FC Halifax Town welcome Championship side Bolton Wanderers to the MBi Shay Stadium this weekend on the back of a 7-1 victory against neighbours Brighouse Town on Tuesday evening.
The Shaymen boss Jamie Fullarton told us how “it is a building process towards the 4th of August. It was important that players increased the amounts of minutes they had, and again it’s a building block on to Saturday, which we then move to what we’re doing in training in tomorrow, Thursday and Friday, preparing for Saturday”.
Saturdays opponents will be Town’s hardest test this summer as the Championship side sits 64 league places above the Shaymen. Last season Bolton Wanderers avoided relegation into League One by two points sending fellow Yorkshire Side Barnsley into the third tier of English football.
Wanderers boss Phil Parkinson has been in charge at the Macron stadium since June 2016 and prepares his side for another tough season, with three new faces arriving this summer in versatile defender/Midfielder Jason Lowe signs from Birmingham City and snap up attacking midfielder Erhun Oztumer from Walsall after turning down numerous offers to stay at The Saddlers. Right back Poland international Pawel Olkowski signs a two year deal from German side 1. FC. Koln.
Parkinson continues to look to strengthen his side as rumours circulate that Peterborough captain Jack Baldwin maybe making his way to the Lancashire side, but Sunderland have also speculated interest.
Bolton started preseason on Tuesday with a 1-1 draw against Northern Premier side Atherton Collieries. The hosts took the lead in the first half against the youthful Wanderers side before they equalised late on. Bolton fielded a team comprising of players from their Under-23s and Under-18s and including a handful of trialists as they got their pre-season campaign underway.
Two familiar faces return to The MBi Shay Stadium this weekend, both players appearing under former club Halifax Town AFC. Former keeper now Goalkeeping Coach Lee Butler returns to the club. The 52 year old played 197 games for The Shaymen in 3 separate spells at the club from 1999 to 2008. Also returning is journeyman striker Clayton Donaldson. The 34 year old Jamaican International had a very short loan spell at the club in 2004 playing 4 games under manager Chris Wilder.
Halifax manager Jamie Fullarton once managed Wanderers Under-21s and we also have some former Bolton players in Niall Maher and Sanmi Odeulsi in our squad.
Last time we met Bolton Wanderers was on January 12th 1988 were Halifax Town AFC battled out a 0-0 draw in the English Fourth Division against the Lancashire side at The Shay. Both teams have faced each other eleven times in the league and cup, drawing five times and Bolton winning the other six meetings.
Follow the Game:
There will be live updates and commentary available on the club website and Shaymen TV.
You can also follow the action via Town’s official Twitter account, @FCHTOnline.
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