Halifax boss calls play-off timing ‘ridiculous’

FC Halifax Town manager Chris Millington has expressed that his team are “victims” of the confusion surrounding the National League play-offs as they gear up to face Solihull Moors on Wednesday.

The Shaymen were initially set to travel to Altrincham for their eliminator, but a decision announced on Sunday to exclude Gateshead from the play-offs caused a change in plans.

Gateshead, who finished sixth, were barred from the play-offs for failing to meet the English Football League’s entry criteria.

As a result of the reshuffle, Altrincham received a bye to the semi-finals, and Halifax had to quickly arrange a trip to the West Midlands.

Millington stated that while Gateshead deserves the most sympathy, the confusion has also negatively impacted his team.

“I don’t really know how it’s unfolded,” he told BBC Radio Leeds. “We’ve been observing the situation along with everyone else. It’s something completely out of our control.”

He continued: “Once the situation with Gateshead surfaced, we knew we would be affected as well, because our plans and preparations tend to get undermined.

“We sympathize with Gateshead. It’s harsh that a team that has played so well this season doesn’t get the chance to compete for the final prize.”

When asked about the timing of the decision, Millington said: “It’s ridiculous. I always try to be cautious because I’m not privy to the discussions and problems the league and other parties are dealing with.

“I don’t know how much work went on behind the scenes to resolve this earlier, but it certainly seems like it was left too late and possibly mismanaged. However, that doesn’t change what we’ve got to do.

“If we were playing Altrincham, we would have gone there confident of getting the job done and moving on to the next round, and it’s the same with Solihull.”

The phoenix club, formed after Halifax Town’s demise in 2008, previously lost in the play-offs in 2020 and 2022. They secured seventh place with a win at Eastleigh on Saturday, capping off a hectic end to the regular season that saw them play four games in the final week, with three “home” matches switched to Accrington and Chesterfield due to postponements.