Poolie Kev: Smoke and Mirrors - Gills and D&R

By Poolie Kev
November 9 2005

Poolie Kev enjoyed his visits to Victoria Park for the wins over Gillingham and D&R, and his moment on the pitch to help promote the single (Buy it NOW!) - but also has some comments about atmosphere and the futility of the smoking ban...

Yet another double header involving twin visits to God’s Little Acre in a week!!

So the return of Neale Cooper duly came around and no little interest was expressed in the manner in which we parted company. Still no information forthcoming and we have to expect that none will be now. No matter we were going into the game on the back of two wins, one being the duck breaking home win against MK Dons and the away triumph at Port Vale as reported by your humble correspondent last week.

A quick scoot up the A1 this time which you will no doubt be relieved to know has reopened in parts after the rerouting exercise but is still closed for seven miles near Pontefract for….wait for it….landscaping…I’m glad I pay my taxes.

I have commented on the muted atmosphere at the Vic before already this season but I sensed a great deal of trepidation in the air along with no small quantity of smoke representing the total flouting of the pre-match announced tannoy statement regarding this seasons smoking ban. Now I’m an ex-smoker and as such you would think I’d be a rabid supporter of such embargo’s but I have to say banning smoking in the open air is a stupid and pointless thing to do. Yes we all know the risks involved if people choose to smoke and latest campaign about smoking killing others and the TV adverts showing the family round the telly etc etc etc. But IN THE OPEN AIR?? Is anyone telling ICI or whatever their new incarnation is?? And all that diesel belching public transport that Mr Prescott so staunchly supports?? And America who STILL haven’t signed the Kyoto Agreement. So until all that changes there doesn’t seem to be much point in stopping a few tabs sparking up. Does there??

Gillingham duly despatched and the ghost of Cooper laid to rest then. It was an encouraging performance and the ex-boss duly waved when called on to do so by the Town End. Good luck in your rebuilding job at Priestfield Stadium. Neale, I hope they buy you some bricks.

And so to Dagenham and Redbridge, apparently an amalgam of four clubs: Dagenham, And Redbridge, United perhaps?? Maybe not but what an awkward set of opponents they turned out to be and with a very vocal support.

A lot of the pre-match talk around the pubs, clubs and police cells of Hartlepool was of course of the forthcoming CD release. A few curmudgeonly ghouls were predicting a non-event and seemed to be wishing the downfall of the entire project but the good will out and a half time rendition of ‘Two Little Boys’ was duly belted out with gusto by some of the team involved and a whole host of kids who appeared from nowhere, much to the consternation of Dave Brown, Pools Award Winning Groundsman, who’d expected FOUR people apparently. Nah, mate, that’s a barbershop quartet!! WE’RE Poolie Pride!! There’s thousands of us!! Luckily none were in stilletto’s. Except Phil Dunn……..As we speak the CD is flying out with Ritchie having signed over 400 in two hours on Monday and Dimi and Adam signing more on Thursday (how long does it take to write Dimitrios Konstantopoulos 400 times?????). Get down to Asda and Music Zone and lets get this thing we started, finished at Number 1!! Strangely it could happen……… [Albatross: So that’s why Madonna’s promoting her single for all she’s worth – we’ve got her worried!]

The match was a toughy, D&R were very mobile, strong at the back and dared to score first with the now familiar chant and strange arm swinging that accompanies a shout of ‘easy, easy.’ We promptly eased up their end and smashed home the equaliser to shut the muppets up. 4-0 is easy, a shaky 1-0 away at superior opposition isn’t, as we showed. However we WERE less than convincing, but stumbling, staggering or scraping to a 2-1 still reads 2-1 in the papers next morning. Bring on the Tamworth in the fourth round and cue all those ‘Lambs To The Slaughter’ headlines that the press are waiting for!!

Brentford up next. Always difficult opposition and always seemingly in the cold weather. They did a big rebuild in the summer but still are up there and doing the 1-0 every week thing. Can we make it five on the trot??

Course we can. Beat ‘em up, Scotty!!!