Halifax Town and Bridlington Town.-Career:Plummer was released by Hull City...

 from North Ferriby United
North Ferriby United A.F.C.
North Ferriby United Association Football Club is an English football club based in North Ferriby, near Kingston upon Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. They were formed in 1934. They reached the Northern Premier League Premier Division for the first time in 2005...

 and Liam Hogan from Woodley Sports
Woodley Sports F.C.
Woodley Sports F.C. is a football club based in Woodley, Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. They were established in 1970 as Woodley Athletic, and play at the Neil Rourke Memorial Stadium. In 1992, they became champions of the Manchester League Division One, and were promoted to the Manchester...

, midfielders Harry Winter from Northwich Victoria
Northwich Victoria F.C.
Northwich Victoria Football Club are an English football club who play at the Victoria Stadium in Wincham, Northwich, Cheshire in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the seventh tier of the English football league system.Northwich are an old club, founded in 1874 and named in honour of...

 and Simon Garner from Clitheroe
Clitheroe F.C.
Clitheroe F.C. are an English football club based in Clitheroe, Lancashire, playing in the Northern Premier League Division One North. They were established in 1877 as Clitheroe Central...

, winger Scott Metcalfe from Trafford
Trafford F.C.
Trafford F.C. is an English football club based in Flixton, Greater Manchester. The club are currently members of Division One North of the Northern Premier League and play at Shawe View.-History:...

 and finally strikers Jamie Vardy
Jamie Vardy
Jamie Vardy is an English footballer who plays for Fleetwood Town. He plays as a winger and can also play as a striker.-Stocksbridge Park Steels:...

 from Stocksbridge Park Steels
Stocksbridge Park Steels F.C.
Stocksbridge Park Steels Football Club is a football club based in Stocksbridge, South Yorkshire, England, playing in the Northern Premier League Premier Division. The club was formed in 1986 after a merger between two other clubs, and initially played in the Northern Counties East League...

, Danny Holland from Eastwood Town
Eastwood Town F.C.
Eastwood Town F.C. is a football club from Eastwood, Nottinghamshire formed in 1953, currently playing in the Conference North.-History:Although there was a football club named Eastwood Town operating in the Nottinghamshire Alliance in 1921, its was only in existence for two years. It was not until...

 and Nathan Taylor from Clitheroe
Clitheroe F.C.
Clitheroe F.C. are an English football club based in Clitheroe, Lancashire, playing in the Northern Premier League Division One North. They were established in 1877 as Clitheroe Central...

 also.

The pre-season kicked off with a game against local team Brighouse Town, the same as the previous season. This resulted in a 5–0 win with debutant Nathan Taylor scoring four goals, and Danny Holland scoring one – an improvement on the 5–1 win a year before. On 26 November, James Dean became the first player to score 50 goals for the club, after only 69 games for The Shaymen. On New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...

 2011, the home match to FC United of Manchester
F.C. United of Manchester
F.C. United of Manchester is an English semi-professional football club based in Bury, Greater Manchester that plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division. It was formed in 2005 by Manchester United supporters opposed to American businessman Malcolm Glazer's controversial takeover of the...

 attracted a crowd of 4,023, an attendance record for the Northern Premier League in its current structure, and the highest overall since Wigan Athletic played Stafford Rangers on 28 December 1970 in front of 8,107 people.

FC Halifax Town finally won the NPL Premier Division
Northern Premier League Premier Division
The Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the Premier League...

 Championship on 9 April 2011 with a 2–0 away win at Retford United
Retford United F.C.
Retford United Football Club are an English football club based at Cannon Park in Retford, Nottinghamshire. They currently play in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division.-History:...

 and were promoted to the Blue Square Bet North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...

 for the 2011/12 season.

2011–12

The club had a good start in pre-season beating Mossley AFC 5–1, and recently relegated Scunthorpe United 1–0 with a Liam Hogan strike from 30 yards. The summer had been full of speculation about Jamie Vardy
Jamie Vardy
Jamie Vardy is an English footballer who plays for Fleetwood Town. He plays as a winger and can also play as a striker.-Stocksbridge Park Steels:...

