This Saturday FC Halifax Town return to The Shay to face Chesterfield. Here we will have a look at a few of the many players who have donned the blue shirts of The Shaymen and The Spireites.
Wayne Allison
Allison started his career with The Shaymen back in 1987. The striker nicknamed the “Chief” scored 23 goals in 84 appearances. In 1989 he left for Watford but lack of game time in his one season lead to the Chief heading west to Bristol City. He enjoyed his most successful period of his career with The Robins winning player of the year in the 1993/94 season.
Leaving Bristol in 1995 he had spells at Swindon Town, Huddersfield Town, Tranmere Rovers, Sheffield United before ending up with Chesterfield in 2004. Spending four years with The Spireites making 115 appearances netting 23 times.
Tom Denton
Local West Yorkshire centre forward started with local side Wakefield before stepping up to Huddersfield Town. Denton never made it into the first team in his two years at The Terriers, he had loan spells at Woking, Wakefield and Cheltenham whilst on the books at Huddersfield. He returned to Wakefield in 2010 for one season before spells at Mossley, Alfreton Town, Worksop Town and North Ferriby United.
In 2016 he joined Halifax joining manager Billy Heath again after they worked together at North Ferriby. Denton won the FA Trophy in 2016 and the Conference North play off final in his 74 appearances for The Shaymen. He left Halifax over the last summer and is now at Chesterfield after a brief spell with Alfreton in-between.
Dan Gardner
Another striker, Gardner began at Celtic but failed to make the grade with The Hoops. He then dropped down to the north west counties league with Flixton before being picked up by Crewe Alexandra for a short space of time. Failing to impress he went into non-league with Droylsden enjoying his best return scoring 18 goals in 40 games that season.
That form earned him a transfer to The Shaymen for two years he made 51 appearances scoring 17 times, before he was untimely snapped up by then a League Two Chesterfield. Gardner won promotion to League One and was part of the side that beat the odds and sneaked into the League One play-offs. After Chesterfields relegation from League One in 2017 he joined Oldham Athletic where he still plays.
Jordan Sinnott
The Midfielder began his career with Huddersfield with lack of opportunities he went on loan to Altrincham and Bury. On his return to The Terriers Sinnott got two appearances but no more and return to Altrincham this time permanently making 57 appearances.
In 2016 Sinnott joined The Shaymen in his one season with the club the midfielder scored seven goals in his 35 games. Impressing for The Shaymen, The Spireites brought him up to the football league in their relegation season from League Two. Suffering relegation Chesterfield released Sinnott and he now plays for Alfreton.
Frank Large
In a career spanning just shy of 20 years making over 550 career appearances scoring over 200 goals playing on both sides of the Atlantic. Yet another centre forward on this list Large began his career with Halifax in 1958. Spending four years with the club playing 133 games with 50 goals to his name. Leaving in 1962 Large went onto play for 11 more clubs not spending as much time as he did with The Shaymen. In 1972 Large played for Chesterfield for one season with 46 games that season with 15 goals. After his stint in Chesterfield he flew over to America to play for Baltimore Comets finishing his career.
Albert Phelan
A defender about time one turned up. Phelan started locally with Sheffield side’s Charlton United and Sheffield FC before joining Chesterfield in 1962. Phelan had to wait two years before he turned professional in 1964 and played a vital role for The Spireites in 1970 winning the fourth division.
Four years later he joined The Shaymen Phelan went onto make 118 appearances for The Shaymen in three years. Phelan finished his career with Boston finishing just shy of 100 games for the club.
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