FC Halifax Town: Fans Panel end-of-season special

Andrew Mann

Player of the season - I voted for Sam Johnson. Whilst I think the two centre halves have also been excellent all season I think what Sam does is outstanding and sometimes goes under the radar, he’s undoubtedly won us a lot of points on his own this season.

High point of the season - Sadly this has to be the start of the season. Similarly to the previous season we maybe punched above our weight in August giving the fans a false hope we might make a play off push.

Low point of the season - The 0-0 draw at home to Aldershot stands out. We’ve had so many dreadful attacking performances and that one against a side comfortably in the bottom four when we badly needed a win was one of the worst.

Assessment of the season - I feel overall it’s a slight improvement on last season. The defence has been excellent and towards the end of the season when we brought in the new forward players we’ve looked a far better unit. If only some of the 20 draws were turned into wins we may have been pushing the play offs and given our excellent record against top six sides who knows what could’ve happened.

Hopes for next season - If we can keep the bulk of the defence together and add some attacking threat I really think we can push on. Duku I feel may well stay which would be great but I think Rodney, who is one of the best players I’ve seen in a Town shirt for many years, will probably be out of our price range.

Kit Walton

Player of the season - The performances and attitude of both Matty Brown and Nathan Clarke ensured we were tight at the back. Clarke gets my vote for his headers from corners earlier in the season.

High point of the season - Good results and performances against the top sides, even champions Leyton Orient. This showed that we aren't that far off having a decent side.

Low point of the season - It has to be the appalling run of two wins in 24 (I think) games. The faults were there for all to see, but we persisted with a brand of football which was never going to work, and it was dreadful to watch.

Assessment of the season overall - It was like a processed chicken sandwich. The top and bottom were fine, but the filling was tasteless. Our style of play is OK against teams coming at us, but we need a different approach when up against teams who "park the bus".

Hopes for next season - The final few games demonstrated what can be achieved with strong runners up front. The nucleus of a good side exists, but until we sign the right forwards we won't progress any further.

Adam Heslop

Player of the season - This time has to be Nathan Clarke who has been part of one of the strongest defences in the league and has performed well all season. Let’s hope the powers that be offer him enough to stay a Shayman for another year.

High point of the season - The game against Orient where we had a glimpse of what could have been if we’d have had goal scorers earlier in the campaign. We took the champions to the wire and were so close to beating them, the lads showed class and determination that could have so easily seen them higher up the table.

Low point of the season - Has to be the matches against Maidenhead where we did look like a relegation team. Some games this season we have looked like we didn’t care where we ended up and whether the fans turned up or not. Being a fan that travels to all away matches the 3-0 defeat was hard to watch when you know they can do so much better.

Assessment of the season overall - The lack of goals has really stood out this season and the fact that we are kept in the dark about the behind the scenes activity doesn’t help. Obviously the manager is going to be looking for new players but it came too late in the year. Given where we were in December our end position wasn’t bad but you can’t help thinking what could have been.

Hopes for next season - What the fans want is to know what is going on, there are several players we would love to hear have been offered deals but we know we probably won’t know anything until the week before the first pre-season game. Talking of pre-season, on a personal note, I hate the gap between the seasons so Mr Bosomworth, get some pre-season games booked for me to look forward to. Oh and the playoffs would be nice too!!

Rob Brown

Player of the season - There are three players that have really stood out for me this season, Clarke, Brown and Johnson. Sam Johnson has made some top class, match winning saves whilst both Matty Brown and Nathan Clarke have been consistently solid all season. My vote goes to Matty Brown as he’s shown his passion for the club as well as performing well.

High point of the season - It’s been a season of frustration one week and and elation the next, there’s never been a time when a top seven finish looked likely despite some unexpected wins. For me the most satisfying and enjoyable game was the win at Eastleigh. It was our first victory against the Spitfires, home or away and pretty much sealed our place in the National League for next season.

Low point of the season - The loss at Maidenhead was horrendous. The game finished 3-0 but it could easily have been 10-0 at half time without exaggeration. The second half of that game was far more even which really emphasised just how bad the opening 45 minutes were. Fullarton said after the game that his side wouldn’t play that bad again all season and he was right!

Assessment of the season overall - Overall, the team has underachieved this season and should perhaps have finished higher up the table. The defence has been a real positive but some other players have either not been as good as expected or impressed one week but not played the next. The team have shown real desire at times and there’s been some great results; in truth, the current team are a match for any club in this league so finishing similar to last year is disappointing.

Hopes for next season - With the reduction of season ticket prices there could be a really good atmosphere at the club next season with a much larger crowd each week. This is a real opportunity for fans to engage with the club and help the team reach at least the lowest play-off spot. It’s not that far away with a few good signings.