League one came on and said 'Hartlepool Director Of Sport Chris Turner DENIES playing an illegible player'

Please explain that one Chris.... was it the fans who played him? blame us if you want....

The guy has lost the plot.

the man clearly does not know what day it is

The only way we will get away with this is if the ref or the FL have made an administrative cock up.

I think Pools are saying the ref didn't include the booking in his report and weren't notified about the suspension until Tuesday which was too late, I was at the match and missed it, it was in the aftermath of Orient scoring and wasn't exactly clear. One person who should have known he’d been booked is Gary Liddle though, and he should have known how many bookings he was on!

If that's the case we'll get away without a points deduction I reckon.

Like I said before there is something seriously wrong if we DONT lose points. We gained 3 points with the assistance of Gary Liddle when he shouldnt have been playing. It would set a very dangerous precedent if we dont lose 3 points.

Yes but if the cock up wasn't ours they can't punish us can they?

If the booking wasn't included in the refs report, then as far as we were concerned he wasn't booked.

It's the only way we won't get done for points I'm not saying it's going to happen!

I don't really buy that precident thing. The FL would come down like a ton of bricks on anyone who attempt this in the future.

I think we'll be docked 3 points personally, but it sounds like Pools are doing everything by the book and have held their hands up immediately.

It wouldn't surprise me if they ordered the game to be replayed, seeing as Brighton are kicking up a stink about the 3 points.

Yeah but if the ref physically raised the card then at least Gary Liddle himself must have been aware. The club are liable at the and of the day and while it could be argued that the FA may not be squeaky clean here, Pools themselves could have still avoided the issue if they were careful enough. Have Pools shown enough diligence here, of course not otherwise Liddle would have been more than aware that he was due a suspension, and this would have been communicated to Turner. Someone at Pools is at least partly responsible.

We cant be seen to benefit by breaking the rules. Its common sense. Unless we lose the three points then the only other 'fair' way to resolve it would be for the match to be replayed (minus Liddle)

why minus liddle? By the time that decision is made he will have already served his two match ban

think about it. brighton wont be fairly treated if we wrongly had liddle playing against them. we could not claim to be harshly done by if we end up without liddle for 3 games instead of two given our partial blame for the gaff. the other sides around us may not be happy that our goal difference was also unharmed. what would have been the likelihood of keeping a clean sheet with ben clark at the back alongside collins? it would have been less likely than having liddle there.

So in your world would Brighton then be able to field the strikers they had missing for the original game?

What if somebody who legitimately played was injured and unavailable?

What if a seagull shit in Elphick's eye during the replay and caused him to run into a goalpost and kill himself with an unfortunate blow to the head?





Well the last bit would be ok like.

the match will not be replayed and Brighton will not be awarded 3 points - only Pools will be docked points so far as league tables go, that is what will happen
With luck it may be only 1 or 2 points but I fully expect the 3

If Pools appeal they would be idiots cos then the club would get a further points deduction IMO

I think the hearing will depend on Pools position - if we are safe then we will get points away but if were doomed then a fine would be imposed and we should know the answer to that bit when the hearing date comes round - Turner should take the blame and leave he is the team "manager"

Turner should have left 8 months ago but he won't because of the money he is on
I don't care if he and his family get evicted and fu-cking starve
I want him nowhere near our football club