Hi there lads,

This Saturday I will be commentating on my very first game in the FA Cup 3rd Round and I was wondering if I could ask some questions regarding Saturday's fixture (I have plently of research but it will be nice to gain some insight from you guys). The questions are;

1. Do you have any memories from previous matches vs Watford?
2. Any landmarks surrounding Saturday's game?
3. How would you classify your type of football?
4. Which team do you expect to field on Saturday?

Thanks in advance and hope it's a good game

David

Fetish bob is you man he normally does a "5 things..." thread about our next opposition

1. When they were in the old fourth division Elton John landed on the centre circle at the Vic in his helicopter. If I remember rightly he got out expecting 'little Hartlepool' to welcome him as a major pop star but was actually treated to a well deserved deluge of abuse.

2. Not really but i'd like to say that Watford are not now, never have been and never will be a big club.

3. I would classify our football as better than you probably expect.

4. A weakened side as it is fashionable to do that and it will make us look like a big club.

Please don't call us guys.

Best of luck.

1. Other than that mentioned above no. I wasn't there so I dont remember that either.

2. Not really, its a neither here nor there game. With all due respect it isn't a massive draw to make a few quid and its hardly a walkover either.

3. Away from home we play it very tight (Notts County aside) and look for a breakaway. Expect 4-5-1

4. Hopefully Collins will be back to marshall the defence and Murray to take charge of the midfield. If that is the case then expect a tough game with a one goal margin either way.

1. It rained alot during a game I saw us play Watford at the Vic once, in the fourth division. It was ages ago when Elton had just joined Watford. I thought the game was going to be abandoned but it wasn't.
A bloke behind me in the Mill House stand said the match was going to be abandoned due to a man with a piano on the pitch. But it wasn't because there wasn't.
I'm sure it was a night game.
I went with my dad and I think my sister was there.
I wore a blue and white scalf that my mam knitted which was far to long, so eventually she took out 1 white and 1 blue section. I still have it upstairs.
We had a light green Cavalier and parked it in the road somewhere behind the Odean.
It was a long time ago and I was probably only 11 ish, so it may not be completely factually acurate.


Hope that helps

That helicopter incident......isn't that just an Urban Myth??

no it was just bollox

i dont think elton even attended the 1st ever game between us AFTER he took over as chairman
i didnt see him while i was selling golden goal tickets in the old clarence road stand

3. How would you classify your type of football?

Spectacular and outstanding, though opposition fans may find it totally different

4. Which team do you expect to field on Saturday?

We'll probably rest a lot of the big names and bring in a few youngsters as we know that going for promotion is our main aim this season. Joking. But we'll keep it a secret so you can't pass it on and prepare yourselves better.

Is that the David Riley that has played for Darlo?

Barry Endean scored a diving header for POOLS against Watford in the rink end. It was a carbon coopy of his quality 1970 strike for Watford against Liverpool in I believe an FA cup quartere final. The best bit a long tie freind who supports Blackburn Rovers told me we signed him at Pools afteer he was 'released' at Blackburn following the taking without owner's concent of a dumper truck!

I saw Keith Skillen score for Pools at Watford mid 70's. We lost 2-1, my Uncle Baz lived in Bushey!

1)Can't answer the first question I'm afraid.

2)Our youth team did play Watford's youth team in the FA youth cup last season with Watford emerging 2-0 victors. Other than that I can't really think of anything that stands out.

3) Our football this season has been very conservative which is understandable given the mess that Wadsworth inherited. But if there's one word I think describes it best, certainly in comparison with the shambles of the previous season and arguably the one before that too, it's organised. Every player on the pitch seems to have a clear grasp of what the game plan is and the role he's supposed to be carrying out within that plan. Consequently we have been far more menacing on goal with plenty of solid attacking moves which have, sadly, not always paid off due to us not always having a quality goal scorer on the pitch. This is largely the legacy of our previous manager. Our defence has, in general, also been far more robust which has been a joy to behold.

4)We may well start with our strongest team but that may purely be down to Wadsworth wanting our best players to get some more game time under their belts ahead of the league game with Dag & Red the following Saturday. I can't see him wanting to play Brown or Murray for longer than is strictly necessary. In an indeal world Pools will win on Saturday, draw Liverpool at home in the fourth round, and then beat Dagenham the week after. But as it isn't an ideal world, I think given the choice most would rather we picked up another three points in the league and continued our impressive run.

