A hat-trick, some Vardy magic and a 70-yard wonder goal: FC Halifax Town’s previous opening days of the season

The Shaymen have never drawn an opening day game since reforming in 2008, and have won eight of the 13 first-day matches they have played.

Here, we take a look back at Town’s opening day games ahead of the start to their 2021-22 campaign at home to Maidenhead on Saturday.

FC Halifax Town 0-3 Bamber Bridge

August 16, 2008

Attendance: 1,549

After the heartbreak of the old Halifax Town folding, the new club, in the alien territory of the Northern Premier league Division One North, stuttered their way into existence with an underwhelming 3-0 defeat at home to Bamber Bridge.

Town would finish the season in 8th, five points off the play-offs.

Colwyn Bay 0-3 FC Halifax Town

August 15, 2009

Halifax: Hedge, Hotte (Peers 27), Codman, Payne, Crossley, Sykes, Gray (Whitehouse 79), Phelan, Baker, Marshall, Dean. Subs not used: Senior, Smith, Riley.

Attendance: 854

As opening day games go, this one could not have gone much better.

James Dean’s close range volley handed Town the lead, and his stunning half-volley doubled it four minutes before half-time.

Richard Marshall sealed the win shortly after the restart when he produced an excellent finish from a tight angle.

FC Halifax Town 2-1 Buxton

August 21, 2010

Halifax: Hedge, Hardy, Bower, Hogan, Riley, Garner (Metcalfe 61), Winter, Baker, Holland, Vardy, Gray (Taylor 69). Subs not used: Senior, Marshall, Plummer .

Attendance: 1,318

A sign of things to come saw Jamie Vardy score the winning goal as he kicked off his only full season at The Shay in the manner he would continue it.

Town led at half-time thanks to Danny Holland, who also hit the woodwork along with Harry Winter, but were pegged back after the interval by Michael Towey before Vardy’s winner.

FC Halifax Town 1-3 Corby Town

August 13, 2011

Halifax: Eastwood, Hardy, Lowe, Hogan, Haggerty, McManus, Vardy, Baker, Dean, Holland, Needham. Subs: Senior, Garner, Gray, Winter, Gregory.

Attendance 1,738

No-one saw this coming after two seasons of unbroken success. But Town were brought down to earth with a bump by two goals in the last 10 minutes.

Danny Holland had quickly cancelled out Liam Hogan’s own goal, but Jordan Smith and Sam Ives scored late on by taking advantage of some generous Halifax defending.

Bishops Stortford 1-2 FC Halifax Town

August 18, 2012

Halifax: Glennon, Toulson (Worsley 45), Needham, Hogan, Jarrett, Lowe, Worthington, Marshall, Johnson (Rainford 55), Gregory, Seddon (Qualter 84). Subs not used: Senior, St Juste.

Attendance: 622

The hosts took a 40th-minute lead through Cliff Akurang but the Shaymen were back on level terms just nine minutes after the break through Dale Johnson.

Then, just four minutes later, the home side’s Sean Francis put through his own net for what would prove to be the winner.

Cambridge United 5-1 FC Halifax Town

August 11, 2013

Halifax: Glennon, Toulson, McManus, Roberts (Briggs 54), Lowe, Smith (Ainge 12), Maynard, Pearson, Holsgrove (Morgan 25), Wilson, Gregory. Subs not used: Johnson, Gardner.

Attendance: 2,780

Lee Gregory gave Town the dreamiest of dream starts, but it quickly turned into an opening-day nightmare as two penalties and two red cards were awarded against the Shaymen before half-time.

Not surprisingly, Cambridge made their two-man advantage count as they eased to victory with two each from Adam Cunnington and Delano Sam-Yorke, and one from Ryan Donaldson.

Dover Athletic 0-1 FC Halifax Town

August 9, 2014

Halifax: Glennon, M Roberts, Bolton, Ainge, K Roberts (Smith 46), Maynard, Schofield (Peniket 79), Pearson, McManus, Boden, Dyer (Marshall 46). Subs not used: Senior, Williams.

