HALIFAX TOWN

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MY RECORD

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PWDL
League2611510
FA Cup1100
FL Trophy1001
Total2812511

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Image courtesy of Hatters Matters

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Highlights

HIGHLIGHTED GAME

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Saturday 5th May 1990
Barclays League Division 4 (Tier 4)
Halifax Town 1 – 2 Stockport County
Att: 4,744
1 Scott Barrett 2 Malcolm Brown 3 David Logan 4 David Frain 5 Andy Thorpe 6 Steve Bullock 7 Darren Knowles (Ian McInerney) 8 Jim Gannon 9 Chris Beaumont 10 Nicky Brookman (Gary Leonard) 11 Brett Angell
Scorers: Chris Beaumont; Ian McInerney

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5th May 1990 was a gloriously sunny early summer day. The Hatters made the trip “over t’hill” knowing that a win, (and a failure of Southend to win at Peterborough), would give them an automatic promotion spot and a return to Division 3 which they had left 20 years previously. The intervening years had seen 4 successful applications for re-election in the days prior to automatic relegation and generally for most of the other seasons a lower table placing. Promotion, and success, was something that a generation of County fans had missed out on. It certainly dragged a lot of County support out the woodwork. A crowd of 4,744 gathered, and it’s a fair bet that well over 3,500 of those had made the journey. There was little in it for Halifax. They ended up next to bottom, but safety had been assured a week or so before this encounter despite Colchester picking up points. It was only 1 up and 1 down back then so the Halifax faithful had little to attract them to the game.

The encounter didn’t start off well. Neil Matthews, who within 12 months would play a fundamental role for County at the tail end of the 1990/91 season, rifled the Shaymen in front, and the gloom amongst the County fans was further deepened as news came through of a 2 goal Southend lead at half time. The play offs beckoned for the Hatters. With quarter of an hour left, and having had a blatant penalty turned down, Chris Beaumont brought County level, and within minutes sub Ian McInerney cut in from the right wing and whipped the ball past Brown in the home goal. Cue delirium, but the more level headed knew that events at London Road were crucial. With referee Hills’ final whistle a pitch invasion ensued, and news was awaited from Peterborough.

In a cruel twist of fate what would today be described as the “dissemination of fake news” some clown sent round a rumour that the Posh had levelled things 140 miles south. Promotion was celebrated, but only momentarily. The more prepared souls who had equipped themselves with a transistor put a huge, nay massive, dampener on things, as James Alexander Gordon, or whoever was fronting Sports Report that day brought grim tidings. I reflect now as mobile technology is at the forefront of society, just how much its availability back then would have saved so much suffering!

Ecstasy turned to agony as the prospects of an open topped bus parade down Wellington Road in Stockport disappeared, Confirmation that Southend had held on for the win despite conceding one, left a “slough of despond” moment, followed by the realisation that the season was not yet over, but that a two leg play off against Chesterfield was on the cards. And that didn’t end happily either…..

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Memories of trips to The Shay

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THE GAMES

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Where the date is in bold click for highlights of the game

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DateVenueGroundCompetitionFAAtt:
Mon31/01/77hEdgeley ParkFootball League Division 4 (Tier 4)D113,004
Sat25/03/78hEdgeley ParkFootball League Division 4 (Tier 4)L132,168
Fri23/03/79hEdgeley ParkFootball League Division 4 (Tier 4)L123,033
Tues22/04/80aThe ShayFootball League Division 4 (Tier 4)W311,233
Fri02/05/80hEdgeley ParkFootball League Division 4 (Tier 4)W411,979
Fri29/08/80hEdgeley ParkFootball League Division 4 (Tier 4)D112,487
Sat24/01/81aThe ShayFootball League Division 4 (Tier 4)L023,286
Fri13/11/81hEdgeley ParkFootball League Division 4 (Tier 4)W212,493
Fri02/04/82aThe ShayFootball League Division 4 (Tier 4)L142,135
Sat01/01/83hEdgeley ParkFootball League Division 4 (Tier 4)W422,871
Fri13/05/83aThe ShayFootball League Division 4 (Tier 4)L011,522
Fri11/11/83hEdgeley ParkCanon League Division 4 (Tier 4)W402,140
Fri09/03/84aThe ShayCanon League Division 4 (Tier 4)L021,261
Tues23/04/85aThe ShayCanon League Division 4 (Tier 4)L121,291
Mon06/05/85hEdgeley ParkCanon League Division 4 (Tier 4)L031,480
Mon04/11/85hEdgeley ParkCanon League Division 4 (Tier 4)W211,673
Fri04/04/86aThe ShayCanon League Division 4 (Tier 4)D001,836
Fri19/09/86aThe ShayToday League Division 4 (Tier 4)W201,071
Sat14/02/87hEdgeley ParkToday League Division 4 (Tier 4)W201,835
Fri16/10/87aThe ShayBarclays League Division 4 (Tier 4)L021,696
Fri04/03/88hEdgeley ParkBarclays League Division 4 (Tier 4)W102,171
Mon19/09/88hEdgeley ParkBarclays League Division 4 (Tier 4)D112,206
Sat04/02/89aThe ShayBarclays League Division 4 (Tier 4)D221,958
Fri03/11/89hEdgeley ParkBarclays League Division 4 (Tier 4)L015,490
Tues30/01/90aThe ShayLeyland Daf Cup (Northern Quarter-final)L131,779
Sat05/05/90aThe ShayBarclays League Division 4 (Tier 4)W214,744
Fri18/01/91
hEdgeley ParkBarclays League Division 4 (Tier 4)W514,030
Sat04/12/93hEdgeley ParkFA Cup (Round 2)W515,496

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