, who had been linked to several clubs including Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...

, Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...

 and Burton Albion
Burton Albion F.C.
Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...

. However after four games in the season Vardy left for Fleetwood Town
Fleetwood Town F.C.
Fleetwood Town F.C. is an English football club based in Fleetwood, Lancashire. They currently play in the Conference National having been defeated in the Conference National play-off semi-final by AFC Wimbledon in the 2010–11 season.-History:...

 for a fee in the region of £150,000 with Stocksbridge Park Steels receiving £50,000. Vardy had already scored three goals for the club in the 2011–12 season.

The club enjoyed an FA Cup run which saw the club reach the First Round Proper for the first time since their reformation. However, it did not look like the club would get through their first game in the competition, a Second Qualifying Round game against Tadcaster Albion. Halifax were losing 1–0 with only ten minutes to go, but two late headers, the first from James Dean and the second from Scott McManus
Scott McManus
Scott McManus is an English footballer from Prestwich, Greater Manchester, who currently plays for F.C. Halifax Town. He plays on the left side of defence or midfield.-Career:...

, sent the club through to the next round in front of 1,002 spectators. In their next game against Lancaster City
Lancaster City F.C.
Lancaster City F.C. is an English football club based in Lancaster, Lancashire. The club are currently members of Northern Premier League Division One North and play at Giant Axe.-History:...

 it was completely different. The Shaymen took the lead after three minutes with a Brett Renshaw goal. However the game was stopped after ten minutes due to crowd trouble. After the police had been sent into the ground the game restarted, and two more goals were scored by Halifax. The first coming from Simon Garner, and the second from Lee Gregory. The only club standing between Halifax and the First Round Proper was Solihull Moors
Solihull Moors F.C.
Solihull Moors F.C. is an English football club, founded in 2007 by the merger of Moor Green and Solihull Borough.The club plays its games at Damson Park, Solihull and competes in the Conference North.-History:...

. Solihull segregated the ground to prevent a repeat of the trouble in the previous round. It was a game in which Halifax missed two penalties, but substitue Danny Holland scored the winning goal and sent the Shaymen through to the First Round against Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...

. Charlton were five points clear at the top of League One and Halifax were only eleventh in the Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...

. However, the team still managed to have 62% possession, but Charlton scored three late goals to make it 4–0. The record attendance for FC Halifax Town was also broken, with a crowd of 4,601.

The Shaymen's 30 game unbeaten record at The Shay

Spanning into three seasons, The Shaymen went 30 games at The Shay
The Shay
The Shay is a multi-use sports stadium in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England near Shaw Hill. FC Halifax Town and Halifax both play their home games at the Shay....

 unbeaten. The run lasted from 18 April 2009 to 20 November 2010. It all began as a disappointing 2008–2009 season was coming to a close with a 1–2 defeat to Curzon Ashton
Curzon Ashton F.C.
Curzon Ashton F.C. are a football club who currently play in the Northern Premier League Division One North. Nicknamed "The Blues", the club play their home games at the Tameside Stadium in Ashton-under-Lyne.-History:...

, which ended any hopes of a playoff place that year, and cemented Curzon's.

They won 18 and drew 3 in the 2009–2010 season to seal the Unibond Division One North championship with 100 points and 105 goals. A slow start to the beginning of the 2010–2011 season seemed to spell the end of the home run very soon, but with the return of injured left/right backs Danny Lowe and Aaron Hardy
Aaron Hardy
Aaron Hardy is an English professional football defender who currently plays for FC Halifax Town....

 and star striker James Dean, The Shaymen's season quickly took off and they rose to top spot. The Shaymen's unbeaten run finally came to an end on 20 November 2010, when North Ferriby United
North Ferriby United A.F.C.
North Ferriby United Association Football Club is an English football club based in North Ferriby, near Kingston upon Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. They were formed in 1934. They reached the Northern Premier League Premier Division for the first time in 2005...

 outplayed Halifax and dispatched them 0–2.

