Michael Proctor joins Hartlepool United

By Albatross
July 11 2005

There will be another new face joining Pools on their tour of Holland: Rotherham's former Sunderland forward Michael Proctor has moved to Victoria Park to join Hartlepool United. We won't be lacking in strikers next season anyway!

Proctor and Scott overlapped a little at Sunderland, with the Pools Boss in his final season just as Proctor had signed a senior deal. He actually made his debut in a League Cup win at Everton, coming on as a sub for Michael Bridges, with Scott also playing back in 1998/9.

Initially he struggled to get into the first team at the Stadium of Light, and found himself farmed out on loan to a series of clubs. A spell at Halifax towards the end of 2000/1 saw him make his League debut, and score his first senior goal. Another couple followed.

The following season saw him out at York, and he netted 14 times to be their top scorer in a side that also included Lee Bullock. Another loan spell - this time at Bradford - later, and he made his way into the first team at Sunderland. That was their horror season of relegation from the Premiership, and he helped provide one of a very few bright spots with a late winner against Liverpool. Sadly for him he was also involved in one of the more farcical games as well, contributing two of the three own goals as Sunderland shot themselves in the foot in the grand manner against Charlton. At this point Howard Wilkinson had tried playing him in midfield.

The following season would be his last at his home-town club. A poor performance alongside Kevin Kyle on the opening day saw him rapidly fall out of favour with Mick McCarthy, and he was never really allowed to redeem himself before being swapped for Rotherham's Darren Byfield. It was a sad end for a player that was liked by the fans, some of whom felt he didn't really get a fair crack of the whip.

A double on his debut for the Millers was turned into six goals by season's end - but last season was one to forget. The Millers were relegated by a mile - they were more than 20 points from safety by the end of the season - and Proctor struggled, scoring just twice and being farmed out on loan to Swindon where he scored on his debut and netted another in his four game spell.

One of Proctor's main problems last season seems to have been confidence - but a good performance in the last game against Leeds, operating as a lone striker, won considerable praise from Mick Harford and he seemed to be saying that Proctor would be staying. However it's probable that he was one of the higher earners at the club and with money tight at Millmoor he's joined the exodus of players leaving them this summer.

So Pools have another striker to add to our collection. Competition for places is now fierce - Boyd, Porter, Williams, Daly, Llewellyn and now Proctor, Appleby having just signed a pro contract, and the likes of David Foley and James Brown looking like promising prospects as well. Is Scotty planning to rotate them? Will they be asked to play in different positions, such as on the flanks? However he's intending to do it, one thing we are now definately not short of is firepower.