Well done on overcoming an even worse play-off hoodoo than Pools, and for thrapping Swindon, a team I have a real irrational hatred of.

All we need is for Norwich to do the business tomorrow and it will be a perfect set of play-off results.

Good as I reckon Hugill will end up available for loan again now at some point.

Norwich!! Fook them come on boro...

Wash your mouth out, I've been to Waltons today and purchased a Canary.

If the Borer win then that means six north- east derbies, which Sky and BT will be fighting to televise.

That is six games which will reinforce the plastic ideology, where the next generation of potential Poolies might be swayed into turning their back on watching their home town team play proper real live games, in favour of buying an overpriced replica shirt and cheering on 'their' team in front of a telly.

The best thing to happen to the 'big' three from a Pools perspective is for them all to drop through the leagues in a Portsmouth fashion, thus making supporting Pools (the correct option) much easier to those who are easily influenced.

Correct.

Nah, the best thing that can happen from Pools perspective is we make a few more decent signings and play better football next year.
What happens with the other North East teams is irrelevant.

Sorry Mr Klinger, but you can't ignore the hordes of plastics in the town who will happily shell out for replica Premiershit team shirts, but didn't even buy a season ticket for Pools when they were £100.

Sky has a lot to answer for, and I hope that when Rupert Murdoch finally ends up in hell where he belongs he has to stand in part of a defensive wall and have Shug blast full force free kicks straight at his face repeatedly.

Sorry, but you're wrong. It's a voracious business and thanks to thd power of Sky selling it, there's never been a more gullible, easily influenced group of image concious fruits there for the harvesting.
They hype up the product and are happy to sell their product through their packages, but first they have to big up the dross and subtly belittle anything that may compete...so even if they can't get you in the ground, they hoover you up by getting you addicted to their product.
It's a business now, get used to it, we are now an irrelevance and don't need another predator down the road bigging themselves up, elevation to the Premiership tends to draw out the chest beaters at these clubs till they become insufferable.

That's a bit harsh, Shug ain't going to hell.

Of course not, he's going to fire them across from heaven.

Sky has a lot to answer for?
I think you will find we also benefit a fair amount from Sky's publicity.
We need to concentrate on getting our own house in order first before banging on about what the neighbours are doing.

I'm hoping for a Boro win

From my perspective - IOR have increased the ticket prices to an amount where I have refused to take the family and pay the gate prices, they are well overpriced for the level of football we see £76 for 2 adults and 2 kids 5 and 3. Really? I can get to a premier league game for less (£42 Hull City). - Sunderland cheapest prices last season were £70 for the family. Boro - £62 for the family stand tickets.

Ultimately I want to be able to take my kids to watch football at a reasonable, realistic price for what is on show. Pools are not value for money and the football I saw last season was turgid at best. Watching Premier league football in a superior stadium, with a good atmosphere was much more enjoyable for the kids.

To keep the North East connection going with the kids - I may be able to get to one of the games featuring the other 3 North Eastern teams for the same if not less money than pools are charging. Its a bit like having the chance to buy an Audi, but paying more for a Lada.

Pools have it badly wrong, don't blindly follow a club due to 'misplaced' loyalty - we laugh at the Toon fans for allowing Ashley to rip them off, yet we're doing the same on a smaller scale.

Cue the abuse of - 'you're not a real fan' - 'Support the team, not the owners' - 'IOR are doing great' etc.

I don't think your quite well reasoned post deserves abuse at all, we're bigger than that.

Hopefully though a mob with flaming torches will descend on your home in the the middle of the night drag you out of the house and burn you at the stake.

I must admit it's a continual battle with myself to stay away from the Vic with the kids and wife. The kids are probably a bit little to deal with going to Pools - I just find it increasingly more difficult to justify spending that money on one game, when the same 'product' is on sale cheaper, elsewhere.

My wife has been dragged around the country following Pools over the last 9 years - so deserves some credit for her loyalty - my kids have yet to witness Pools in any capacity - one day though.

make it next season mr.k we are on the up!!

Difference is that if Boro do go up they and the other two will be involved in yet another relegation battle, whereas when we start roaring up the table next season all the plastics will come back wanting to be involved.

I think our prices have always been pretty close to what the bigger local clubs charge, it's the nature of the region we live in.
We'll only know how many extra we can pull in when we start playing a decent game again.
Until then it's no good pointing the finger at bigger clubs with TV money and blame that for ruining our club.
We have let 2 players go in the last couple of years for good money and reinvested nothing. That is down to our owners not being interested.

They might be a championship side but i can remember when we outclassed them on there plastic pitch 4 1 about twenty years ago.

I hear we had some cracking wins in the 1920s too.

Did Jason Peake score a decent goal that day?

It was 14th december 1991.
not sure who the goalscorers were but might me a one for mad john to find out!

This time next year We could be waiting for the 2016/2017 fixture list to come out to see when we are playing the Brough!Think about it!

What a start

Another goal and I'm putting Brownlee on!!!!!

I support Pools because they're my team, I don't go looking for value for money bargain bucket matches wherever that may be. I have no interest whatsoever in watching other teams and especially not on the basis of the economics of it.

Fair point snowy - although a football team can only survive if there are younger supporters ready to continue to support the club - there is little incentive aimed at families going - so as a result my kids may start following another team - is that their fault? or the fault of the football club for being a little short sighted?

Once again we are in the zone of them relying on our loyalty, rather than offering incentives.

If that is still the case Chip, I'll be in the Vic this August with the tribe - Eldest is 6 in December.

I also think the pricing is shite and despair at the thought process brhind it.
To be honest, at one time I could take my two sons to every match and pay on the gate, I had better things to do with my money in the summer than shell out on season tickets.
Nowadays that would be impossible and unjustifiable.
That said, attending an alternative match would be more expensive in travel costs, time and even accessability.... but then if I wan't watching Pools there'd be no point or pleasure watching some other team for me .

For me its watching pools or not watching football at all.
We been having a hard time of it for a while now but my HEART will never leave the club.
Even tho we got owners who dont give a fuck about the fans and have zero ambition they wont stop me from supporting the team.

Theres loads of poolies like me its a bit like a drug u cant give up.
Poolie till i die.

When we really looked like we were in the shit and perhaps would fold as a club, I considered who I could support instead. If it ever happens then I will take my lads to watch Forest or County but my heart just wouldn't be in it. I haven't enjoyed watching England for years, so its Pools or nowt for me.

If there was no Pools I'd normally choose my team to support in some other sport.

Problem is I was a keen follower of Montpellier rugby but now it's a 4-hour drive to watch them, so I might unfortunately have to let that go. There isn't any meaningful rugby or cricket here and I've already ruled footy out. Basketball and handball are both a joke. Tug of war is too political for me...

Bugger it I'll just have to go with the phoenix club.

This Vickie Timbrell - The Preston Pouncer - in the absence of her explaining actions, is there any justification for what she's done?

not much thought given there Vicki

They charged me for the 5 year old last year and again today when I renewed his ticket. Maybe it's only free to go in match by match.

My lad is 5 and we never paid a penny for him and they also said he doesn't need a season ticket.

Ripper's in the IBASTETIDNOE.. Some dedication that shows how much he loves Ken these days..

All I can say is that shithouses exist everywhere, but new technology and social media makes it easy for them to get caught in the act and then vilified as a result.

Tsk.. Smiley replies as well. ..are you turning into our far eastern correspondent?..