if we sign howard where will this leave nish ?

On the Bench?

Looks like it's pretty much sorted. This guy works for the Daily Telegraph and is always having 'banter' with Howard on there:

John Percy ‏@John__Percy
Delighted to hear my old pal @9howie is signing a two-year deal with his first senior club Hartlepool #lcfc #dcfc #hufc

2 years at his age!

ouch

Welcome back

The throston massive have cashed in on the big man.

Two years??

you are gonna need more than an Audi mechanic to repair the gasket chip is going to blow.

We could have signed him on a week to week at £50 a game but I don't think he'd have been too suited with that!!!

Off the number one spot for the terrace abusers?

No seriously, It really wouldn't surprise me if Nish had left the club by the end of August. I don't think Cooper rates him.

2 years seems a long stint but I trust Cooper to of done his homework.

Thats because he knows about footy.

Cracking signing and as mentioned earlier our first team and indeed first 15/16 squad looks a lot better than it did last season.

Craig Hope ‏@CHopePoolsMail
Reports in last hour that Steve Howard has re-signed for Pools are wide of mark. Lot of fans asking but it looks like no news today.

I expect something to be announced in the next hour if thats what our reliable reporter says.

I reckon the club will have only wanted him on a one year deal but he'll have wanted two on the wages we're prepared to offer. I'm pleased he's back and looking forward to seeing him play again but have real reservations about the two year deal.

The signings so far are very promising and if I was deliberating buying a season ticket based on what our starting XI was going to be, the signings so far would be enough to convinve me to shell out.

It all depends on what we are paying him. It could be a 1,2 or 3 year contract as long as it fits in will the wage structure.

2 years seems too much. Surely 1 year with an option of another is the way forward if we have to sign him. I trust cooper but I think this is a huge gamble

Maybe it is 1 year with the 2nd year as an option n the reporters just got it wrong, i certainly hope so.

Dean Windass demonstrated that guys in their mid-30s could become goal machines again by dropping a league.
Let's just hope Stevie is in the same mould. Is there anything Windass had that Howard doesn't?

In the reserves, then loaned out to Harrogate, then his contract paid and thanked for all his effort and then back to Scotland. Alternatively he could put the effort in and score loads of goals as howard is bound to be a load of sh*te after 13 minutes ..........

He only averaged 8 goals a season when he was with us before.

But he was mainly used in midfield like.

He's never been an injury prone player either.

As I've said before to Chip just because he hasn't played 90 minutes for Leicester City doesn't mean he isn't capable of playing 90 minutes for us. None of our forwards would have played for them as they wouldn't have got a game ahead of people they've payed millions for and are being paid tens of thousands of pounds of week.

I've lost count of the amount of times I've heard in the last couple of years "we need a Steve Howard type forward"

How about Steve Howard then!?

Given he was involved in Leicester City's 16 in all of the second half of last season it's fair to presume he's kept himself right.

Howay man this is the bunker, right?

Serious breach of etiquette.

He will rock the Vic.

Do these men remain heartbroken or have they moved on

Chip is playing this one well in true chip fashion.

We all know he doesn't want Howard to sign but he's trying his best to sit firmly on the fence so that if Howard does have a good season and is challenged on his desire to not want Howard to sign he can come back with a number of quotes to back up that he was infact quite happy for him to join.

You can't fool me sunshine!

i'm still wanking.....

Did you just say

Sorry I was reading to quickly

I can't find anything on official site about this signing

See Howard signs thread

Oh yeah, hilarious.

Anyway, still nowt on official site.

Must be true because a company part owned by the Murdochs would always make sure their stories were 100% correct

I will give him plenty of encouragement and I hope he turns out to be a revelation but I seriously have my doubts. He will no doubt be an improvement on what we have had at times last season but if he is to be a top earner lets hope he plays like one.....

there's one big difference between Howard and others like Solano... the others more than likely didn't give 2 fucks about Pools... whereas Howard's entire pro career was because of the chance he got here at HUFC. I always believe that people would want to repay the club that discovered them in some way, preferably in the form of a swansong in rolling back the years and doing the business... for football reasons and as way of saying thanks to the club and the fans.
For this reason I'm confident Howard will quite simply WANT to do his best for Pools, because it would mean something to him

everyone seemed happy when Baker / Allon came back a second time I seem to recall

and so they should have been. Both scored vital goals to keep us up in 96/97, Baker continued to do that for a further 2 seasons. Great signings even second time around. Granted they weren't at the top of their games like they were when they left, but they were both still class acts and great forwards in their second spells at this club. Fucking F-A-C-T !!!!