FC Halifax Town will look to build on their tough 1-0 victory at home to Stalybridge Celtic when they travel to Gainsborough Trinity on Tuesday night.
Gainsborough have dragged themselves out of the bottom three after a surprising score line (3-1) at home to Telford last time out, in what was the club’s first league victory in five and only their second all season.
There a number of connections between the two sides. One member of the current Trinity side who knows the Shaymen well is goalkeeper Jonathan Hedge. The shot stopper had two spells at The Shay during which he achieved a call up to the England ‘c’ side.
Hedge served as back up to Jan Budtz last season, but back in 2006 Hedge signed for Halifax Town (the previous incarceration of FC Halifax Town).
He was a member of the first team squad and spent 18 months at The Shay stadium before being released in early 2008.
Upon his return from a 2-month spell down in Australia with A League side Brisbane Roar and Mitchelton FC he joined Harrogate Town on loan before returning to the MBI Shay in the summer of 2009.
This time around he offered a much greater contribution to the club after FC Halifax Town were demoted three divisions for entering administration.
The newly formed side started again in the Unibond First Division and Jonathan was a regular feature in their side clocking up nearly 100 appearances as they won back-to-back promotions from the Unibond First Division (2009-10) and Unibond Premier Division (2010-11).
It was then in November 2009 when Hedge received his first England ‘C’ call-up for a friendly against Poland U23’s. Jonathan stood out in the selection, being the only player playing below the Blue Square Premier named in the squad.
Jonathan came on as a second-half substitute in Poland where they claimed a 2-1 win. At the end of the 2010/2011 season Hedge left the Shaymen after being offered a full-time professional contract at Blue Square Premier side Tamworth and signed for the Lambs.
Moving onto the current squad for FC Halifax Town, our very own Josh Wilde previously played for Trinity for two seasons (2012-2014). The left-back played over 70 games in that time before being picked up by North Ferriby United in the summer of 2013.
Moving across the back-line and rounding up our list of standout links, centre half Danny Hone is another player to have played for both sides.
The defender joined Trinity in 2012 after his loan spell at Barrow from Lincoln City ended at the end of 2011/2012. Barrow manager David Holdsworth confirmed that they would not offer Hone a contract. He went on trial at Gainsborough and a week later was signed by the club ready for the start of the 2012/2013 season. He went on to make 42 appearances for the club in his first and only season for Trinity – scoring four.
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