I really should have had a thread going last season, for the first time I was able to travel to a good number of the games, mainly away, but visiting over a dozen towns and cities for the first time. Supporting Halifax on the road certainly had its low points (4-0 defeat away to Gravesend possibly being the worst), but some highs as well (2-2 at Grays to clinch a trip to Leicester). Anyway, after having just missed out in the playoff final, to conclude a pretty entertaining finale to the season. Over twenty goals, tight matches, and good football too, in the five games. The squad has been strengthened, but the backbone of the team is the same as last year, it's quite possible to field a team consisting of ten of last seasons regulars, only the keeper having changed. More depth upfront (including a New Zealand international signed from Wimbledon), midfield and at the back. Hopefully can (and should be looking to) push for promotion this season, and not being in serious playoff contention will be very disappointing. But then the division does look like it could be keenly fought, with about half the sides having reasonable chances of doing well and no outright favourite (Stevenage topping the predicitions). Only four semi-pro sides left (Altrincham, St Albans, Stafford and Tamworth) plus Crawley having a torrid past few months. Should be an interesting season. Off to Oxford next weekend, quite possibly the easiest for me to get to, 25 miles up the road and the stadium is towards the outskirts on the southern edge of the city. But it would appear to be the most expensive ground to visit (and all seater?) as they attempt to bounce back. Anyone else following the National, North or South Divisions this season?
I am - from afar - but I always take notice of the top non-league leagues and what's happening in them. I'm going to be interested to see how Scarborough fare in Conference North this year, with them being the first former league side to be relegated that far down the pyramid for quite a while. I still believe that currently the Conference is the strongest it has ever been, considering the number of ex Football League sides now playing in it: Cambridge, Exeter, Halifax, Kidderminster, Oxford, Rushden, York, the reformed Aldershot, Scarborough in FCN, the re-formed Newport County in FCS, and so on. The quality of their play has forced the traditional non-league sides to make themselves better in order to make that push for promotion, and has increased the overall quality of the league itself as a result. If the finances and the infrastructure didn't matter, the onfield performances of these teams can easily match those in League 2, and probably some of those in the bottom half of League 1 as well. You've only got to look at where Cheltenham, Carlisle and Yeovil are nowadays to see how much potential teams in the Conference have. I think its going to be a great season!
Oxford 2-0 Halifax A couple of decisions going against us didn't help, notably not awarding a penalty for handball with the score at 1-0. Apart from a couple of moments the defence aquitted themselves well, but too much space was allowed for the second goal (although it was a good finish). And the new keeper looked confident on crosses. Going forwards is the problem, new faces here, but we struggle to create chances. Also far too many crosses go into an empty box. Looked most threatening when Quinn and Roberts came up from the back for corners. The Oxford keeper wasn't troubled. The ground itself is not typical of the Conference. Three sided, but otherwise clearly built with the Championship in mind. It must be the first all seater in this division since Gateshead got relegated, so at least that is out the way early on. But worst of all is the price, at £18 the most expensive in the Conference by some margin. Two other unimpressive things about the ground were their inability to clear some of the litter off the pitch, not even trying at half time. Secondly, when I ask for a black tea, give me one, not one with milk. At least the guy game me a refund quickly after pointing out black was impossible. Easiest ground for me to get to, so a quick drive. Indeed the way back saw it take longer to clear the car park than the rest of the way.
Halifax 1-1 Southport Couldn't go to this game, too far for an evening kick-off, although I intend to make the 450 mile round trip for the weekend fixture against Grays. A poor result, but Smeltz did manage an injury time equaliser.
