During the summer, FC Halifax Town were at the epicentre of contract uncertainties which casted negativity and additional fan pressure on the club – but did they strike gold with one signing in particular?
After narrowly missing out on the play-off places, manager Adam Lakeland left for National League North side Morecambe, whilst several key players were caught up in a contract dispute over the late triggering of several one-year options.
Players including Jay Turner-Cooke and Will Harris were amongst those that were caught up in the issues, before both departing for Shrewsbury Town and Hartlepool United respectively.
Halifax were forced to respond with utilising the free agent market, rather than using fees that they could have gained from player sales – with one addition in particular already catching attention.
Halifax’s unsung summer hero
Over the last few years, Halifax have constantly been in and amongst the play-off places and have experienced triumph in the FA Trophy – with a large part of that being down to their recruitment.
Due to budgets and a negative habit of losing key players on free transfers, the Shaymen have been forced into focussing their efforts on signing players that are injury-prone, low in confidence or have a point to prove – rather than making moves for players that are already well-known.
The 2026/27 shining example so far is winger Ben Tollitt, who arrived on a free transfer from Morecambe, following a challenging two-year period with relegations and periods of playing without payment.
Tollitt has made 20 appearances across all competitions for John McGrath’s side so far this season, scoring eight goals and providing an additional six assists – with his league goals alone helping to contribute to 12 points.
During his career, Tollitt has played in the EFL and National League with the likes of Macclesfield and Oldham Athletic – but being a regular goal contributor wasn’t something he was well-known for.
However, McGrath has played to his strengths, gave him regular minutes and the results are already becoming apparent.
The 31-year-old recently addressed his form in an interview via the Halifax Courier, where he stated…
‘I am genuinely loving my time here, I’m enjoying it and my performances and my numbers are reflective of that, so it’s nice to have landed here eventually.
‘I’m made up, I did a lot of work in the summer. I’m not just saying it as just a nice thing to say, but it’s playing in the team I’m playing in. The staff have been brilliant so far with me. Forward players sometimes need an arm round them, a bit of a confidence boost.
‘They’ve just told me from the beginning ‘we know what you’re good at, keep doing what you’re good at’.’
Can Tollitt help to inspire another play-off campaign?
Currently, Halifax Town find themselves 10th in the National League, just four points shy of the play-off places and despite back-to-back cup defeats – the Shaymen have lost just one of their last six league games.
Since their return to the division in 2017, six of their nine final standings have been inside the top-ten of the division, with four of those being inside the play-off places.
Harris earned a lot of plaudits for his performances for Halifax last season, but he managed just six goal contributions in his first 20 matches, something that Tollitt has more than doubled.
With McGrath’s side also possessing several young talents such as Conor Carty and Connor Douglas, the 31-year-old’s experience and current form is likely to be acting as a significant boost both on and off the pitch, which is helping Halifax even further.
If he maintains his current form, Tollitt will end the season with just under 30 goal contributions, something that is likely to play a significant role in whether they can reach the play-off places once again.
Within three months, the winger has already gone from a free agent to one of the division’s most in-form players – but just how high could his ceiling be this season?
