Was back to his best today. He also seemed to really appreciate the chants of support as well.

For me his performance was 'that's a fucking great gesture, I know I've been crap recently but I am going to repay them for that'

8 out of 10. Very good game.

That's good to hear the fans supporting him after what's happened.

There were several renditions of 'theres only one Sam Collins' both during and after the match. It was the best he has played in months and just goes to show how players can respond to good support.

Are you reading this Grave/Tree/Reefmonky/Millhousemoaners?

Here we go....

Yeah, I read it. When he stops playing like a Sunday league player (I.e the majority of this season prior to today) Im sure everyone will be more inclined to chant his name. He cannot expect people to sing his name when he plays crap though.

That is fraud, that is, singing another persons name

Unless you are Terry Trent Derby County

I just can't believe that we only found out yesterday that he missed two games in November because his wife had a heart attack.

By all means, I appreciate him taking some time off for his wife's sake, but it all just seemed to get brushed under the carpet to me we naturally asked why he wasn't there.

I can't remeber whether they said when he was out that he would be out "due to personal reasons">

Otherrwise, further evidence I think of an apparant lack of communication between us and the Club.

And tell me why you think that?

Because its non of you business you Gord

If you had a disease of the bumhole, for example, being a Hartlepool follower, would you expect Sam Collins to know?

No wonder people take the piss.....

They don't sell it anymore as far as I know Mutters

The lad is always in this state of mind

I fear for our future, mind you as long as he doesn't become a quack or some such

Sam Collins is a famous professional footballer - what happens when everybody inevitably starts asking question as to where he or any other player is , though?

He isn't that famous though, is he

How often is on the back of the nationals?
How often is on Sky Sports?

I never asked any questions when he was off due to personal circs, like I said

'It's none of your business', you thick skinned young man

How hard is it to grasp?

I just naturally asked why he'd suddenly vanished.

It doesn't mean to say that now I know all the facts, I'm totally insensitive towards the whole situation the Collins' are in right now.

I hope the wife gets well soon very quickly!

he also has a personnal life,and may like to keep things private and deal with it in his own way,look people have things going on that they may not want other people to know and that's their perogative,they may not want to shout it from the roof tops it is after all their personnal life.

And I suppose that is the only way of course that someone can keep their personal and private lives separate, by just keeping their mouth shut, which is frustrating for all concerned.

Sounds like we've got our bottle back (I say sounds cos I wasn't there to see the performance)... another two or maybe if we're lucky one good performances (it'll be great to watch Dirty Leeds and not need a result) we'll be home and dry..

]

Yes it probably is unless you're of the ilk of the people who appear on Jeremy Kyle's show week in week out...

Oh and

"Get Well soon Mrs Collins!!"

I couldn't agree more with you there.

I wish you would keep you mouth shut



His wife was ill and at the time he perhaps thought the worst was going to happen and has now decided to let people know

POK, you are a sad reflection of the kind of person who believes because you chuck £10 over the turnstiles every now and then, you need to know every thing that goes on in a players day to day business

Just leave it, eh?

I don't believe that at all, what I want is just a little bit more stronger communication betwee the Club and the fans - I hate the fact that the Club has been quite secretive over a number of issues in the past with the fans - it's that that I believe is totally wrong because we as the fans are paying customers. We, to a certain extent, deserve to know at the least a rough idea of what is going on, because we know it will affect the Club as it's fans, as well as the club having information that the fans only need to know on a "strictly need to know basis".

We were told at the time that Sam Collins was unavailable due to family reasons.

What that issue was at the time was absolutely non of our business as it is a personal matter. He's told us now which we appreciate, and we showed him some support today which I think he was visibly grateful for.

What's the problem?

I wouldn't bother PJ

He has the skin of a rhino

Now, I have no problem with it, because someone decided that now was an appropriate time to make it public.

I'm glad he got a standing ovation from the crowd due to the circumstances and that he appreciated it - if I had been there todauy, I would have joined in myself.

The problem I think we had earlier on in the season why was we wasn't told an appropriate amount of information .

I personally think "personal reasons" is too vague, if the Club had said "a deterioration in health of a close relative" - I would have been happy because I think that reveals to me an appropriate amount of information whilst respecting Sam Collins's personal space.

I'm not totally insensitive about the situation.

Now I know what the hell was going on, I would have sent a Get Well Card to his wife via the Club.

That's the kind of guy I am.

What fooking cu.ting information did you need

Her doctors name?
her medication?
Which hospital, which ward?

Quite simply, personal circumstances is more than an adequate response from both Hartlepool United & Mr Collins

"Personal reasons" was all we needed to know, end of discussion.

Now, that's what I didn't call an approriate amount of information - you're exaggerating.

Well what the fook do you want

Because you are boiling my wee now

Well now we've been told what's happened, I totally understand about it, but I hope that the Club are not so seemingly "secretive" if they face any other problems like this in the future and that there is an appropriate level of communication with less delay in the future.

How can you not understand, they were not being "secretive". It was none of our business what was going on with Sam Collins family.

Better keeper=defence playing better shocker!

But don't we, regardless of the fact that he is a employee of HUFC, care about his welfare becuse as human beings we care for one another?

Get a grip.

You really are talking B******s. The club issued a statement, when Collins failed to play on a Tuesday night at home,( can't remember the opposition) that Collins was unavailable due to family reasons. he also, missed the next game for the same reasons.

As a tax payer of this country I keep you,not as a paying customer as you provide me with nothing in exchange for the money I pay you to attend university, please inform me of all your family medical problems as soon as possible, include ant STD you may have caught as a student. His private business is simply F*** all to do with you, me or any other fan of the club, it concerns HIM, and HUFC as his employee who he needs to explain things to, so he can be given compassionate leave. End of.

Jeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzz give it a rest POK, you are on your own with this one

Lee Barrett gets a lot of stick from the fans, but when I've seen him play he's actualy put in some great displays lately.

I don't know why he gets a lot of stick when 90% of the time he is cool, calm and collected.

To be honest, I'd rather keep ALB if I had to choose - Budtz's goal kicks are very shaky and wayward sometimes.

So because ALB can kick better he should play in goal

AND HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU SEEN HIM PLAY, OR FOR THAT MATTER BUDTZ, I OFFERED YOU A FREE BED TO WATCH WEST HAM SOMEONE ELSE OFFERED TO BUY YOU A TICKET AND YOU STOPPED AT F****** HOME. COME BACK WHEN YOU TALK SENSE

Log off and go to bed, before I kick your bollox skywards

Because 90% of the time isn't good enough.

I saw Budtz play when I was at Southend. He actually put in quite a good display there but I didn't like the direction and power of his goal kicks.

I saw ALB when I was at Peterborough and he had a great game then.

Why isn't 90% good enough ?

Take two of these



And one of these




And a swig of this



And welcome to the board to your bed

Because the errors made during that other 10% of the time have been costing us 2 or 3 goals a game on average (along with errors from the defence in front of ALB as well, of course)

PoK in this thread!

POK should have been a miner, he just keeps digging himself deeper and deeper into the shiit.