The Complete Run

Date Team Result Scorers
18/04/09 Trafford
Trafford F.C.
Trafford F.C. is an English football club based in Flixton, Greater Manchester. The club are currently members of Division One North of the Northern Premier League and play at Shawe View.-History:...

D 2–2 Jemson (Pen), Barnes
18/08/09 Warrington Town
Warrington Town F.C.
Warrington Town F.C. are a football club based in Warrington, Cheshire, England. They were established in 1949 under the name of Stockton Heath Albion. In 1961, they changed to their present name...

W 4–1 Gray, Baker, Crossley, Peers
22/08/09 Trafford
Trafford F.C.
Trafford F.C. is an English football club based in Flixton, Greater Manchester. The club are currently members of Division One North of the Northern Premier League and play at Shawe View.-History:...

W 2–0 Dean, Marshall
31/08/09 Garforth Town
Garforth Town A.F.C.
Garforth Town Association Football Club are an English football team based in Garforth, West Yorkshire. They currently play in the Northern Premier League Division One North, the 8th level of the English football pyramid.-History:...

W 1–0 Gray
19/09/09 Leigh Genesis W 3–1 Gray, Dean, Marshall
29/09/09 Curzon Ashton
Curzon Ashton F.C.
Curzon Ashton F.C. are a football club who currently play in the Northern Premier League Division One North. Nicknamed "The Blues", the club play their home games at the Tameside Stadium in Ashton-under-Lyne.-History:...

W 1–0 Payne (Pen)
10/11/09 AFC Fylde
A.F.C. Fylde
A.F.C. Fylde is a football club based at Warton in the Borough of Fylde in the English county of Lancashire. The club were known as Kirkham & Wesham F.C. until the end of the 2007-08 season...

W 3–0 Payne, Dean x2
28/11/09 Woodley Sports
Woodley Sports F.C.
Woodley Sports F.C. is a football club based in Woodley, Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. They were established in 1970 as Woodley Athletic, and play at the Neil Rourke Memorial Stadium. In 1992, they became champions of the Manchester League Division One, and were promoted to the Manchester...

W 2–1 Dean, Marshall
12/12/09 Salford City
Salford City F.C.
Salford City F.C. are a semi-professional football club based in the Kersal area of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. They are the only semi-professional side in the City of Salford, with Manchester United the closest league club. Salford City currently play in the Northern Premier League...

W 6–1 Dean x3, Gray x2, Marshall
15/12/09 Wakefield
Wakefield F.C.
Wakefield F.C. is an English football club based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The club was previously known as Emley A.F.C. from 1903 to 2002.-History:...

D 1–1 Lowe
19/01/10 Bamber Bridge
Bamber Bridge F.C.
Bamber Bridge F.C. are an English football club based in Bamber Bridge, near Preston, Lancashire. They currently play in the Northern Premier League Division One North and are full members of the Lancashire County Football Association. They play their home games at the QED Stadium in Bamber Bridge...

W 4–1 Dean x3, Gray
13/02/10 Harrogate Railway Athletic
Harrogate Railway Athletic F.C.
Harrogate Railway Athletic F.C. is an English football club based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The club was founded in 1935. It currently plays in the Northern Premier League Division One North.-History:...

W 3–0 Marshall, Gray, Peers
20/02/10 Mossley
Mossley A.F.C.
Mossley Association Football Club are an English football club from the town of Mossley, Greater Manchester, currently playing in the Northern Premier League Division One North. They were founded in 1903 and are nicknamed the Lilywhites, owing to their colours...

W 4–2 Crossley, Marshall, Gray, Winter
23/02/10 Rossendale United
Rossendale United F.C.
Rossendale United F.C. was an English football club based in Newchurch, near Rawtenstall, Lancashire. The club was formed in 1898 but was expelled from the North West Counties League Premier Division on 18 June 2011....

