Halifax Town Association Football Club was an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
football club based in
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax () is a minster and market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It is the commercial, cultural and administrative centre of the borough, and the headquarters of Calderdale Council. In the 15th cen ...
. They played in the
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...
from 1921–1993 and 1998–2002.
The club was dissolved in 2008, but reformed that July under the name of
F.C. Halifax Town
FC Halifax Town is a professional association football club based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. They currently compete in and play at the Shay. They replaced Halifax Town A.F.C., which went into administration in the 2007–08 seaso ...
.
The club's stadium was
The Shay.
History
Early years
The club was formed on 24 May 1911 at the Saddle Hotel. It initially played in the Yorkshire Combination and the
Midland League
The Midland Football League is an English football league that was founded in 2014 by the merger of the former Midland Alliance and Midland Combination. The league has four divisions that sit at levels 9–12 of the football pyramid.
History
...
. It was one of the founder members of
Football League Third Division North
The Third Division North of the Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated t ...
in 1921, and remained in that division until restructuring in 1958, when it became a member of the
Football League Third Division. Its highest league position prior to World War II was second in 1934–35.
1960s–1990s
They finished third, one place off promotion in the
Football League Third Division in the
1970-71 season.
The next season, they finished in 17th place despite scoring only 17 goals, 4th lowest goals for that season. They just avoided relegation on goal difference after
Rotherham United lost on the last matchday to
Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1884 as Belmont Football Club, they ado ...
for Halifax to move up. In 1976, they were relegated to
Division 4.
In 1993 they were relegated to the
Football Conference
The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in Football in England, England consisting of three divisions, the National League (division), National League, National League Nor ...
.
[
]
Conference
The club found the Conference no easier than the fourth division. After several poor seasons with severe financial constraints, the club was demoralised as there seemed to be no way out. However, previous manager George Mulhall
George Mulhall (8 May 1936 – 27 April 2018) was a Scottish football player and manager. Born in Falkirk, Mulhall played as an outside left for Aberdeen and Sunderland. He was capped three times for Scotland. He became the manager of Bradford C ...
returned towards the end of the 1996–97 and avoided relegation from the Conference. The next season Mulhall and Kieran O'Regan
Kieran Michael O'Regan (born 9 November 1963) is an Irish former footballer and football manager who played and managed in England. He now works as a football commentator for BBC Radio Leeds with Paul Ogden, covering Huddersfield Town matches. ...
made a number of additions to the squad including Jamie Paterson, Mark Bradshaw and Lee Martin to put together a title-winning team. The Shaymen were crowned champions of the Conference and thus regained Football League status. Free scoring Geoff Horsfield
Geoffrey Malcolm Horsfield (born 1 November 1973) is an English former professional footballer and football coach. He made more than 300 appearances in the Football League playing as a striker.
He was a "strong and forceful" player, able to h ...
was also the top scorer in the Conference that season, scoring 30 goals.
Back In the Football League
At the start of the 1998–99 season, manager George Mulhall
George Mulhall (8 May 1936 – 27 April 2018) was a Scottish football player and manager. Born in Falkirk, Mulhall played as an outside left for Aberdeen and Sunderland. He was capped three times for Scotland. He became the manager of Bradford C ...
chose to retire and O'Regan was promoted to manager. Striker and top scorer Geoff Horsfield
Geoffrey Malcolm Horsfield (born 1 November 1973) is an English former professional footballer and football coach. He made more than 300 appearances in the Football League playing as a striker.
He was a "strong and forceful" player, able to h ...
only played ten games before he was sold to Fulham for £300,000 in October 1998. Halifax made a strong start to their league campaign and were amongst the leaders until December, after which their results started to drop off and they slipped into mid-table. Although only three points off playoff positions, O'Regan was sacked as manager by Chairman Jim Bown after a 0 – 0 draw with Rochdale in April 1999.
Return to Conference
Chris Wilder
Christopher John Wilder (born 23 September 1967) is an English professional football manager and former player who played as a right-back. He was most recently the manager of club Middlesbrough.
His extensive professional playing career saw ...
was appointed Halifax manager in July 2002.[ In their first season back in the ]Conference
A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic.
Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main p ...
the Shaymen finished in eighth position.
In 2005–06 they finished 4th, and reached the Conference play-off final, losing to Hereford United
Hereford United Football Club was an association football club based in Hereford, England. They played at Edgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'The ...
.
Financial failure and dissolution
In 2007, the club was placed into administration by a local consortium trying to buy the club. In spite of being docked 10 points for entering administration, the club again survived relegation on the last day of the season. However, the club failed to get a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) to bring the club out of administration,
Though the club appealed against the decision to remove it from the Football Conference
The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in Football in England, England consisting of three divisions, the National League (division), National League, National League Nor ...
, the appeal was unsuccessful and the club was wound up.
In May 2008 it had been revealed that following a major error, the club owed over £800,000 to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs
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, making the club more than £2 million in the red.
