We have also gathered a nice bit of credit over the last 10 or so years, playoff final although a defeat was a massive high and plus for everybody associated with the club. Every Poolie will have been as proud punch to have got into the playoffs as this meaning the season had been a lofty finish. We also had our promotions; both our last two we were so close to capturing the league title but still a huge punching above our weight achievement.
Now I live 327 miles away from The Vic and have a very young family so my forays these days are away games which are within striking distance (usually a hundred miles away max) the rest of my following is via my Pools Player which I subscribe to each year, although the new console is not great and not without its problems, but there is excellent commentary from the ever bubbly Mark Simpson. On top of this my financial outlay always borders ridiculous in my bank statements, eyes on what I spend each season on Pools. Generally me and the boys both have home and away shirts. This season me and Karen (wifey) and kids have sponsored club legend, Club captain and all round fantastic guy Ritchie Humphreys away shirt. We have had the honour on a few occasions of meeting Ritchie and he has always taken the time to have a quick chat and never grumbles at having photos taken with us. Our wall in the front room is a Poolie shrine with pictures of various players and a fantastic framed card of the players autographs. Also me and my two toddlers have two bricks on the centenary wall.
Our expenses to visit our away games has run into hundreds, so we really are south coast massive Hartlepool fans. So this leads me to give a quick insight into the modern Hartlepool side and manager choice. Our squad when you dissect it has, on paper, some fantastic players worthy on their best days of getting into a lot of peoples this era Poolie squads. For Instance we have Scott Flinders, he has emerged into a fantastic keeper for us, Jack Baldwin will surely play in the Championship, if not higher, Peter Hartley and Sam Collins both on their days tanks and solid centre backs, Ritchie Humphreys Legend, Paul Murray solid no nonsense wears his heart on his sleeve (wish he was 10 years younger) and Tony Sweeney engine and eye for goal. James Poole oozes talent and just needs a string of games to show it, Luke James is a rough diamond but is so talented it is scary, Andy Monkhouse now is a really steady workhorse and Simon Walton is going to be class for us as long as he gets a fair crack of the whip. This is to mention but a few.
So on their best days we all know these footballers can do it. We have seen this from them all. Now after a fantastic start to last season (9 unbeaten I believe) we hit an awful slump and lost countless games at home and this cost Mick Wadsworth his job. Micky Barron and Ritchie took over the ship and in my eyes did a blooming good job with Luke James bursting on the scene being a massive plus point. Our next appointment to everybody's delight including mine was all round nice guy and in some peoples eyes a near God as far as Poolie managers goes, Mr Neale Cooper. Now I have a strict no matter how much you like a guy, in football going back for second dibs at a club very rarely works, but I crossed my fingers and hoped. Cooper in all his 11 months back, for whatever reason, just could not work his magic. Who knows what went on and we can all guess and speculate but not for the want of trying things just did not work. I remember being at the Wycombe game last season and it was the most lacklustre performance I had seen from a ~Pools side, combined with the fact Wycombe were fighting for safety and also had what seemed like 654 loan players popping up everywhere, we were well and truly drubbed 5-0. My only consolation was that it was a scorching hot afternoon and they did half decent food.
After that game I remember telling Karen that I felt we were on a slippery slope and sure enough our season just petered out. This season we have only added 3 players to our squad but I felt with the players who came in we would have a pretty decent squad to really push on and have a right go at the league this season. On the downside our form this season has been nothing short of **** (well you can fill your own blanks). This led to Neale Cooper doing what we all knew was coming and he resigned. Short-term Micky Barron has been put in charge until we (swiftly) in my eyes put a new manager in the hot seat. Again we will all have our own ideas who we want at the helm. I would like to see Phil Brown come in. We have already proven for whatever reason after Saturdays game we have found a bit of our Never Say Die Spirit. We have a long way to go but I just have a feeling some fresh ideas the right starting 11 and we can get out of this mess.
You may call me stupid but believe me if we can get going in the right direction we can still salvage something from this season. So lets do what us Poolies do best, lets stick together and support the lads like we always do and lets as a collective unit get out of this mini slump and quick.
My final two things are:
1. We need to keep Noble and Wyke for the season and;
2. This is my modern era Poolie select squad.
GK Dimi
RB Micky Barron
CB Graeme Lee
CB Michael Nelson
LB Hugh Robertson
LM Ritchie Humphreys
CM Tommy Miller
CM Mark Tinkler
RM Tony Sweeney
CF Joel Porter
CF Adam Boyd
Subs: Flinders, Collins, Murray, Brown, E Williams
Just remember once a Poolie always a Poolie
Poolies are born not made
No comments:
Post a Comment