One simple Task....... please, no more play off's

By Simian
May 11 2002

This time please NO PLAY-OFFS !!! my heart can't take another semi-final defeat. It can't take a semi final win come to that! Let's get there automatically. Preferably with the championship trophy.

Now that we are almost over the heartbreak of Cheltenham. It's time to look forward. Firstly we have the World Cup to distract out attention. Personally I would prefer promotion for Hartlepool that the World Cup for England but hey, what about both!

Next season we start with a settled team after all the time our 6 or 7 new players took to gel essentially cost us automatic promotion last season. we start with a confident team who are comfortable with the two formations. 4-4-2 and 5-3-2. (home and away)

Super Gord has re-signed, Arno has been retained and we have dispensed with the services of Tony Lormor and Martin Hollund. Let's face it, Tony Lormor, good pro that he was is long past his best. Good luck in whatever he choses to do next. I understand a referreeing career is on the cards.

Looking at the competition for the championship and the automatics spots; Apart from Pools, Hull City, Rochdale and R&D spring to mind, perhaps Bristol Rovers and Bournemouth and maybe even Oxford or Wrexham. But wherever you look it's hard to find a better team that Hartlepool United. Admittedly we do tend to struggle in the first part of the season but I believe that Chris Turner will ensure that there isn't a repeat of that syndrome. Should we get out of the blocks as I expect we can perform al a Plymouth/Luton.

I am completely confident of automatic promotion this time. But there again I'm a supporter of a third division football club so blind optimism is an essential quality.