The Supporters' Trust prepared a back-up plan to form a new club should it be required. However, the club was re-formed by the same directors of the previous legal entity under the name F.C. Halifax Town
FC Halifax Town is a professional association football club based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. They currently compete in and play at the Shay. They replaced Halifax Town A.F.C., which went into administration in the 2007–08 seaso ...
and was accepted to play in the Northern Premier League Division One North
The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Division ...
in the 2008/09 season.
Stadiums
The club moved to The Shay in 1921 (hence the team's nickname "The Shaymen") and remained there until it folded.
From the mid-1990s on the Shay underwent substantial development, and Halifax RLFC
The Halifax Panthers are a professional rugby league club in Halifax, West Yorkshire, which formed in 1873. Halifax were one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895. They have been Rugby Lea ...
moved in and shared the venue. The Football Trust
The Football Trust was a Government funded body to improve the safety of sports stadiums in the United Kingdom.
It was set up by the Labour Government in 1975, with the assistance of the pools companies and the English Football League. Its origina ...
assisted in providing funds for the redevelopment.
Players and managers
Notable players
''For a list of notable Halifax Town players in sortable-list format see List of Halifax Town A.F.C. players; for all Halifax Town players with a Wikipedia article see :Halifax Town A.F.C. players.''
Managerial history
* 1911 Joe McClelland
Joseph Bentley McClelland (20 April 1885 – 3 July 1964) was an English football manager who was the first manager of Halifax Town. He also managed Lincoln City and was assistant manager at Sheffield Wednesday.
Life and career
McClelland was ...
* 1930 Alex Raisbeck
Alexander Galloway Raisbeck (26 December 1878 – 12 March 1949) was a Scottish professional football player and manager. After playing junior football for Larkhall Thistle, he was signed by Hibernian where he made his professional debut at ...
* 1936 Jimmy Thomson[The Definitive Halifax AFC by Johnny Meynell]
* 1947 Jack Breedon
* 1951 Billy Wootton
William Wootton (27 August 1904 – 2000) was an English footballer who played as a full-back for Stoke, Congleton Town, Port Vale, and Southend United. He later managed Northwich Victoria, Oldham Athletic, and Halifax Town. He won the Thir ...
* 1952 Gerald Henry
* 1954 Bobby Browne (caretaker manager
In association footballing terms, a caretaker manager or interim manager is somebody who takes temporary charge of the management of a football team, usually when the regular manager is dismissed or leaves for a different club. However, a care ...
)
* 1954 Willie Watson
* 1956 Billy Burnikell
* 1956 Harold Taylor and E. Vivien Booth
* 1957 Harry Hooper
Harry Bartholomew Hooper (August 24, 1887 – December 18, 1974) was an American professional baseball right fielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB). Hooper batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Hooper was born in Bell Station, C ...
* 1962 Don McEvoy
Don, don or DON and variants may refer to:
Places
*County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON
*Don (river), a river in European Russia
* Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name
* Don, Benin, a town in Benin
* Don, Dang, a v ...
* 1964 Willie Watson
* 1966 Vic Metcalfe
Victor Metcalfe (3 February 1922 – 6 April 2003) was a professional footballer who was born in Barrow-in-Furness where his father played rugby league for Barrow.
Life and career
Metcalfe was though a product of West Riding schools football ...
* 1967 Alan Ball Sr.
* 1970 George Kirby
George Kirby (June 8, 1923 – September 30, 1995) was an American comedian, singer, and actor.
Career
Born in Chicago, Kirby broke into show business in the 1940s at the Club DeLisa, a South Side establishment that employed a variety-sho ...
* 1971 Ray Henderson
Ray Henderson (born Raymond Brost; December 1, 1896 – December 31, 1970) was an American songwriter.
Early life
Born in Buffalo, New York, United States, Henderson moved to New York City and became a popular composer in Tin Pan Alley. He was ...
* 1972 George Mulhall
George Mulhall (8 May 1936 – 27 April 2018) was a Scottish football player and manager. Born in Falkirk, Mulhall played as an outside left for Aberdeen and Sunderland. He was capped three times for Scotland. He became the manager of Bradford C ...
* 1974 Johnny Quinn
* 1976 Alan Ball Sr.
* 1977 Jimmy Lawson
* 1978 George Kirby
George Kirby (June 8, 1923 – September 30, 1995) was an American comedian, singer, and actor.
Career
Born in Chicago, Kirby broke into show business in the 1940s at the Club DeLisa, a South Side establishment that employed a variety-sho ...
* 1981 Mickey Bullock
* 1984 Billy Ayre
William Ayre (7 May 1952 – 16 April 2002) was an English footballer who played for three clubs in a sixteen-year professional career, making over three hundred League appearances in the process. After retiring from the playing side of the game ...
(caretaker manager)
* 1984 Mick Jones
* 1986 Billy Ayre
William Ayre (7 May 1952 – 16 April 2002) was an English footballer who played for three clubs in a sixteen-year professional career, making over three hundred League appearances in the process. After retiring from the playing side of the game ...