Liverpool at home on current form we may make 4th round not sure Liverpool will

Liverpool almost certainly won't seeing as they are playing Man Utd

Quick question for Mr Riley. Does Geri Halliwell attend your games. As she supposedly a fan.

Thanks for the replies so far gents, they will definately come in handy for the game.

Just to clear a couple of things up; I have never played for Darlington and I'm not actually a Watford fan. I'm a West Ham fan so if your lot continue your charge then I may bump into you next season!

Thanks again

Well if they did get through and we drew them at home it wouldn't exactly be a rubbish draw would it?

How about a club of similar stature that has a better chance of making it through then?

I remember us playing Watford about circa 1977 at the Vic', just after they'd come down. Some Watford fans sneaked into the Rink End (which was the home end at the time), whereas normally they would've not been well received - they turned out to be a friendly lot I recall, and were allowed to stay with the help of a police corden around them.
I also remember us signing Mally Poskett from Whitby who scored goals for fun for us, then moved onto to Brighton then Watford where he formed a formidable partnership with Luther Blissett.

If we won on Saturday and were drawn away to Liverpool in the next round, I think we'd beat them.

If Hodgson hasn't been sacked by that point, that would be his downfall.

Ermm so you are saying that a Liverpool team could beat Man U at Old Trafford but not Pools at the Vic.

Pools are going to win the League!!

Remember them Watford fans in the rink end, no bother as they looked like college lecturer types, 10ft long bar scarves and duffle coats, late 20s early 30s, which in them days was far to old to be a hooligan. in both games in 77/78 season we were the better side, though as was typical of pools at that time they lost both. The home game around bonfire night pardon the pun was a cracker, elton john did attend I think , cant remember any helicopter , though the clarence road stand caught fire later that evening , courtesy of someone throwing a banger through the gaping hole at the back of it. The return game we lost 1-0 on new years day in front of 16000,Watford and Swansea who went up that season where arguably two of the best sides to be promoted from div 4.

1. Do you have any memories from previous matches vs Watford?
No
2. Any landmarks surrounding Saturday's game?
No
3. How would you classify your type of football?
Dunno
4. Which team do you expect to field on Saturday?
Dunno

Didnt we have a player on loan from Watford a couple of seasons ago. Whatever happened to him?

A team mate of this gadgie then

Guardian

Aldershot suspend striker Marvin Morgan over 'irresponsible' tweet
• Morgan suspended, fined and placed on transfer list
• Striker told fans via Twitter: 'I hope you all die'

Aldershot have suspended Marvin Morgan, fined him two weeks' wages and placed him on the transfer list after a "foolish" comment he made about the club's fans via Twitter.

The League Two club issued a statement after meeting the striker, who was booed when substituted during the club's 2-1 defeat to Hereford on Monday.

Morgan responded to the crowd's reaction by later posting a Twitter message saying: "Like to thank the fans who booed me off the pitch. Where's that going to get you! I hope you all die."

According to Aldershot, Morgan has expressed remorse, while the club branded the remarks "completely irresponsible".

Their statement read: "The player accepted that his conduct was totally misguided and inappropriate and he accepts that his actions were incorrect and ill disciplined.

"Accepting that his actions had been foolish he explained that they had been made in the heat of the moment and apologised for the distress he had caused.

"The football club are satisfied that the player meant no malice with his comments. However they were completely irresponsible and contrary to the values of Aldershot Town Football Club. The player has also undermined the good work that he and his colleagues have done servicing the local community.

"The club is also of the opinion that careful consideration is required for all future use of social networking sites by players and staff as a means of communication.

"The hearing decided to fine the player the maximum two weeks' penalty during which time he will be absent from the club. He has also been placed on the transfer list."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011 ... tter-tweet

Henderson was woeful. One of our less spectacular loan signings...

Does anyone else think we are more than capable of pulling off a shock tomorrow?

I lived in Bushey in the mid 70's

Watford have a yound lad in the team at the moment called ross jenkins. They also had a popular striker in the 70's called ross jenkins.....not sure if there is any link or just co-incidence

I do.