Halifax 0-2 Grays Well I did make the trip (just over 460 miles), and it wasn't worth the effort. We've never lost to Grays before, but throughly deserved to this time. I've seen them playing far better attacking football, but they really didn't need to this time. A couple of defensive errors and they could just sit back and pass the ball around, only really having one other decent chance which led to a good save from Craig Mawson But the real problem is our attack. It's hopeless. Ashley Bayes in the Grays goal wasn't tested, a couple of tame shots pretty much all he had to do. Can't shoot, can't score. The team as a whole weren't up for the game. Need a good result soon, and more effort around, otherwise this will not be a season to remember for the right reasons. Two good penalty shouts turned down (both for handball, to add to another against Oxford) didn't help, but they'd have hardly been deserved. Still, you can get a good cup of tea and stand at the Shay, so we're better than Oxford in that regard.
Cambridge 1-2 Halifax At last. A much better perfomance all round from the team and a big step in the right direction. Creating plenty of chances and with slightly better finishing could have had more. Still not perfect, the strikers couldn't find the net (both central defenders scored), hoverver, they were busy. A few defnesive and goalkeeping lapses and they should never have been allowed back into the game. And you can now get a cup of tea without milk in the ground, having come up with the novel idea of tea bags. Just outside is a field, which you have to pass through to get to the away end, with plenty of cows. I don't think they were prepared for fans leaving though. Another thing about the away end is that it is rather a long way from the pitch. An incomplete rebuilding?
Bit of a sod you paying £18 at Oxford. For some reason it's an extra £2 if you pay on the day at the Kastad, not exactly great for people who decide to go on the day.
come on, you must make more of an effort with your PR speak. People aren't charged more on the day, they get a discount for booking early. Seriously though, £18 is outrageous. That'd get you a decent seat at most top division grounds in europe, and two of the world cup matches I went to in the summer only cost slightly more. I'll be in Prague on Sunday watching the reformed Bohemians Praha play, where a season ticket can be picked up for a shade over £7. With those sort of prices (conference, not Czech Div 2) you kind of wonder what sort of money the players must be on. £18 x 5000 people gives the sort of takings a (old) Div 1 match would have taken in the mid 1980s.
Nor for away fans. Most of whom are used to just turning up on the day. I did know about this prior to travelling, and didn't want to be collecting a ticket on arrival (which I was forced to for a game last season - eventually finding the right person to collect from). And many fans will not know that, checking for weather and all ticket games but that's about it. Plus no terracing either, although some clubs (including Halifax) have figured you can charge just as much to stand as to sit.
I am, though like an earlier poster, it'll be from afar. Glad to see a Halifax related thread on the boards!
Aldershot 1-0 Halifax After drawing 1-1 with a ten man Morecambe side on Monday (Torpey getting his first goal for the club), a long trip down south for the weekend. And conveniently just down the road for me. The eejits on their motorbikes near Sandhurst should of been glad I stick to the speed limits and have decent brakes, even if they did look like they couldn't give a shit. The game itself was actually quite decent, but we still have problems in creating chances. However, overall the performance was a huge improvement over what I've seen earlier and saw most of the play going Halifax's way. Both sides did miss very good chances in the first half, the solitary goal against the general run of play in the 89th minute. The ground is one of the more interesting around. A wlak through the park to get to it (the away end at least) and with three stands made of wood, concrete and corrugated iron looking as if built as and when they had a bit of cash to spare. The fourth side is open giving views out across the town itself. It was noising, but a lot of that due to the home fans having a drum.
Weymouth 1-0 Halifax We were on level terms for a total of about 90 seconds. A soft goal from a free kick. Weren't outclassed, but it wasn't until the later stages of the game before we started creating decent chances (at least one of which really should have been taken). The game did have a huge number of offsides called, most of which looked very close, with hardly an obvious one among them. Their ground appears to be in the middle of nowhere, but a decent ground for the division. Didn't like the fact they gave us an open corner of it though, rather than the covered area behind the goal. Their staff were decent and they even had stewards controlling traffic out of the ground (which makes a huge difference and something other which could be done at other clubs. Accrington in particular.
Oxford got a rather jammy 3 points Tonight away to Crawley. An 89th minute goal from Matt Day giving the U's a 1-0 win. Of course given Crawley's dubious financial position we may not keep those 3 points for long.