W 2–0 Dean (Pen), Peers
02/03/10 Ossett Albion W 5–0 Gray x3, WInter x2

Date Team Result Scorers
06/03/10 Prescot Cables
Prescot Cables F.C.
Prescot Cables F.C. is a football club based in Prescot, Merseyside. It was established in 1884 and has also been known as Prescot and Prescot Town...

W 3–0 Winter, Marshall, Lowe
13/03/10 Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay F.C.
Colwyn Bay F.C. are a Welsh football club, as of the 2011–12 season are playing in the Conference North. Nicknamed the Seagulls, the club play at Llanelian Road in Old Colwyn.-History:...

W 3–0 Lowe, Dean, Phelan
02/04/10 Chorley
Chorley F.C.
Chorley Football Club are a football club from Chorley, Lancashire, England. They were founded as a rugby union club in 1875 but switched to football in 1883. They have reached the FA Cup second round twice in 1986–87 and 1990–91. Their best performance in the FA Trophy was in 1995–96 when they...

W 1–0 Payne
10/04/10 Lancaster City
Lancaster City F.C.
Lancaster City F.C. is an English football club based in Lancaster, Lancashire. The club are currently members of Northern Premier League Division One North and play at Giant Axe.-History:...

W 4–0 Gregory x2, Payne, Dean
15/04/10 Radcliffe Borough
Radcliffe Borough F.C.
Radcliffe Borough F.C. is an English football club based in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester. The club was formed on 24 April 1949 and currently plays in the Northern Premier League Division One North...

W 2–1 Marshall, Payne
20/04/10 Clitheroe
Clitheroe F.C.
Clitheroe F.C. are an English football club based in Clitheroe, Lancashire, playing in the Northern Premier League Division One North. They were established in 1877 as Clitheroe Central...

D 2–2 Wilde, Baker
24/04/10 Skelmersdale United
Skelmersdale United F.C.
Skelmersdale United F.C. are a football club from Skelmersdale, West Lancashire competing in the Northern Premier League Division One North. The club is a member of both the Liverpool F.A. and the Lancashire County Football Association.-The first 75 years:...

D 1–1 Marshall
21/08/10 Buxton
Buxton F.C.
Buxton Football Club are an English football club based in Buxton, Derbyshire. They were established in 1877 and joined the Combination League in 1891. They then joined the Manchester League in 1899 and won the championship in 1932. They reached the 3rd round of the FA Cup in the 1951-52 season....

W 2–1 Holland, Vardy
30/08/10 Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay F.C.
Colwyn Bay F.C. are a Welsh football club, as of the 2011–12 season are playing in the Conference North. Nicknamed the Seagulls, the club play at Llanelian Road in Old Colwyn.-History:...

D 1–1 Marshall
07/09/10 Northwich Victoria
Northwich Victoria F.C.
Northwich Victoria Football Club are an English football club who play at the Victoria Stadium in Wincham, Northwich, Cheshire in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the seventh tier of the English football league system.Northwich are an old club, founded in 1874 and named in honour of...

D 1–1 Holland
18/09/10 Whitby Town
Whitby Town F.C.
Whitby Town Football Club is an English football club based in Whitby, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Northern Premier League, the seventh tier of English football...

W 5–1 Dean x3, Holland x2
28/09/10 Hucknall Town
Hucknall Town F.C.
Hucknall Town F.C. are an English football club based in the town of Hucknall, Nottinghamshire. The club are members of the Northern Premier League Premier Division and play at Watnall Road.-History:...

W 4–0 Dean x2, Baker (Pen), Garner
19/10/10 Bradford Park Avenue
Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.
Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England...

W 1–0 Holland
26/10/10 Burscough
Burscough F.C.
Burscough F.C. is an English football club based in Burscough, Lancashire. The club are members of the Northern Premier League Premier Division and groundshare with Skelmersdale United...

W 3–2 Marshall, Baker (Pen), Dean
13/11/10 Retford United
Retford United F.C.
Retford United Football Club are an English football club based at Cannon Park in Retford, Nottinghamshire. They currently play in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division.-History:...

