It's Full Steam Ahead For Jamie Despite Recent Set-Backs

The FC Halifax Town manager is gearing up for the live tea time BT Sport match with Chesterfield on Saturday.

He already knows what you’re thinking. Yes, these two teams are out of form. Very out of form in fact.

His Shaymen haven’t won a match since they beat Gateshead on August 27.

They’re on fire compared to Martin Allen’s Spireites. Chesterfield are winless since the third game of the season, a narrow success against bottom club Braintree.

The Scot isn’t overwhelmed by stats. He laughed off the question about those having a little punt putting this one down as a dead cert draw.

“It’s a boomerang,” he said. “You chuck it at me and I’ll throw it right back at you!

“I think from our point of view the winless run is a bit of spin. We know we haven’t got those three points since August, but it’s laced with circumstance.

“Who have we played in that period? What has their form been like? It’s about realism and balance. Stats don’t lie but they also don’t always tell the whole story.

“We’ve played only two games against teams below us in the table. Don’t forget, our season is 46 games. I always use the word ‘balance’ a lot and it’s so important to keep a bigger view.

“Your main goal in this game is to be better than the year before. Are we better than last season? You bet we are. So far it's progress, and a bump in the road won't change that."

Two teams who can’t buy a win at the moment maybe, but the former Crystal Palace and Brentford player thinks it could be a cracker in front of the cameras.

“We could have a good game on our hands I think,” he told us. “Our pitch is in great nick and you sense you’ve got two teams who are looking for that magical moment to get them up and running again.

“Martin is a top manager, and we’re really looking forward to coming up against his side. Chesterfield are a big club, you relish these types of situations.

"They’ll bring a fair few fans across, our supporters will be up for it and it’s on the TV. I can’t wait for it.”

Halifax took big steps over the summer, but Fullarton wants to clear something up.

“We went full-time, but it’s a hybrid version of full-time,” said the tactical thinker. “It’s not quite full-time, we couldn’t move automatically.

“We do three mornings with the players and it’s great to have more time with them. It’s a transition into moving into full-time football. It’s new for FC Halifax and it’s exciting.

“The club is going in the right direction. We’re all looking at the bigger picture, not just the last few weeks.”