This game was moved from Tue 26th Nov to Wed 27th with the usual 19.45 kick-off. Beware of turning up a day early!

How are they doing?

AFC Halifax Town are in a good run of form which has elevated them to 8th in the National League, and on the edge of the play-off places. They are 12 points behind Rovers with a game in hand and have recorded 8 wins, 5 draws & 5 defeats so far.

Halifax have conceded fewer goals than anyone else in the National League excepting York. Nobody has yet scored more than 2 goals against Halifax this season. They have favoured a 3-4-2-1 formation in 44% of their games.

Halifax have been playing better away from home this season than they have at the Shay Stadium, winning 14 points on the road in their 8 games. They have four 1-0 away victories, the most recent against Yeovil on the 16th of November.

They aren’t a free-scoring side. Just 20 goals in 18 games.

This looks like a game where the first goal will be more important than usual. Chances may be few and far between.

Who to watch?

Midfielder Jack Evans is a favourite for Halifax fans and is, arguably, the heartbeat of their midfield. You may remember Jack from when he was at FGR between 2020 – 2022. Released in 2022, he moved to Hereford, suffered a serious training injury, but recovered to join the Shaymen in 2023.

Forward Angelo Capello is back in the side after a month out with injury and may be the Shayman’s best attacking threat. He only has 2 goals to his name so far, but Halifax’s top scorers (Jamie Cooke and Billy Waters) have each only netted 3 times.

Shaymen complete signing of former Blackburn Rovers and Forest Green Rovers midfielder

Jack Evans in his FGR days – now a fan favourite orchestrating Halifax’s midfield.

Angelo Cappello - FC Halifax Town

Belize striker Angelo Capello – released by Sheffield Utd, he joined Halifax in 2022.

The Club

FC Halifax Town were formed in 2008 when the club’s predecessor, Halifax Town FC, was buried by huge tax debts after almost 100 years of existence. The old club had jogged along mostly in the 3rd and 4th tiers until their demise. The new club started back in the Northern Premier League Division 1 North. By 2013, after promotions, they were back in the National League. They were relegated for a single season in 2017 but, in their last 6 seasons in the National League they have been in the play-offs 3 times. They finished in 7th place in the league in 23/24 but lost 4-2 to Solihull Moors in the play-off eliminator.

The club are known as the Shaymen – they play at The Shay Stadium, a ground they share with the Halifax Panthers rugby league team.

Their Home

Halifax play at The Shay Stadium, which has been their home for over 100 years.

The Town

Halifax is in West Yorkshire, in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It’s about 4 miles off the M.62 and is close to both Bradford & Huddersfield.

Evidence of Halifax’s links to cotton, wool and carpets are all over the town. Dean Clough Mill is impossible to miss – once one of the world’s biggest textile factories, it is half a mile long.

Halifax became a thriving mill town in the Industrial Revolution. Confectionery became important at the start of the 20th century, as John Mackintosh’s business boomed. The Halifax Building Society grew into the world’s biggest Building Society until it demutualised in 1997 and then became part of Lloyds Banking Group.

More recent times perhaps give the appearance of having been less kind to Halifax.

Grade 1 listed Piece Hall is one of the ‘must-sees’ for visitors to Halifax.

Halifax has been a wool town since the 15th century and evidence of mills and other buildings associated with the industry are all over the town.

The Wainhouse Tower is the tallest structure in Calderdale and is the world’s tallest folly. Originally built to be an ornate chimney from a dye works, it never got used as such and became an observatory. It cost £14,000 to build in 1875 (about £1.7 million today!)