W 3–0 Vardy x2, Bower

Pld W D L F A Pts
30 24 6 0 79 20 78


Current squad

Current Staff

Club Officials
  • President: Robert Holmes
  • Chairman: David Bosomworth
  • Directors: Bobby Ham
    Bobby Ham
    Robert Stanley "Bobby" Ham is a retired English footballer who played for Bradford Park Avenue, Gainsborough Trinity, Bradford City, Preston and Rotherham. He also managed Gainsborough, Matlock and Guiseley.-Speedway:...

    , Stuart Peacock


Coaching and Medical Staff
  • Manager: Neil Aspin
    Neil Aspin
    Neil Aspin is an English former professional footballer turned football manager, who is now managing Conference North club F.C. Halifax Town....

  • Assistant Manager: Lee Nogan
    Lee Nogan
    Lee Martin Nogan is a Welsh footballer and football manager who plays as a forward for Conference North side F.C. Halifax Town, where he is also the clubs assistant manager....

  • Head of Youth Development: Des Hazel
    Des Hazel
    Desmond St. Lloyd Hazel is a former footballer who played at both professional and international levels as a left winger.-Playing career:...

  • Physiotherapist: Dan Stolworthy
  • Goalkeeping Coach: Karl Lineghan


Other Staff
  • Kit Manager: Ian Helliwell
    Ian Helliwell
    Ian Helliwell is an experimental filmmaker based in Brighton, England. Entirely self-taught and self-funded, Helliwell has produced over 50 short films on Super 8 mm film since 1994...

  • Sales & Marketing Executive: Pete Stajic
  • Club Secretary: Hayley Horne
  • Groundsmen: Graham Osbourne, Mark Hans
  • Accounts Manager: Arthur Wilson
  • U19s Head Coach: Michael Rushforth
  • U19s Secretary: Sam Shaw
  • Safety Officer: Ronnie Cowgill

League Standings

Year League Pld W D L F A GD Pts Position Notes
2008–09 Northern Premier League
Division One North
Northern Premier League Division One North
Division One North is one of the two second-tier divisions of the Northern Premier League. It is at tier 4 of the National League System, tier 8 of the English football league system...

40 17 12 11 71 52 19 63 8/21 A promising season for the Shaymen was ended by only two victories in the last 14 games
2009–10 Northern Premier League
Division One North
Northern Premier League Division One North
Division One North is one of the two second-tier divisions of the Northern Premier League. It is at tier 4 of the National League System, tier 8 of the English football league system...

42 30 10 2 108 38 70 100 1/22
Promoted
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...

Only the third promotion for a club representing Halifax in 99 years of history
2010–11 Northern Premier League
Premier Division
Northern Premier League Premier Division
The Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the Premier League...

42 30 8 4 108 36 72 98 1/22
Promoted
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...

Second promotion in as many years, equaling the number of promotions achieved by the old club in its 97 year history

FA Cup

Year Round Reached Notes
2008–09 2nd qualifying round Lost 1–4 to Nantwich Town
Nantwich Town F.C.
Nantwich Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. The club was founded in 1884 and is nicknamed The Dabbers. The club is currently a member of the Northern Premier League Premier Division, with home matches played at the Weaver Stadium.Nantwich...

2009–10 4th qualifying round Lost 0–1 to Wrexham
2010–11 4th qualifying round Lost 0–1 to Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...

2011-12 1st Round Lost 0-4 to Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...


FA Trophy

Year Round Reached Notes
2008–09 1st qualifying round Lost 1–2 to Harrogate Railway Athletic
Harrogate Railway Athletic F.C.
Harrogate Railway Athletic F.C. is an English football club based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The club was founded in 1935. It currently plays in the Northern Premier League Division One North.-History:...

2009–10 3rd qualifying round Lost 1–3 to Guiseley
Guiseley A.F.C.
Guiseley A.F.C. are an English football club from Guiseley, West Yorkshire, England.-History:Founded in 1909 by a local group of enthusiasts, the club’s first success came in 1913 when they won the local Wharfedale League...

