Took this epic nine years ago today at Kings Cross. Quite a photo like. Appears normal for a few hundred Hartlepool Smurfs to be on escalator in London judging by the look of those on the right 👀
The back page of Tuesday's Northern Echo. Not a nice page to draw up, but hope it pays tribute to a Hartlepool United hero.
Rest in peace Neale Cooper. Hartlepool is heartbroken tonight.
Well deserved recognition for Jeff Stelling, the best ambassador Hartlepool has ever had. His work for prostate cancer has been inspiring for so many. The best broadcaster in the business and an all round top bloke 🏅
The club have donated to the fundraising appeal of
@Official_HUFC
manager Graeme Lee’s wife Gemma, who is looking to raise £60,000 to fund her next 12 months of treatment for a life-threatening brain tumour ❤️💙
#CPFC
Away in Santorini… talking footy with waiter in the hotel. Chelsea fan he reckons. Told him he wouldn’t have heard of my team … “Yes I know of Hartlepool United you had a Greek goalkeeper who played for the national team” 🇬🇷🙌🏼
New year, new position. After almost 22 years as sports editor, I’m about to start on a whole new chapter of the Great Daily Of The North. Hope you will enjoy what’s to come ....
I understand a substantial bid has been made by a consortium to takeover Hartlepool United.
They are awaiting a response to their attractive offer from the current owner Raj Singh and have firm plans to strongly invest in the club and team.
Good words from Blackpool boss Neil Critchley on Pools: They have a good home record and they're hard to beat on their home pitch. Fair play to them, good luck. I hope they get a really good draw in the next round now, this is their day.
Pools have just pocketed another £50,000 for tonight’s win in the Papa John’s Trophy quarter final. That means they have earned £150,000 from reaching the semi final of the competition. Nice boost to the January transfer fund. 💰💰💰
That’s 9 unbeaten for Pools - 4 wins from 5 and 6 points shy of the play offs. Away form turned around under the new management. A far more rounded team right now with a real presence up front. Never Say Die.
Pools can’t defend, don’t look like they are going to score, aren’t fit, have little shape or organisation and play like strangers every week.
Hartley is the cause of the problems, time for him to go before it’s too late.
Sad to say that Friday was my final day - after 27 years - with The Northern Echo. Been on furlough / notice for three months so been absent a while (if you had missed me that is!) I’ve enjoyed every day and been proud to be Sports Editor for so long /1
Hartlepool United Football Club (managerless)
🔵 Lose at home in the FA Cup to a lower division team
🔵 Lose at home in the FA Trophy to a lower division team
🔵 16th in the National League
Many thanks to Lee Rust and Raj Singh for their efforts 👌🏼
Exeter boss Matt Taylor: It's been a bruising 120 minutes for us. Two teams going at it all game, all night, and sometimes you have to hold your hands up and say Hartlepool deserved it.
End of an era for The Northern Echo and journalism in the North East as Mike Amos pens his final column after 55 years with The Great Daily Of The North.
A privilege to be laying out his final words for tomorrow’s paper.
So tomorrow you can go to the multiscreen Vue to watch the Premier League games in an enclosed space, but 200 yards away you can’t be outside in the open air watching Pools take on Aldershot. Ridiculous isn’t the word.
There's a LOT gone on. And when it's all pulled together then it's surreal what's actually happened. I look forward to hearing your thoughts (and criticism!) Here's to a new start. Never Say Die.
So today, last away game of the season and wonder what Pools fancy dress would be? It’s never a bad time to post my Poolie Smurfs photo from Kings Cross on the way to Charlton in 2012 😃
So Pools are six points from safety with six to play for and a goal difference of minus six over Crawley. Team never turned up, offered nothing, pretty much like they have done since August. An appalling mess of a club. We can all thank Raj Singh for that.
Pools supporters fancy dress day is back with the Blues Brothers going to Dorking - still won’t top this one I took at Kings Cross Underground Station 😃
Exeter players there on camera at the final whistle look devastated. Can’t work out why, I mean what’s wrong with them playing at Hartlepool on a mid December night ?