Attendance: 1,321

Scott McManus’ excellent goal moments after the restart sealed an opening day win for Town on the south coast.

The full-back’s superb low shot from 20 yards went in off the post and was enough for the win, despite Simon Ainge getting sent-off late on.

Boreham Wood 3-1 FC Halifax Town

August 8, 2015

Halifax: Glennon, Bolton, Bencherif (c), Brown, McManus, Macdonald (Bishop 68), Hibbs (Hughes 63), James, Whitehouse, Tuton, Burrow. Subs not used: Porter, Hutchison, Walker.

Attendance: 701

Jordan Burrow marked his debut with the last kick of the first-half from the penalty spot after Ricky Shakes had opened the scoring.

But the hosts regained the lead through debutant Jamie Lucas mid-way through the second-half before Harry Crawford, also making his first appearance for the club, sealed it in added time.

Nuneaton Town 2-3 FC Halifax Town

August 6, 2016

Halifax: Drench, Moyo, Garner, Hone, Wilde, Macdonald (Hughes 62), Roberts, Hotte, Peniket, Burrow (Hibbs 80), Denton. Subs not used: Nicholson, Kosylo, Sinnott.

Attendance: 933

Tom Denton scored a hat-trick on his debut as FC Halifax Town beat Nuneaton 3-2 on the opening day of the season.

It was Billy Heath’s first game in charge of The Shaymen, and the win proved a positive omen for the season ahead, with Town sealing promotion in the play-off final.

FC Halifax Town 0-2 Aldershot Town

August 5, 2017

Halifax: Johnson, Duckworth, Garner, Brown, Wilde, Macdonald (Clarke 70), Hotte, Oliver, Kosylo, Tomlinson (Charles 64), Denton. Subs not used: Nicholson, Riley, McManus.

Attendance: 2,108

Shamir Fenelon scored for Aldershot on the hour, racing to intercept a flick-on by Scott Rendell before rounding Sam Johnson to slot into an empty net.

Aldershot doubled their lead late on when Matty Brown fouled Shaun Okojie in the box, and James Rowe converted the penalty.

Braintree 0-2 FC Halifax Town

August 4, 2018

Halifax: Johnson, Duckworth, Clarke, Brown, Sellers, Maher, Staunton, Tomlinson, Preston (King 81), Edwards (Kosylo 75), Southwell. Subs not used: Rowley, Hanson, McLeod.

Attendance: 621

Debut goals from Jonathan Edwards and Nathan Clarke handed Town a comfortable win at Braintree in a commanding performance.

Two perfect crosses from Ben Tomlinson were headed in to see Halifax off to the perfect start, and the first of three straight wins to start the season under Jamie Fullarton.

Ebbsfleet 1-4 FC Halifax Town

August 3, 2019

Halifax: Johnson, Duckworth, Clarke, Brown, Binnom-Williams, Staunton, Maher, Jeff King (Allen 65), Cameron King, Williams (Earing 69), Sho-Silva (Odelusi 75). Subs not used: Appleyard, Nolan.

Attendance: 1,091

The Pete Wild era got off to the perfect start as Town beat 10-man Ebbsfleet 4-1 in very encouraging fashion,

After Cameron King’s goal was cancelled out by John Goddard, Niall Maher and Jack Earing put the result beyond doubt before Nathan Clarke’s stunning strike from deep inside his own half capped off an unforgettable day.

FC Halifax Town 2-0 Dagenham and Redbridge

October 3, 2020

Halifax: Johnson, Byrne, Clarke, Bradbury, King, Williams, Summerfield, Woods (Green 61), Earing (Benn 90), Omotayo, Nepomuceno (Allen 61). Subs not used: Davison-Hale, Tear.

Goals in each half from Luke Summerfield and Jack Earing saw Town seal a superb victory over Dagenham and Redbridge at an empty Shay.

Fans watching on the live stream, like Dagenham’s keeper, were sent the wrong way by Summerfield’s penalty, with the camera missing the goal, before Earing’s curling finish sealed the win.