First of all POK.....how can you make big comments on how bad of a decision this is if you never see the games (main reason people have asked to sack him is due to the confusing tactics and subs he deploys)

right people going on about how he has done really well with a limited budget.....limited budget my a$$

cooper got us to the playoffs twice in a row (albeit with a worse league) with a much lower budget than wilson

you could argue he has had one of the best budgets.....remember he spent 70k on collins....reported 75k on barker (which barker then said in the mail his fee was higher than reported (100k))

thats over 150k he has spent on this squad in 2 and a half seasons....how much did cooper get to spend????

im glad because personally he made many decisions....breaking up a successful centre back pairing when we were promoted..breaking up an exciting forward line in brown and porter and signing a uninspiring centre forward....playing midfielders in defence n vice versa....never sticking to same team and seemingly having vendettas against certain players (monkhouse)

As for someone taking over it will either be an unknown or Turner

no offence mate, but unless you know that for a fact and can give us figures, then you are basing the majority of your argument on a made up figure.

Some good points there.

To spent money on 2 players, both over 30, and both at this level, decent amounts of money, is tragic and just stupid, any money pools spend should be at investment.

You could understand spending on liddle, or on jones, or someone who was about 23/24, masses of potential. (I know they we're free transfers just using them as examples)

the underuse of the youth system has to be a worry - why have one if we're not producing pros? And if we're not producing them, why are we not producing them? And who therefore is not doing their jobs properly?
Questions have to be asked of the management at the club about this, from IOR's point of view.

I'm pretty certain cooper never spent a penny

and he signed both dimi and porter on freebies, 2 of the best signings this club has ever made, arguably.

yes i agree, but the budget includes wages too, and i would be highly surprised if this squads total wages came close to Coopers.

Granted yes, but we we're still good wage payers back then, Tinkler left Southend to come here 'cos we could pay him more.

And this was before Cooper.

I'd hazard a guess that it wouldnt be that different to what it is now.

well i would guess (and thats all it is, a guess) that Cooper had way more money for wages than is available now, there was no credit crunh, crowds were good and we were on a roll. As of this pre-season Uncle Ken ordered that the squad be trimmed and knew that there was a recession looming. I would be gobsmacked if the wages were even close to what cooper had

If the crowds we're up that was through the good football we played and a passionate manager.

ignore what i said anyway, our squad is the same size as Coopers was

both squads had 24 players (both with around 7/8 kids)


Scottys squad however had a massive 32 players (with around 10 kids)

1 Dimitrios Kostantopoulos 1978-11-29 GRE 1.93 2003-10 SC Farense
21 Jim Provett 1982-12-22 ENG 1.80 Hartlepool United Youth
31 James Winter 1985-09-18 ENG 1.83

2 Micky Barron 1974-12-22 ENG 1.80 1997-08 Middlesbrough FC, Hartlepool United
19 John Brackstone 1985-02-09 ENG 1.80 Hartlepool United Youth
16 Ben Clark 1981-06-12 ENG 1.88 2004-09 Sunderland AFC
32 Neil Collins 1983-09-02 SCO 1.91 2005-07 Sunderland AFC, Dumbarton FC, Queens Park FC
20 Darren Craddock 1985-02-23 ENG 1.83 Whitby
29 Carl Jones 1986-09-30 ENG 1.85 Hartlepool United Youth
5 Michael Nelson 1982-03-15 ENG 1.88 2003-07 Bury FC, Bishop Auckland
3 Hugh Robertson 1975-03-19 SCO 1.75 2004-07 Ross County, Dundee FC, Ayr United, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Brechin City, Aberdeen FC, Lewis United
30 Neil Wilkinson 1985-10-12 ENG 1.83 Gateshead

26 Andrew Appleby 1985-10-11 ENG 1.78 Hartlepool United Youth
22 Lee Bullock 1981-05-22 ENG 1.80 2005-07 Cardiff City, York City
24 Thomas Butler 1981-04-25 IRL 1.73 2005-03 Dunfermline Athletic, Sunderland AFC, Darlington FC, Sunderland AFC
25 Steven Istead 1986-04-23 ENG 1.73 Hartlepool United Youth
7 Chris Llewellyn 1979-08-28 WAL 1.83 2005-07 Wrexham AFC, Bristol Rovers, Norwich City
34 Michael Maidens 1987-05-07 ENG 1.80 Hartlepool United Youth
18 Matty Robson 1985-01-23 ENG 1.75 Hartlepool United Youth
15 Anthony Sweeney 1983-09-05 ENG 1.85 Hartlepool United Youth
4 Mark Tinkler 1974-10-24 ENG 1.80 2000-11 Southend United, York City, Leeds United
36 Steve Turnbull 1987-01-07 ENG 1.78 Hartlepool United Youth
23 Darren Williams 1977-04-28 ENG 1.78 2005-07 Cardiff City, Sunderland AFC, York City, Middlesbrough FC, Boatham Crescent

10 Adam Boyd 1982-05-25 ENG 1.75 Hartlepool United Youth
28 James Brown 1987-01-03 ENG 1.80 Hartlepool United Youth
14 Jon Daly 1983-01-08 IRL 1.91 2005-02 Stockport County, Grimsby Town, Stockport County, Bury FC, Stockport County
33 David Foley 1987-07-12 ENG 1.63 Hartlepool United Youth
8 Richie Humphreys 1977-11-30 ENG 1.78 2001-07 Cambridge United, Sheffield Wednesday, Cardiff City, Scunthorpe United
9 Joel Porter 1978-12-25 AUS 1.75
6 Michael Proctor 1980-10-03 ENG 1.83 2005-07 Rotherham United, Sunderland AFC, Bradford City, York City, Halifax Town
27 Jack Wilkinson 1985-09-12 ENG 1.73 Scarborough FC, Whitby
11 Eifion Williams 1975-11-15 WAL 1.80 2002-03 Torquay United, Barry Town

that squad is huge, and poor!

Cooper did spend money!

On daly, a raw young striker with potential, for about 10k, which we sold for 100k.

Another string to the cooper is a legend bow.

our first choice XI would piss all over the best XI in that squad, we just don't have the depth, or enough defenders!

a lot of them were poor - but there's easily enough to have put out a winning team most weeks. Scott either didn't do it, or else they were injured. He wouldn't play people anyway, especially Boyd if he could put Proctor in.
I've just had that feeling of someone walking across my grave

I go to the games when I can and read the Bunker's comments, the media's comments etc - after that I still believe Wilson had done enough to warrant some more time.

I fully concur.

ou've just defeated yourself there....if our current first choice XI is so good, what's the problem?

very simply we have no strength in depth, or full backs, or a GK.............i'm meant to be arguing MY point here instead of yours aren't i

we have a decent enough first XI, but then we have NOTHING.

Well it's a good time to give some of the kids a chance.

yes, i would like to see players playing in their proper positions too