#neversaydie
Cracking performance and win for Pools. Change of system against a team who try and keep the ball paid off. Manager had done his homework and more. 4 away wins from 5 - not bad for a team that lost and lost again away from home before Spike’s appointment
Tremendous win for Pools that. The ups and downs of last week and this. Sterry’s return cannot be underestimated - faultless performance and improves the team no end. Oh and two goals from corners - and out of the bottom two.
You don’t get many players hitting that landmark all career never mind for one club. Only 6 players have appeared more for the mighty blue and white. Top professional and a good bloke all round.
Big win for Pools today on the back of Tuesday - and 3 unbeaten away from home considering how poor the away form has been says a lot about Lee and Nelson and their defensive nous 👊🏼
This is why football clubs should not be allowed to die. Pools' history might not be golden or lavish, but this what it's all about. It's a proud North-East institution.
Never Say Die.
Pools have conceded 17 goals in 7 games this season. Teams who start the season so badly don’t suddenly turn it around. It’s a sign of a desperately bad team and a poor manager.
Don’t forget though that the squad is “a million times ahead of where we were this time last year”
Seven points above the drop zone, 11 points from 15, three wins in a row, three goals in two games for Woods. Home to bottom-placed Guiseley on Monday.
Happy Easter .......
Something really smart happening at The Vic right now. Just 1 defeat and 3 draws in 19. About time it was a horrible place for the opposition who had it too easy for too long here. Great game today, and turned it around, and dug in, after a tough first half
Pools 12th on 47 points - would have taken that with a game to go never mind already. Slack opening today, then clicked into gear and controlled it with 2 quality goals. It’s 3 away wins from 4, compare that to previous away form: a much more effective side under Lee and Nelson
“He wasn't willing to back himself and has decided his future lies elsewhere.
Everyone has decisions to make that suit themselves”
Challinor on Rhys Oates, 8 July 2021
Jeff stelling at his Pools best to start Soccer Saturday: it’s been a good week for the big guns… Mo Salah, Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane, Kevin De Bruyne, Marcus Rashford and Mark Cullen 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Keith Curle fact of the day: he was sacked as Notts County boss at Victoria Park straight after losing 2-1 in Feb 2013 …. The day when Hartlepool’s goals were scored by Hartley and Poole
Timi Odusina rightly named man of the match tonight. Last few games he has been very impressive and against Charlton he gave nothing away - quick and aggressive. Playing under 2 great Pools centre halves appears to be doing him good 👍🏼
Six routine and easy points for Oldham in a few days. Club is dying on its feet on and off the pitch. Disgusting how Hartlepool United has been run over the last 18 months. People making the decisions should be hanging their heads in shame. But it’s not their fault is it …..
Some show second half especially from Pools today. Had a great go second half but soft start so costly. Superb turnout and atmosphere, as some Palace fan said “They a proper club none of this plastic wannabes”.
FA Cup head to head: Pools 2 Palace 1 👍🏼
Hartlepool United Football Club. Now nothing but a complete basket case. 108 years of history and honest graft ripped up in a few short disastrous years.
Never Say Die.
Must be absolutely baltic in Hull tonight because Boro’s Djed Spence is wearing a pair of gloves. Gloves in July.... should be an automatic six game ban and a free transfer to Billingham Synthonia
Confirmation that anyone who claims to like Oasis and says Wonderwall is their favourite song is banned from buying tickets for the reunion
#oasisreunion
Pools League 2 away form 🤓
L L L D L L W L 4pts / 24. F5 A15 (Challinor)
L L 0/6 F1 A5 (Sweeney)
L L D D W W L W W 14/27 F8 A12 (Lee)
Some turnaround that under the new management team 📈
Three wins a row for Pools - last time was Feb 2022. Not over convincing at the back at times but workrate and effort was immense from 1-11. Mancini applauded off by the Southend fans, he plays with a buzz and a graceful touch that players at this level don’t normally possess.
The North East stays in tier 3. So you can’t go to the match and watch football outside, but you can still go and queue to get into rammed Primark for that Christmas onesie you have always wanted 🥺
End of an era at Pools as Gary Liddle leaves. Don’t get many professionals like him - proper footballer and his performances at the back in the NL (play off final especially) got Pools up. Could still easily play in L2 and leaves as a true Pools great.