First game of the season brings lots of emotions for everyone involved within a football club from the players, the staff, the chairman and most importantly the fans. It’s like Christmas has come early, the excitement that builds upon the lead up to the opening day, then the nervous that follow as the day approaches.
All the hard work comes down to the result on the first game, it’s the game where new signings want to prosper and the team want to set the standards and tone for the season and get off to a flyer.
Let’s look through how the Shaymen passed and present have done on the opening day of the season:
Last year on our arrival back in to the National League the club faced Aldershot at home where despite a strong start, it became a cruel welcome back to the big league as Aldershot ran away with a 2-0 win.
FC Halifax Town 0-2 Aldershot Town (Attendance 2108)
The 2016-1017 season helped Town achieve promotion back to National league football and the first game of the season shown it wasn’t going to be easy as only for a debut hat trick from Tom Denton helped Halifax edge to a 3-2 win over Nuneaton.
Nuneaton Town FC 2-3 FC Halifax Town (Attendance 993)
After three season battling away in the National League the 2015-2016 season was not one of our finest as it seen us finish 21st in the league one point from safety, to say the least our opening day fixture could have saved us as we faced Boreham Wood who finished two points ahead in 19th position. The game saw the Shaymen lose 3-1 to their newly promoted southern opponents, a goal from striker Jordon Burrow from the penalty spot sent both teams in at the half level, but the Hertfordshire side secured the win with two late goals in the second half.
Boreham Wood 3-1 FC Halifax Town (Attendance 701)
The 2014-2015 season seen the end of what was the Conference Premier as online van leasing company Vanarama took the over the naming rights and continue too as we enter our fourth season under the Vanarama name. This season seen us finish just inside the top half of the table in a respectable 9th position. We kicked off the season as we would have wanted with a 1-0 win over south coast side Dover. A early second half goal from Scott McManus sealed the victory for Town but the game come with a sour twist right at the end as Simon Angie picked up a second Yellow Card in the 94th minute which seen him head for the stands.
Dover Athletic 0-1 FC Halifax Town (Attendance 1321)
What a season the 2013-2014 season turned out to be, the buzz around the club for their first game back into the Conference Premier after being reformed in 2008 was electric, it was such a shame it started in the worst possible result. The game finished 5-1 to Cambridge United who went on the finish second in the league and achieved promotion to the Football League. Not only was the scoreline bad enough, Town played 69 minutes with nine men after sendings off to Danny Lowe and Goalkeeper Matt Glennon. Although a horrific start back into the Conference Premier the Shaymen finished the season in 5th place cementing a play off place in their first season back.
Cambridge United 5-1 FC Halifax Town (Attendance 2780)
The 2012-2013 season seen us play our second season in the Blue Square Bet North and that it be our last as we achieved promotion via the playoffs after finishing 5th and beating Brackley 1-0 in the Play Off final. The opening day saw Halifax see off Bishops Stortford 2-1. This was the last season under the naming rights of Blue Square Bet.
Bishops Stortford 1-2 FC Halifax Town (Attendance 622)
Another season where the Shaymen seen us reach the play offs and again in our first season in the Blue Square Bet North, although a defeat against Gainsborough Trinity in the semi final 3-2 sent us awaiting another season before we could achieve promotion. Our opening game of the season seen us welcome Corby Town to the Shay, comfortably winning 3-1.
FC Halifax Town 3-1 Corby Town (Attendance 1738)
The Evo-Stik Premier where to host FC Halifax for just the one season in 2010-2011 as the side seen themselves achieve back to back promotion and back to back champions. Now England and Premier League striker Jamie Vardy netted 24 goals this season, which helped secure top spot. The season didn’t kick off as hoped with a 0-0 draw against mid table finishing side Worksop Town.
FC Halifax Town 0-0 Worksop Town (Attendance 1318)
Our second season as the newly reformed FC Halifax Town seen us crowned champions of the Unibond Division One, finishing top on 100 points and only losing two games all season. This started with a 3-0 win over Colwyn Bay who also achieved promotion via the play offs.
Colwyn Bay 0-3 FC Halifax Town (Attendance 854)
Our First season under the new FC Halifax Town and having to start in the Unibond Division One, three divisions below where we were under ‘Halifax AFC’ in Conference National. It wasn’t the fairy-tale start we all wished for nor it being a fairy-tale season, as the club finished in 8th position, 5 points outside the playoffs. The new club kicked off the season with a 3-0 defeat to Bamber Bridge FC who finished the season in 11th.
FC Halifax Town 0-3 Bamber Bridge (Attendance 1549)
Who will we get on the opening day of the 2018/19 season? We will know the answer at 1pm this afternoon. Let us know on Twitter/Facebook who you would like to see us play first.
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