I know playing a team at our level may not be high on your agenda but us at Runcorn look forward to you visiting us on Saturday

Although our ground is probably not what you are used to playing at its a welcoming place and we're lucky to have one of the best playing surfaces in the North West due to having a Hybrid 'carpet' pitch which makes for plenty of football to be played on the deck.

FYI plenty of parking spaces next to the ground and also on the retail unit carpark near to the ground.
There is a pub called The Queen Of Hearts directly outside the ground and we also have our own bar & tea bar/food.

Enjoy your day

thanks for that mr.runcorn. pity its so far away especially with the hot weather forcast.

Guessing our forward line will be the biggest interest. Josh MacDonald's chance to get Pools fans over-excited, surely?

The old saying 'that team picks itself' will be literally true tomorrow

wouldnt be suprised to see the 2 youth team players in who have been training with the first team to make up the numbers tbh.

There will be probably be quite a few 'A Triallist's on the teamsheet.

How many senior players do we have a the moment. Enough for a starting eleven?

Wasn't the actor Peter Finch a fan of Runcorn Linnets?

14 including Joe Grey and the new lads Martin Smith and Neill Byrne

GK - Killip

Defenders - Sterry, Ogle, Liddle, Odusina, Ferguson, Byrne

Midfield - Shelton, Featherstone, Holohan, Crawford, Smith,

Forwards - Grey, MacDonald (really a midfielder)

Yeah it promises to be a scorcher!

no it was john bird who was renowned for reading The Eagle comic at games in the 50,s.

What a coincidence - seen a tweet that says his first game for the Magpies was at Selhurst Park against the Eagles.

Pools have played a Runcorn team twice ,both times in the F.A. Cup. A 4 -2 win at home and 3-0 win at Runcorn. The present Runcorn Linnets were formed when that club became dormant some years ago.

Is there any more news of Mark Cullen signing or was that another Notts co rumer

Still missing a creative midfielder for me. Someone who could notch 10 goals a season too. In the mould of Sweeney or Tinks would be class

He is one of the trialists playing for us today.

scored

Agard with 4. Get the lad signed up ?

Any news on who the others where. Cullen sounds like he grabbed 2 aswell. UTFP !!!

Not an issue nor is it a priority, we have Gavan Holohan.

Agard released by MKDons, quite well liked and had a decent record but missed most of last season through injury.

see what you did there.

Agard had a great game.

Every single Hartlepool fan were a credit to your club today. All in great spirits, enjoyed a beer or two and very complimentary about our facilities and welcoming.

Best of luck for the season poolies.

That's encouraging but I'm sure Dave Challinor will reserve judgement to see how he goes against NLN opposition - only a couple of levels below the one Pools have to compete in this season...

https://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/sport/fo ... ck-3226454

Could be agard signing based on that write-up?

Judging from comments made by Dave Challinor after the game reported in the Mail and Northern Echo a deal with Mark Cullen sounds closer.

Could be just a matter of geography - Cullen is another North Easterner who'd be suited by a move back up here. Agard is a Londoner and you have to think there'll be other clubs nearer to home who are also interested. He does sound like just the kind of character DC likes to work with though, and has scored a goal every 3-4 games in his League One/Two career.

It's also in the Mail that Zane Francis-Angol is about to re-sign and maybe Molyneux too.

[quote="Flying Hogans"]Agard is a Londoner and you have to think there'll be other clubs nearer to home who are also interested. .

I can never understand this thinking. always remember the pound in his pocket will go much further in hartlepool and its area than it will in london. its still in the same sodding country even if it is different. if he wants the bright lights and their distractions then he might not be the player for us anyway.

same for you mr.runcorn and your team getting back as a force in non league football as you once were.

I don't think it's about that at all so much as the opportunity to live nearer to close family members and lifelong friends. Footballers live peripatetic lives from their teenage years on. Pools aren't the only club who have benefitted from players getting the homing instinct - especially towards the end of their careers.

its same with the majority of our exiles. possibly most left the area either because their parents did or for a better job. some will never come back or even want too. some cannot wait to come back permanently or at every available opportunity to see old family and friends. no matter what your career is nowadays you cannot guarentee where you,ll end up living. something people from the north east have realized since noah was a lad.

Maybe it was Ofulela Olomola, And not Agard.

Shocked not every trialist has got identified yet considering fans were allowed? A name I heard was Kalvin Kalala?

Apparently Featherstone also kept shouting Adrian too

The commentators did a good job at letting us know who they thought was who.
Agard was mistaken for Toure on a couple of instances. Why did his name come into the fold ? Was he another one of the forwards ?

Also mentioned A shaun macdonald as triallist keeper ? Torquay number 2 isnt he. ?
Would love to know who the defenders where. One was a left back, which going off the comments made by DC in the mail we seem to have cover for with ZFA.

No Josh Grey?

Someone told me Shaun McDonald was at the clubs most recent training session.

Another none league player if it is. Surely there is a seasoned pro GK wanting some league 2 football with past experience of this standard or higher. Makes a difference having a quality keeper at this level.

Don't see why we haven't looked into Brad James again? Had a blip in his first game I think bit quickly became a steady pair of hands, especially in the playoff final.

no thanks. got through that final game with a little help from the ref. on another day with a different official he may have got blamed for our defeat. surely there must be other keepers in the premier and championship that the clubs are looking to loan out to a league club that could be better.

Totally agree

Brad James is too small in IMHO.

Does anyone know who the number 15 was that scored the second goal?