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From Wembley to history-maker: National League star hits rare milestone
Finding committed players in the current football climate is like gold dust, but National League outfit Halifax Town possess a player who is here for the long haul.
Following in the footsteps of Totti, Ryan Giggs, and Paolo Maldini, The Shaymen’s goalkeeper Sam Johnson has remarkably entered his 10th year with the club, having initially joined on loan from Port Vale in 2015.
This weekend, the 32-year-old will stand between the sticks at Meadow Park as Boreham Wood host Halifax Town in the National League. The match will be broadcast live on DAZN as one of the fifth tier’s longest-serving players continues his legacy.
How a red card allowed Sam Johnson to secure Halifax Town spot
Given how short contracts can be in the Non-League, it is quite astonishing how Johnson has remained at the club for so long, but it has been a winding path.
“It’s strange. It’s flown by,” the goalkeeper reflected to the Halifax Courier on November 26.
“It’s not something I ever thought about when I first joined on loan all those years ago. But it’s a third of my life, pretty much all my football career.
“All the highest highs I’ve had with this club, and the lowest of lows. I’ve been from Carlisle to Truro, gone from part-time to full-time.”
Having risen through the youth ranks at Port Vale, the shot-stopper was sent out on loan to Stafford and Alfreton before joining the West Yorkshire outfit for the majority of the 2015-16 campaign.
As so often happens in football, Johnson’s opportunity came at the expense of a teammate after Russell Griffiths was given a red card in the previous game.
“If that had never happened, this might never have.”
From National League relegation to Wembley triumph
Despite securing regular playing time, it was a bittersweet debut season for the goalkeeper, with Halifax suffering relegation to the National League North before lifting the FA Trophy at Wembley Stadium after a 1-0 win over Grimsby Town.
“I didn’t really know too much about the FA Trophy to be fair, but as the campaign went on, I was like ‘oh right, we could be playing at Wembley!’ so it finished on a great high.”
However, Johnson waved goodbye to Halifax the following summer before joining Gateshead on a short-term loan. While many thought that was it, he returned to The Shay Stadium on loan on New Year’s Eve in 2016.
One summer later, the Staffordshire-born man secured a free transfer to Halifax, where he has remained since.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign, Halfiax's number one led his club to yet another FA Trophy triumph, this time overcoming his former club Gateshead by the same scoreline.
The Shaymen’s club captain now has over 400 club appearances to his name as well as over 400 in the National League.
Johnson eyes promotion to League Two
While many might assume that Johnson is nearing the end of his career, at 32 years of age, he still has plenty of time to achieve his ultimate goal of promotion to League Two.
“Obviously, promotion is the one that’s left on my resume, and I still believe that can be achieved.
“I’ve had four play-off campaigns in the National League, so we haven’t been too far away.”
With Halifax sitting in 10th position, they have work to do to reach the EFL this term, but given Johnson’s age, he has plenty of time to achieve his dreams with the club he adores.
How to watch The National League exclusively on DAZN
You can watch the whole of the 2025-26 season with a National League TV DAZN subscription at a special offer price of £79.99!
Every game in the National League, and selected matches in National League North and National League South, is available on DAZN, either live and/or on-demand*. That's over 600 games all in one place.
NLTV on DAZN is available on any device, including Smart TVs, mobile devices, tablets, streaming devices, games consoles, and, for viewers in the UK, your Sky box.
If you do not have the App already then just follow these instructions....
- Download the free DAZN App from your normal App store on your TV, phone, tablet, or streaming device
- On a laptop or PC, visit www.DAZN.com/home
- Select 'Get started' or 'log in'
- Enter your email address, or sign up via the Apple, Google or Facebook options
- You then have access to all of DAZN's free content, including the Matchroom boxing channel, LIV Golf and FIFA+
- Then find the National League page and click 'buy now'
For more information and to sign up, head here now.
*3pm Saturday kick-offs subject to TV blackout restrictions, but available to watch later on Saturday on-demand
