FC Halifax Town came out second best against National League North side, Stockport County, in The Shaymen’s first preseason game of the season. However, manager Jamie Fullarton wasn’t downhearted after the display from his side.
On the day England qualified for their first Semi-Final of a World Cup in 28 years, FC Halifax Town played their first game, although a non-competitive friendly, unfortunately, the result wasn’t the same as England’s for The Shaymen.
However, manager Jamie Fullarton, who took charge of the first game of his first full season at the club stated the result wasn’t the important thing from the match today.
Fullarton, who took charge of the club on the 20th of February this year, wanted to stress that the first game back after the summer break wasn’t about the result but more about reinforcing what they were applying on the training field.
“Whilst your attitude and mentality are to always want to win everything that you do, whether that be tiddlywinks or a game of football, it’s important to put it into context to where we are at and what we are doing during the week.”
Jamie Fullarton was just stressing how much the club has worked on the pitch on the way they play, and they wanted to test that on the field against Stockport County today.
This was the first game since the transition into a full-time club and Jamie Fullarton was explaining the work that his side have put in to get to the stage they are at this moment in time.
“We’ve had the transition to full-time, we are training double sessions every day, including yesterday. So, it was an exercise today to take what they were doing in an uncontrolled environment of a game, and that’s why most players, if not all played 45 minutes and no more. There were many changes and no real rhythm or continuity as such, but the purpose of today’s game was to get back on and find our distances and understand the competition is about to start.”
While mentioning the change to a full-time club Jamie also mentioned how it will affect and benefit the players throughout the season.
“Any player that has worked in a full-time environment and a part-time environment will notice the significant difference of it. When we are in the middle of it and they are really working hard every day for the last two weeks, double sessions, then it takes players a while to climatize.”
The Scottish manager also added that he wasn’t expecting a world-beating performance from his new side today as the players get used to playing together and at a full-time club.
“We are not looking to peak today. Today is an extension of what we are doing, and it is the fourth of August we are looking towards.”
Talking about the many new players bought into the side the manager said he wasn’t looking for these new players to impress him and his coaching team at the club.
“We not looking for them to impress, we know who they are, we know what they are capable of and come the 4th of August, we need to make sure they are physically prepared and mentally prepared and tactically ready to perform at that crescendo level”.
Moving onto the away fixture on Tuesday against Brighouse, Fullarton said it wouldn’t be taken lightly from his side’s point of view.
“We won’t turn up on Tuesday and just make our mind up there and then. Pre-season was planned 6 weeks ago, and that includes the games, the structure of the games, it includes what minutes people will play and when they will play them.”
The rest of the pre-season period will be very important for Jamie and his players, although the manager has almost worked out what his side will be doing in those games.
“We’ve got 6 pre-season games to get players ready and fit to perform on the fourth of August. So, the plan won’t change whether we score a goal we haven’t scored a goal, or we’ve won or lost the game. We’ve got the plan and it’s about building towards the season and to be ready to perform”.
Read more posts by FC Halifax Town
;
