"I know I have to play an even more important role" - Town skipper Johnson on being the oldest member of the squad, Solihull and still believing

April's 4-2 defeat at Solihull wasn't the Town skipper's first taste of bitter disappointment in his eight years in total with Halifax, having also missed out in the play-offs in 2020 and 2022.

But the 31-year-old's optimism is undimmed that The Shaymen can achieve promotion into the Football League.

"Yeah, why not? I wouldn't be here if I didn't believe that," he told the Courier.

"We've got really hungry, young players who want that.

"The gaffer's really driven it into us that that's his aim.

"Football's strange, you've seen before that teams who are favourites with the biggest budgets that are expected to be at the top of the table, it doesn't happen every time.

"I think this is probably the most open the league's ever been.

"Last year, everyone knew Chesterfield were going to win the league, the year before everyone knew Wrexham or Notts County were going to win the league.

"There's probably 12 or 14 teams who think they can finish in the play-offs.

"It's about getting on runs at the right time and that's what we're hoping to do."

The Shaymen certainly did that last season, winning seven out of eight games in February and March to help seal a top seven finish, before crashing out at Solihull.

"It was really difficult to take," Johnson said, "we had the highs of Eastleigh and how good we'd been to then, four days later, the lows.

"The way it happened was really uncharacteristic, we were 3-0 down within 25, 30 minutes.

"That's the third time I've been in the play-offs and I really thought this was going to be the one, so for it to end like that was disappointing, but that's the cruelty of football unfortunately.

"It felt like all the stars were aligning. Being moved away from the stadium, everything seemed to be going against us.

"The lads were battling against everything and the character we showed to get there, it felt it was going to be our time, but it wasn't meant to be."

There was a genuine sense of belief among the squad and staff that The Shaymen's time had finally come, only to fall short once again.

"Ultimately, we weren't good enough across the board," Johnson said.

"You have time to reflect on where you might have affected different games at different points, but I couldn't have asked any more from the boys.

"We put our heart and soul into everything we did, each and every day.

"There were things that went against us, like playing away from The Shay.

"I don't think you can put it down to one specific thing, there were different points of the season where we could have got different results, we dropped points at different times.

"But it wasn't meant to be."

Johnson feels there is lots to build on for the season to come though.

"It's continuing to do good things across the board," he said.

"The gaffer's given us specific things where he wants us to be better, and we've got different personnel this season.

"But if you get higher up the table in everything you do - goals conceded, goals scored, touches in the penalty area, possession - then you're going to pick up more points.

"So it's building on that. I thought towards the end of the season, we were excellent in most of those areas.

"Some of the boys that are still here - Cookie (Jamie Cooke), Andrew (Oluwabori), Max Wright, Kane (Thompson-Sommers) - were superb towards the end of the season, so it's about building on that and being better across the board."

There have been fewer changes than usual this summer, with a handful of alterations to the squad rather than the overhaul Halifax fans have become accustomed to.

"Football's always a revolving door, I've been here long enough to know we'd lose some good players," Johnson said.

"But we've recruited well. Maybe some of the names aren't players people would be familiar with.

"The boys who finished last season well have just got to continue what they were doing."

Johnson has become a pillar of continuity and stability at the club; always there, even if things around him are changing.

And this season will see him become the oldest member of the squad too, at 31.

"It's different, it's something I'm not familiar with," he said.

"It's taken me a bit of time to get used to, it's weird not having anyone around my age, so it's felt a little unfamiliar.

"But I don't think that'll stop us, we had a young team last season, bar a couple of us.

"From what I can see, we've got some really hungry players who want to better themselves and the club.

"At the same time, I know I have to play an even more important role in being the leader to them, knowing there'll be difficult times and it won't all be plain sailing through the season.

"It's just knowing that, when the tough times come, someone like myself has to lead them in a different way.

"It's important the fans don't get on their back if there are a couple of results, which are bound to happen."

Town have lost experience over the close season with the departures of Luke Summerfield and Jordan Keane, as well as vocal presences in Jack Hunter and Jamie Stott.

"That's football, you'll get different people who'll stand up this year," Johnson said.

"Max Wright is really good in the group and is someone who can lead the boys in how he performs and through his energy.

"Adam Senior is young but has played quite a lot of games, Cookie too.

"People will have to stand up and be counted but as the season progresses, you'll see that."

And as the new season looms, Johnson will lead Halifax out against Barnet in Saturday's season-opener with that belief still there.

"It's difficult to say but the message the gaffer has given us is he wants everything to be better," he said when asked how he rates Town's chances of finally securing promotion.

"Training's going to be better, the games.

"The sky's the limit, we're aiming for the top.

"I'm not naive enough to say we're going to win the league but that's what we're aiming to do, and we'll work from there.

"We do want to be the best so why not aim for it?

"Because we're a young squad, I think it'll be important we get off to a good start to give us that bit of confidence, I think that'll be massive for us, and we'll go from there."