Poolie Kev: Uriah Heap of Trouble

By Poolie Kev
November 16 2005

Fresh from the Poolie Pride Celebration Party, Poolie Kev offers his thoughts on Hartlepool United's game with Brentford. He wasn't exactly happy with the performance of a certain Referee, and offers his thoughts too on Neale Cooper.

The third of three consecutive home matches came around and Brentford provided the opposition. Obviously the buzz around the Poolies was concerning the eminent chart placing of the Poolie Pride CD and the celebration party was held on the Friday evening at the Woodcutter, now fortuitously managed by a Poolie couple of some renown. I personally had never heard the live rendition of the song being an exile and the Passion Killers treated us to a full split set, both halves containing the anthems Never Say Die 2005 and Two Little Boys. Much drink fuelled dancing and furniture waving took place into the night. And I won the raffle!!

And of course it’s history now, in every sense of the word. The Guinness Book Of British Hit Singles will forever record the entry of the Monkey Hangerz CD at number 24 in the official charts and various placings in others. Number 8 in the indie charts, number 8 in the new releases charts, number 14 in the physical chart (disc sales alone, nett of downloads) et al. Incredibly reports on Monday tell us that the CD is still selling in significant numbers.

Now I wouldn’t like to meet any of the members of the Brentford squad in a dark alley at midnight. They look more like a rugby team than a football team and they play like one too. Everyone knows it and everyone can expect it. Consequently, with them playing in black, the referee wore green, and lived up to the naivety expressed in that colour. Climbing, elbowing, kicking, spitting, shirt pulling, diving, pushing, all were ignored in the same mood of gay abandon, with which he ignored a double foul on Mark Tinkler claiming ‘advantage’ as Tinks crashed to the ground. 1-2 and the day was lost.. They’re a horrible team to play, their style is exactly reminiscent of the way their manager conducted himself during his playing days. His nickname is ‘MadDog.’ ‘Nuff said.

At least the chorus of boo’s at the end, which of late has been sadly ever present, was directed at the hapless Uriah Rennie and not the battered and bruised Hartlepool squad. My near neighbours and work colleagues at Barnsley tell me that his performance in their game against Doncaster a couple of weeks ago was equally as puzzling in the decisions made, not made, regularity with which he blew up for seemingly innocuous challenges and ignored attempted murders. I’ve mentioned the deplorable standard of refereeing before and I agree with Scotty that it’s an impossible job, the poor man can’t win, but surely the situation can’t be allowed to continue for very long?? Careers depend on such matters. Over to you The Football League. I won’t hold my breath……….

On a sad footnote, Neale Cooper is again unemployed and whilst Albatross has discussed this at length I felt the need to add my own comment on the man and the myth. That he is talented manager there can be no question, that he is great motivator is not in doubt. What he isn’t is a miracle worker and it would seem that by the Gillingham fans own admission that a miracle is what they need. They meet the bank today, with crippling debts and find themselves one of the worst sufferers from the ITV Digital debacle.

Doesn’t it make you deeply grateful for Sir Ken and IOR?? It damned well should.