I don't go to the games anymore because i moved to America after the club released me. As a YT i went on the first team tour to Holland, travelled with the first team, went through an ACL injury, had ups and downs, highs and lows and was heartbroken when Colin Cooper and Craig Hignett told me i wasnt good enough. I was heartbroken because ever since i was four years old, week in, week out, i sat in the Mill House Stand and dreamed of playing on that pitch, in that first team, in those blue and white stripes. But even when the club shattered my dream, i never turned my back on them, because they are MY team, MY club, MY town. When Americans ask me which EPL team i support, i say, 'I Dont, i'm a Hartlepool fan' - because i am a poolie through and through. Every Saturday i call my dad after the games and see how it went and how we played and who played well, every day i come on here and read the posts and it is truly heartbreaking. Growing up Adam Boyd was my hero, Tony Sweeney was a god, Joel Porter the messiah - we had our good days, Darlo Away, Sheff Wed at home, Cardiff, Drawing with Leeds in te last minute when sweens rose like a salmon, the unbeaten run - these days made us fall in love with our club. At the end of the day it is our club and it will always be our club, it is tough right now because people have came in and let us all down, players, managers, chairmen, owners, have all came and gone but we as fans are still here and we always will be. So anyone who is talking of a boycott or not showing your support on Saturday should remove yourself from this group because if you really are a supporter of Hartlepool United you will be there on Saturday, giving everything you can from the stands because it is the biggest game in the history of our football club, believe me i wish i was waking up on Saturday morning, going to lloyds and standing next to all the fellow poolies belting my lungs out and singing for MY club. Even more so I wish I was scoring the goal to keep us up and jumping into the mill house terrace, but that's a different story. I'm not boycotting because of a cowboy running the club or the fact a fat scouse bloke ran us into the ground, im singing my heart out for people like Buster, Keith Nobbs, Christine in the office, singing my heart out for all those people who follow the team up and down the country, week in, week out - people who bleed blue and white, people like me. After that 3-0 win on St.Effion Day, thousands of poolies sang from the top of their voices that 'WE ARE UNBEATABLE' that is far from true now, but as good, honest, working class people who love their football club, win or lose, 'WE ARE UNBREAKABLE' and that should be the message we send out to the rest of the country on Sky Sports News tris saturday. I'll be sat on my own, drinking a pint of shit American Beer in an Irish Bar with my pools shirt on and i want to be proud to be a poolie- regardless of the result. The biggest game in our history, 90 minutes to save our club. Please do not turn your back and let Jones, Coxall and Co win. Remember the good days and do all you can to bring them back - my visa runs out in one year and i am praying that i come home to my football club still standing - NEVER SAY DIE.

Ben Wignall.

He's spot on like. Always liked the look of Wignall, thought he had potential

Well said Ben. I endorse your views. If the unthinkable were to happen then we know who will still be there in their favoured spot of the Vic their physical being and long into the future their spiritual presence as well. Come on Pools - now to beat!

I work in Plymouth but changed my shifts so every other week when pools are at home I come home to take my son and nephews to the match. Nephews started supporting man utd like there dad but I got at them every week to support there home town club but I'm fighting a losing battle when there heartbroken at seeing another defeat every week.

I know a lot of people are sick as f××× with what's going on but we need to come together for 1 last game..I know the fans have been class we are the best in the land in my opinion and I'll always go no matter what league we are in ..but we can do this ..and hope Notts County beat Newport which I think they will Come on boys let's show the cameras what support is really like ....nsd!!!

Well I have been going since 1949 so I'll not stop now. I know I critisize the team now that's football we all have opinions but I have seen worse Pools sides than the present one particularly in the late 1950s early 1960s when the team had numerous local lads,Roberts, Herring,Gibbon, Folland, Parkes,Lithgow,Melville,Douglas, Wallace and a few others who slipped my mind. Most of these were actually signed from the Church League but went on to the Northern or Wearside Leagues.
In those days the reserves were run by Bill Heselton an ex league referee who would spend Saturday morning knocking on doors for players. I stayed in every Saturday but sadly never got the knock.

Hell's teeth Jonjo I thought I was an old timer - only been going since the late 60s.

Respect to your sir and great post from young Ben. I'm dreading Saturday but wouldn't miss it for the world.

Aye, nice one Mr Wignall

On a similar subject, one thing I'll never understand is when any fan of any club say they aren't going anymore if their club gets relegated either into non-league or just down a division. How do you turn off the attachment? Even if you're watching utter shite every week (which we do most weeks)?

I go with that little bit of hope and knowing that literally anything can happen. Even this week. Almost everything in my brain is shouting that it's utterly impossible that we're anything other than down...yet there is that tiny corner that refuses to believe it's over.

In the days of Cooper, I used to sit in the CK and would sit back, relax, arm on the empty seat next to me awaiting the inevitable 0-0 or 1-0 to the visitors. But I still went. And every game I'd be thinking, 'it could be different today'. And then you get a Morecambe at home and it reminds you why you go.

It's the similar thing to when people leave early. How gutted would you be if you missed one of the only times we score 2 in injury time and win? You've made the effort to be there, why go early? Beat the rush? Is getting home 10/15/30 minutes earlier really worth it? I don't get it.

I genuinely don't expect us to be able to turn this around on Saturday because even if we beat Doncaster, I can't see Notts Co doing us a favour......however, some of that will be because I am preparing myself now for the worst (and I have been for a few weeks now!). If I keep telling myself there's no way it can happen, when I'm proved right the pain is lessened.....but if we stay up!!! How truly enormous will the elation be?

But we're not going to do it

Good Post and a lot of valid points, however in which other walk of life do you allow yourself to be shafted by a conman.

I cannot think of any single area in life where I would hand out my hard earned cash, knowing it was going to be misused and not have any recourse.

Its fine to say support support support and I am 90% behind that philosophy, but there is no What Happens Next scenario, or alternative.

Blind Faith is not an option anymore, to support that attitude may mean the end of HUFC.

Just out of interest what would happen if Coxall walks away. Do we go into administration? And

A great post Ben and I am sure the fans will give 100% backing on Saturday but as soon as that final whistle blows, win lose or draw, stay up or go down we must all do whatever it takes to rid the poison from our club and start to rebuild from the bottom to the top from the inside to the outside.

Come on Pools!

That wouldn't be the end of the world. I'd take an administration to get rid of these people. At the other end is a Hartlepool United owned and run by the people of Hartlepool.

Good post Wiggy I'll read ot to young Paul when I m at the hospital next .. We have to keep the faith and get rid of the shyster in charge..

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