2003/4 Review: Pre-season shenanigans

By Albatross
May 28 2004

Pools Online looks back at season 2003/4, starting of with what turned out to be one of the most eventful pre-seasons in Hartlepool United's history.

This time last year, Pools fans everywhere were a couple of weeks into the traditional quiet period: season finished, retained list out, and things likely to be uneventful for a few weeks until the pre-season started and we prepared for our first season for a decade in Division 2, under Mike Newell. No playoffs to worry about, a disappointing end to the season, but hey, we'd won promotion. Then, on Friday 30th May, came the bombshell: "Hartlepool United have decided not to renew the contract of Mike Newell" read the text message, and the scene was set for one of the most eventful close seasons in the history of the club.

Speculation was rife: was it matters on the field? Off the field? Both? The Statement on the Official Site could best be described as "terse": the only clues to what actually happened have come from Newell's own mutterings to the press about a strained relationship with Hodcroft and the board, and an implication that he wasn't being allowed to work the way he wanted to. Whatever the reason, it was a case of "The King is Dead: who's going to be the new one?"

All through June the application process carried on, and with it the speculation. Tommy Coyne and Rob McKinnon, Gordon Watson, Nigel Clough, Chris Waddle, Eddie Gray, Tony Mowbray, Brian Little, David Hodgson.... it seemed that about the only person not mentioned was the one that got the job! Meanwhile, Newell ended up as Luton manager thanks to some John Gurney-inspired "Manager Idol" lunacy, before the announcement was finally made on June 26th that Pools had a new boss and Neale Cooper was revealed, with Martin Scott stepping up to become his assistant.

Meanwhile, the Pundits weren't giving Pools much chance of avoiding the drop. Most tipsters said we'd struggle, most notably Chris Kamara - you can read the infamous verdict by Kamara on Hartlepool here. This would, it turned out, be playing into our hands - the predictions went on the dressing room wall and were used to motivate the team all season.

With time running out before the start of the season, new signings were vital - and within hours, Pools were unveiling Michael Nelson. Soon after players were arriving on trial, some to stay and others to vanish into the mists of time. Paul Robinson was one who impressed and won a contract; Richard Hope didn't. Cooper then managed to pull off a real coup by signing Marco Gabbiadini from under the noses of Darlington - and although reaction was mixed, few doubted that he'd score goals given the chance. Meanwhile Matt O'Halloran chalked up one of the shortest trials on record - after starting against Berwick, he had a bust up with Cooper and was pulled off straight away!

There were triallists galore, and the Hartlepool Mail added to the fun by claiming we were taking three players from Heerenveen - who we had played on our Dutch trip - on trial. Mark Rasmussen and Pedro Dimas didn't quite fit the bill though, being neither Dutch nor worthy of a contract! High profile games against Sheffield Wednesday and Newcastle proved little - with Pools due to play Chris Turner's new team early in the season, neither side was at full strength, while Newcastle's star-studded lineup wiped the floor with Pools a week later. There was still little to say how we'd perform once the season started.

As the first game approached, a couple of the triallists earned themselves deals. Andrew Jordan joined, and so did Gavin Strachan: and with Peterborough away to look forward to, Pools were about to be off and running.