The groundstaff at Weymouth seemed to think you got a rather jammy point off them too. Still Oxford are looking like they've got a great chance of the title this season.
Halifax 2-2 Forest Green Coming off the back of a 3-1 win over second placed Dagenham, this result is pretty disappointing against the side with the worst playing record in the division. It isn't hard to see why, they lack any sort of attack (it's even worse than ours). 2-0 up shortly before half-time this really should have been the three points. A couple of fouls gave them the chances and they were taken. Only one other decent chance for them, in the final minute too, which would have been embarrasing. We missed plenty. Still, I know I can get up there in four hours.
I actually know a Shayman in Australia, there are a few of us here following lower and non league teams from afar. I'm a Rochdale fan, but have had an interest in Aldershot since their revival. As far as I know out here, we have fans of Dale, Darlo, Lincoln, Carlisle and York, to name a few. Has there been much of the Oxford "we're too good for this division" talk? When they came down to league 2, that's all they were saying, I suppose they were proven right weren't they?
Well Oxford are certainly going about it the right way, and maybe it's just me not looking enough, but I haven't heard any we're too good for this league stuff from them either. Stevenage 2-1 Halifax Yet another defeat, conceeding sloppy goals and not creating enough chances. It appears as though the entire team is playing below par. It's hard to single anyone out as having a complete mare, yet no-one is yet actually playing well. Haven't been thrashed by anyone, yet have one of the four worst playing records in the division. The game next week (a trip to Exeter) isn't going to be easy either. The side isn't good enough to go up (overachieved a bit last season), but really should be comfortably mid-table. A good run is needed soon. A lot easier to get to the ground this season, took over an hour to cover the last four miles then. Unfortunately they only have a seated stand for away fans, but is one of the better ones around (having been designed from the outset as such). And the cup of tea I had tasted rather strange.
Well after Tuesday's blip at Home to Southport (2-2 salvaged with a last minute penalty), Oxford got back to winning ways thumping Forest Green Rovers 5-1 away. Not that I saw it as I was in Coventry watching the Under 21's beat Germany.
Exeter 4-1 Halifax First of all this scoreline does flatter Exeter. They were the better side on the day, but two late goals on the break put some added gloss on the scoreline. We've not conceeded more than two in one game prior to this, and the performance was decent throughout, with three first choice players out, leading to an unusual midfield. We actually took the lead, Steve Torpey setting up Lewis Killeen. We could have had a goal before that, when Nick Gray (son of Eddie) coming close direct from a corner. And with Torpey taking from the other side we actually saw some decent crosses from them. Exeter equalised ten minutes later, from a hotly disputed corner. Which we forgot to defend. Ryan Sugden really should have made it 2-1 before the break, but fluffed a one on one with the keeper. Still, 1-1 was fair, and there was some entertaining football played. The second Exeter goal looked offside, with two more following on the break in the final few minutes. The third being the most interesting. Another one on one with the keeper, with a low shot being placed across the goal into the bottom corner. As far as everyone saw it went in, but squeezed through the side netting, clipping the back of the post, before heading back into play. Cue predictable reactions for a goal being scored (except for the referee). Unfortuately it was an Exeter player who realised the situation first. The linesman nearest us missed one instance of the ball going out of play (quite obviously to everyone else), it was only a couple of feet from him too, just looking in the wrong direction, but thankfully it didn't come to anything. It didn't rain, which is good for an open terrace, and the M4/M5 were clear, so a good three hour run down for me. But the park & ride bus doesn't stop outside the ground (despite having a timetable there). And St James' Park is another ground where they haven't discovered the simple concept that it is easier to add milk to a black tea than remove it from white. The chant from the Exeter fans at the end of the game sums it up nicely. "1-0 and you cocked it up."
Which makes the playing record for Halifax in the games I've seen this season thus far: P8 W1 D1 L6 F6 A15 GD-9 Pts4 And in the six I've not seen: P6 W2 D3 L1 F8 A5 GD+3 Pts9 Which pretty much mirrors last season too. I'm a bad luck charm .