Tom Morgan recalls BT Sport TV appearance for FC Halifax Town

By Mark Rawlinson (Twitter: @MarkRawlinson17)
Despite Farsley AFC’s season getting underway last weekend, goalkeeper Tom Morgan was thrust into the limelight the week beforehand as he featured in FC Halifax Town’s first ever Conference game, against Cambridge United.

Not only that, but the game was also broadcast live on new sports channel BT Sport, which was their first ever game from their coverage of the Skrill Premier this season, and what a game it was.
The Shaymen had taken an early lead but were reduced to nine men with little more than 20 minutes on the clock for two ‘last man’ challenges, and eventually lost 5-1.
Morgan originally signed as cover the week before as Halifax’s second choice keeper Phil Senior was on holiday. But an early red card for starting goalkeeper Matt Glennon meant Morgan made his return in a Halifax facing a penalty, which he remarkably saved with his first touch.
Tom, picks up the story: “Pars told me about it the Monday before the game that Halifax wanted to sign me as cover on Sunday as Neil Aspin always likes to have a goalie on the bench and at first I thought it was a wind-up.
“I then got a phone call from Aspin the night after saying could I go down and train with them on the Thursday. I did and then we travelled down on the Saturday and roomed with the other keeper Matty Glennon.
“I knew some of the lads and most of the coaching team from when I played there before but some of the lads from here were giving me grief saying you’re going to play.
“We started really well and played some good football and the obviously the first man got sent off after eleven minutes but re-grouped. Then the keeper got sold a short back-pass and got sent off and it was a case of get your stuff on.
“Neil Aspin said take your time and I just thought I’m going to dive the same way he sent the first penalty and luckily it was the right way so it was two debuts for Halifax and two penalties saves for me! I did it last time when I was 19 down at Stevenage when I made my debut when I was down there originally.”



Halifax were never going to have any chance of recovering from a two-man deficit and although they were well beaten, the scoreline would have been much wider had it not been for a string of excellent saves from Morgan.
With the game being shown live on TV, Tom’s exploits were seen by a number of ex-team-mates, friends and fans and he was delighted to have been sent a number of congratulatory messages after the game.
He said: “I had some nice messages from people after the game saying well done and they couldn’t believe I was actually playing, it was a bit of a shock to some! I tried to be as professional as I could, representing Farsley and going down there in my Farsley gear.
“Neil wanted me to play again on the Tuesday at Wrexham but I sustained a thumb injury during the fourth goal and it had been really sore and I had to have a steroid injection in it to keep the pain down.
“It was a little unfortunate as I’d like to have played but sometimes you don’t want to let the team and yourself down if you’re only half fit and obviously as a keeper you need both your hands working.
“I had a chat with Aspin and the goalkeeper coach at Halifax but said being the age of 30, I don’t really want to be sat on the bench and would rather just be playing we just said if anything happens in the future, I might be able to help out as I’m on dual-registration.
“I just want to do well for Farsley really and although it was a bit of a nervous performance from us on Tuesday, it was the first three points and hopefully we’ll be able to kick-on.”
Morgan was back at Farsley in time for the season’s curtain raiser at Clitheroe and was disappointed that the three points weren’t picked up after a solid performance.
However, he was very pleased that AFC got off the mark on Tuesday with the 3-1 win against Prescot Cables and is hopeful for a successful season at Throstle Nest.
He said: “We should have got the three points last Saturday but football’s football, their keeper played well and you can’t afford to miss penalties.
“I know it’s a cliché but we’ll just have to take one game as it comes and it’s going to take us a good five or six games to get into our stride as I don’t think everyone’s firing on all cylinders at the moment.

“I’m certainly not firing on all cylinders but the spell at Halifax was a confidence boost before the start of the season because I've not played in the Conference since 2008 with Farsley. It’s been five years out of it and getting thrown in at the deep end, I was able to hold my own which was quite encouraging.”