2010–11 2nd qualifying round Lost 1–2 to Curzon Ashton
Curzon Ashton F.C.
Curzon Ashton F.C. are a football club who currently play in the Northern Premier League Division One North. Nicknamed "The Blues", the club play their home games at the Tameside Stadium in Ashton-under-Lyne.-History:...

2011-12 To play Colwyn Bay F.C.
Colwyn Bay F.C.
Colwyn Bay F.C. are a Welsh football club, as of the 2011–12 season are playing in the Conference North. Nicknamed the Seagulls, the club play at Llanelian Road in Old Colwyn.-History:...


West Riding County Cup

Year Round Reached Notes
2008–09 1st round Lost 1–2 to Wakefield
Wakefield F.C.
Wakefield F.C. is an English football club based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The club was previously known as Emley A.F.C. from 1903 to 2002.-History:...

2009–10 2nd round Lost 1–2 Farsley Celtic
Farsley Celtic A.F.C.
Farsley Celtic Association Football Club was an English football club based in Farsley, in the City of Leeds. The club was known by the nicknames of the Villagers and the Celts; their colours were blue and white. Founded in 1908, the club spent their entire existence in non-league football, winning...

2010–11 Semi-finals Lost 1–3 Guiseley
Guiseley A.F.C.
Guiseley A.F.C. are an English football club from Guiseley, West Yorkshire, England.-History:Founded in 1909 by a local group of enthusiasts, the club’s first success came in 1913 when they won the local Wharfedale League...

2011–12 2nd Round To play Brighouse

Unibond/Evostik League Challenge Cup

Year Round Reached Notes
2008–09 1st round Lost 1–2 to Curzon Ashton
Curzon Ashton F.C.
Curzon Ashton F.C. are a football club who currently play in the Northern Premier League Division One North. Nicknamed "The Blues", the club play their home games at the Tameside Stadium in Ashton-under-Lyne.-History:...

2009–10 4th round Lost 5–2 to Boston United
Boston United F.C.
Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...

2010–11 3rd Round Beat Bradford Park Avenue
Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.
Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England...

 3–0 but were expelled from
the competition due to fielding an ineligible player.
2011-12 Not Entered

Unibond League Presidents Cup

Year Round Reached Notes
2008–09 3rd round Lost 0–2 to Retford United
Retford United F.C.
Retford United Football Club are an English football club based at Cannon Park in Retford, Nottinghamshire. They currently play in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division.-History:...

2009–10 3rd round Lost 1–2 to Stamford
Stamford F.C.
Stamford A.F.C. is an English football club based in Stamford, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of Division One South of the Northern Premier League and play at the Vic Couzens Stadium...

 after extra time
2010–12 Not Entered

Honours

  • Northern Premier League Premier Division
    Northern Premier League Premier Division
    The Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the Premier League...

    :
    • Winners: 2010–11
  • Northern Premier League Division One North
    Northern Premier League Division One North
    Division One North is one of the two second-tier divisions of the Northern Premier League. It is at tier 4 of the National League System, tier 8 of the English football league system...

    :
    • Winners: 2009–10
  • Peter Swales Shield
    Peter Swales Shield
    The Peter Swales Shield is an annual one-off game organised by the Northern Premier League. It is named in memory of Peter Swales....

    :
    • Winners 2011

Rivals

According to a survey conducted in 2003, Halifax's three main rivals are:
  • Burnley
    Burnley F.C.
    Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...

  • Rochdale
    Rochdale A.F.C.
    Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...

  • Huddersfield Town
    Huddersfield Town F.C.
    Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...



Reference is made to their rivalries with Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...

 and Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...

 in their football chant 'I am a Shaymen fan'.
Considering that Halifax is in West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....

 it is maybe surprising that two of their three main rivals are from another county. However, both Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...

 and Rochdale are within 20 miles of Halifax in East Lancashire, and the relatively regular meetings combined with close proximity would classify them both as a Roses derby.
The rivalry with Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...

 is due to them being the nearest league
English Football League
English football league is not specific; it may refer to:* The Football League - the highest four divisions of English football until 1992 and the three divisions below the Premier League since 1992;...

club to Halifax.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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