Hartlepool United swoop for Nelson

By Albatross
June 26 2003

Hartlepool United have signed Bury Defender Michael Nelson - just hours after the appointment of new manager Neale Cooper. He's a player that Pools have apparently been trailing for some time, and a fee reputed to be in the region of £70,000 has changed hands.

Nelson hasn't been in League Football for long, but he's made a big impression. The Gateshead-born defender had been playing for Bishop Auckland and working as a Window Fitter before being offered a trial at Bury; after a week of training with the club he was offered a permanent deal. He made his debut for the club shortly after, and scored on his first appearance in a 1-1 draw with Wycombe in the penultimate game of the 2000/1 season.

He made 30 league appearances in 2001/2, before adding another 39 last season. Only just past his 21st birthday, he has nevertheless been their Captain, and some would argue their best player - he was given their Player of the Year award.

To say the fans are sad to see him go is something of an understatement. He was voted their most impressive player, with the rest trailing in his wake, and in a recent vote on the Y3K site on finance options, the most popular move amongst fans was to offer Nelson an extended contract.

He's rated by many of them as a better player than Paul Butler and Chris Lucketti, both of whom moved on for big money, and as well as being top notch in the air is reckoned to be pretty decent on the ground.

There's little doubt that this is exactly the sort of signing we've been looking for. Nelson sounds like he's more than good enough to fill Graeme Lee's shoes, and the fact that we've been prepared to pay a fee to get the right player speaks volumes.

Did Neale Cooper make this decision? Who knows. But no matter who was behind it, this has the potential to be a great signing; and hopefully there will be a few more to follow. Our chances of having a decent season have already dramatically improved.