Hartlepool United Player Profiles - 20 to 28
By Albatross
May 15 2003
The final part of Pools Online's Hartlepool United Player Profiles sees James Sharp, Gordon Simms, Antony Sweeney, Brian Ross, Matty Robson, Marcus Richardson, Colin McKenzie and Steven Istead under the beady eye of Albatross.
After a great first season at the club, Sharpie has faded and the club have announced that he will not be getting a new contract this summer.. Formerly a trainee at his home-town club of Reading, he was released and after a brief spell in the States came back and played for a number of non-league clubs. He'd pretty much given up hope of playing pro football again, but an exceptional season at Andover persuaded him to give it a go, and he arrived at Pools on non-contract terms thanks to the link between Chris Turner and Mark McGhee at the start of 2000/1. He found himself immediately plunged into action against Lincoln in the opening game of the season, with Lee and Barron both injured and Strodder suspended. Virtually no Pools fans knew who he was when the team was announced!
Still struggling for fitness after joining up so late in pre-season, he had a torrid time and was unsurprisingly criticised by a number of people. After some time out of the limelight reaching match fitness he returned to the side and made such an impact over the rest of that season that he swept the board at the club's Player of the Year awards. As well as being a commanding presence at the back, his long throw was a potent weapon and he even scored a couple of vital goals that saw Pools securing away wins at Cheltenham and Kidderminster. A Monkey Bizz poster of him as Maximus from Gladiator proved popular and secured him a place in Poolie Folklore. No-one was surprised when he signed up for a further two seasons.
Since then, it's all gone downhill though. A combination of the return to fitness of Lee, the switch to 4-4-2 and a loss of form meant that Sharp missed out; and after the suspension for a sending off at Macclesfield in late October kicked in, Sharp failed to make another appearance for the first team. This season his sole outing has been the LDV at Tranmere, and a couple of occasions as an unused sub.
One of Chris Turner's youth teamers from Wolves, Centre-back Simms signed for Pools in March 2001 and almost immediately celebrated by being called up to represent Northern Ireland at u21 level. However, his first start for Pools didn't come until September 2001, when he replaced Spike. In the previous game, Lee had been injured and Simms had come on as an early sub. He started a few games then, but the move to 4-4-2 meant more players after fewer positions and he didn't appear at all after December. This season, he has made just two appearances - one as a late sub against Lincoln at the Vic, and one start in the LDV at Tranmere. Pools have recently announced that Simms will not be kept on at the club when his contract expires in the summer.
A product of the Youth Team, Sweeney made his debut in the Pools midfield as a sub against York last season. He started the first game of this season at Carlisle, and also played against Torquay. Regularly on the bench, he was highly rated by Chris Turner and was awarded a professional contract last season. Took part in the FA Youth Cup tie at Old Trafford last season, and was regarded as one of the stars of that year's Youth Team.
Ross came through the Youth Ranks to earn a professional contract at the end of 2000/1, but then missed most of the following season after being injured during an ill-fated loan spell at Norwegian side Fana. Never making th first team, he spent the latter part of 2002/3 on loan to Bishop Auckland, and the club recently announced that he will not be offered a new contract.
Robson is a promising prospect on the left side, and although still only 18 is a regular for the reserves. He started the LDV game at Tranmere and has been an unused sub for the first team this season; and has caught the eye with some spectacular goals for the reserves.
Marcus Richardson Squad No: 26
A late starter in the pro game, Richardson was 23 by the time he was signed by Cambridge late in the 2000/1 season. He didn't last long there, and after impressing in a loan spell was signed by Torquay in October 2001 on a 12 month deal. He scored eight goals for the Gulls - including their goal in our draw there earlier this season - but turned down a new deal at Plainmoor to sign for Pools in October this year on a deal that will last until the end of 2003/4.
After a couple of sub appearances, he marked his first start against Wrexham with a goal and was a regular member of the side until recently. Tall but not necessarily great in the air, Torquay fans described him as being like "Bambi on Ice". He's a bit erratic, but capable of bamboozling defences as they often don't seem to know what he's going to do - sometimes it looks like neither does he! That hasn't stopped him scoring six goals for Pools since joining, to give him a total of eight this season.
A product of the Youth Development scheme, McKenzie was one of the players on duty against Man Utd in the Youth Cup last season - and had the pleasure of scoring the equalising goal to send that game into extra time. He won last season's award for Youth Team player of the Season - ahead of fellow midfielder Antony Sweeney, who'd already signed professional terms. He made his first team debut as Pools fielded a reserve side against Tranmere in the LDV Trophy earlier this season, but has failed to make a breakthrough; he's one of four final year scholars that Pools recently announced they wouldn't be offering contracts to and will be on his way in the summer.Istead arrived at Pools last summer after being on Newcastle's books as a Schoolboy. Before long, his electric pace down the right saw him in reserve team action and then first team action. He's yet to make his full debut, but has appeared as a sub several times. He almost made a name for himself on his debut against Bristol Rovers, where with almost his first touch he went past one defender before crossing the ball and hitting the post. Both Turner and Newell have resisted the temptation to start with him, and he has faded from the frst team picture recently. Definately one to keep an eye on.
He has already written himself into Pools' history though: he is the youngest player ever to appear for the first team, breaking the record long held by John McGovern.