* 1990 Jim McCalliog
James McCalliog (born 23 September 1946) is a Scottish former football player and coach. He played in the Football League for Chelsea, Sheffield Wednesday, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Manchester United, Southampton and Lincoln City, as well as ...
* 1991 John McGrath
* 1992 Mick Rathbone
* 1993 Peter Wragg
* 1994 John Bird
* 1996 George Mulhall
George Mulhall (8 May 1936 – 27 April 2018) was a Scottish football player and manager. Born in Falkirk, Mulhall played as an outside left for Aberdeen and Sunderland. He was capped three times for Scotland. He became the manager of Bradford C ...
& Kieran O'Regan
Kieran Michael O'Regan (born 9 November 1963) is an Irish former footballer and football manager who played and managed in England. He now works as a football commentator for BBC Radio Leeds with Paul Ogden, covering Huddersfield Town matches. ...
* 1996 John Carroll
* 1997 George Mulhall
George Mulhall (8 May 1936 – 27 April 2018) was a Scottish football player and manager. Born in Falkirk, Mulhall played as an outside left for Aberdeen and Sunderland. He was capped three times for Scotland. He became the manager of Bradford C ...
& Kieran O'Regan
Kieran Michael O'Regan (born 9 November 1963) is an Irish former footballer and football manager who played and managed in England. He now works as a football commentator for BBC Radio Leeds with Paul Ogden, covering Huddersfield Town matches. ...
* 1998 Kieran O'Regan
Kieran Michael O'Regan (born 9 November 1963) is an Irish former footballer and football manager who played and managed in England. He now works as a football commentator for BBC Radio Leeds with Paul Ogden, covering Huddersfield Town matches. ...
* 1999 David Worthington
* 1999 Mark Lillis
Mark Anthony Lillis (born 17 January 1960) is an English former professional football player and manager. He is assistant manager of League Two club Scunthorpe United.
Playing career
Lillis was born in Manchester. He started his professional ...
* 2000 Peter Butler & Tony Parks
Anthony Parks (born 28 January 1963) is an English football coach and former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. In a career spanning over 20 years, he was on the books of 15 different clubs, making more than 250 league appeara ...
* 2000 Paul Bracewell
* 2001 Neil Redfearn & Tony Parks
Anthony Parks (born 28 January 1963) is an English football coach and former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. In a career spanning over 20 years, he was on the books of 15 different clubs, making more than 250 league appeara ...
* 2001 Alan Little
* 2002 Neil Redfearn (caretaker manager)
* 2002 Chris Wilder
Christopher John Wilder (born 23 September 1967) is an English professional football manager and former player who played as a right-back. He was most recently the manager of club Middlesbrough.
His extensive professional playing career saw ...
Sources:[Halifax Town managers – official site]
Honours and club records
* FA Trophy
**Winners – 2015-16
* FA Cup
**Fifth Round – 1932–33, 1952–53
* League Cup
**Fourth Round – 1963–64[
* Football League Third Division
**Third Place – 1970–71][
*]Conference National
The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-professi ...
**Champions – 1997–98 (87pts)
*Record attendance[
**36,885 versus Tottenham Hotspur, FA Cup Fifth Round, 14 February 1953
*Most appearances]
** John Pickering, 402 appearances (367 in League) from 1965 to 1974
*Most goals scored[
** Ernie Dixon, 132 goals (127 league, 5 cup) from 1922 to 1930 (other source indicates 128 League goals and that he played for the club in two separate spells)
*Most league goals in a season (individual)][
** Albert Valentine (1934–35) – 34
*Most league goals in a season (club)][
**83 in Division Three North (1957–58)
*Record transfer fee paid]
**£150,000 for Chris Tate
Chris Tate is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, ''Emmerdale'', played by Peter Amory. The character made his first appearance on 14 November 1989, when he arrived in the village alongside the rest of the Tate family – ...
in July 1999
*Record transfer fee received[
**£350,000 for ]Geoff Horsfield
Geoffrey Malcolm Horsfield (born 1 November 1973) is an English former professional footballer and football coach. He made more than 300 appearances in the Football League playing as a striker.
He was a "strong and forceful" player, able to h ...
in October 1998
* A blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving as a historical marker. The term i ...
honouring the club was erected by the Halifax Civic Trust
Halifax commonly refers to:
*Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
*Halifax, West Yorkshire, England
*Halifax (bank), a British bank
Halifax may also refer to:
Places Australia
* Halifax, Queensland, a coastal town in the Shire of Hinchinbrook
*Halifax ...
.
References
External links
Official site of successor club
{{Authority control
FC Halifax Town
National League (English football) clubs
Defunct English Football League clubs
Association football clubs established in 1911
Association football clubs disestablished in 2008
Defunct football clubs in West Yorkshire
Defunct football clubs in England
1911 establishments in England
2008 disestablishments in England
Sport in Halifax, West Yorkshire
Yorkshire Combination
Companies that have entered administration in the United Kingdom
es:Halifax Town AFC