Darrell Clarke joins Port Vale on loan

Left Behind?
By Albatross
September 27 2005

Hartlepool United have announced that midfielder Darrell Clarke is heading off to Port Vale on a month's loan. Is this the end of the road for Trigger at Victoria Park? It could be, as he's not even had a sniff of first team action since recovering from his knee problems of last season.

So is this "See you Later" or "Farewell"? I'm not sure, but it doesn't make me feel much better about what's going on behind the scenes, and I won't be surprised if there are other players heading out on loan - maybe as a prelude to permanent departures.

Trigger has of course not made a first team appearance for Pools for more than a year, thanks to a couple of bad knee injuries. Despite this he signed a new one year deal over the summer and was looking forward to making his way back into the first team reckoning. However, despite looking back to a good level of fitness (let's not forget he was frequently reported as being one of the fittest members of the squad) he's not even had a sniff of first team action. To an extent the emergence of Sweeney last season meant we didn't miss his goals from midfield; and with the arrival of the likes of Bullock and Llewellyn competition for his preferred attacking midfield role has grown. When however Scott made the decision for the Blackpool game of leaving out some senior players including those two new signings, Clarke wasn't even given a chance on the bench.

Darrell has often been regarded as someone with a lively personality, one of the jokers in the pack, and with a big part in the team spirit and atmosphere on the training ground and in the dressing room. Now he's heading out to Port Vale for a month at least, and unlike last season's brief spell at Stockport this time he's heading to a club that we are actively competing with.

So will we get back a fit and up for it Darrell Clarke? Will we get him back at all? Although he's not been universally popular with fans (his habit of turning onto his left foot when playing on the right being a particular aggravation), I hope he does return. His goalscoring record from midfield has been useful, he's an experienced player, and I still feel he has something to offer at Vic Park, even if that's mainly from the bench given Sweeney's occupation of the goalscoring midfield position.

More to come then? It seems the chances are high that Ben Clark will be on his way out before long, and Strachan has fallen from grace recently too. For the meantime though, take care of yourself Trigger - there are still some of us up at Pools that would like to see you back in Blue and White.