Going by other comments on here we going into this game with Mani suspended n Umerah not fully fit. Only at Pools
If we can get thru this game with a point then id be over the Moon.
754 poolies in attendance.
UTP.

do i try to be truthful or go for a pools defeat every game. didn,t do much good last season so i,ll try the first option. 1 all draw.

0 - 0

Pools will get beat then the pessimists will say how rubbish our new signings are and Askey is clueless, sack him.

At the risk of sticking my neck out I predict it wont be a 4-0 hammering like the opening day last season.

Do really well to take a point. Preseason games dont mean a lot but Barnet have been on fire and yesterday beat lge 1 Cambridge 2-0 another team who have had superb results pre season and unbeaten till this game.

Desmond 2-2 for me

We'll score first, concede 2, equalise late on and then miss a sitter (hit the woodwork , or kicked off the line) to have won it deep in injury time.

Mani D, will return against the Heed, Josh will be fitter and we'll Muller them. The Vic will be rocking and we'll have lift off!

You read it here first (ever the optimist, me)!

I don't believe we are anywhere near the finished article under askey. We will do extremely well to get anything at barnet. 2-0 them. As the season goes on I expect us to improve.

As the season goes on i would expect you to improve, We live in HOPE. lol

I just think it is so hard to predict anything until at least, say, 10 games have been played.

This League is going to be very competitive from day 1 with probably 10 or so sides believing they can gain promotion.

The beginning of October will show a truer picture so wait until then.

Can't disagree. Pools have signed 9 new players so far, and most of them haven't joined to make up the numbers. Only Ferguson, Dodds, Pruti, Cooke and Umerah look certain starters from last season's squad. It might be tough early doors against decent NL teams with more settled sides.

We all thought Pools had made a good start 3 seasons ago, till Torquay turned us over 5-0 at the Vic! We didn't begin to look like real promotion contenders till the Christmas holiday fixtures.

1-1.

0-2 - Midgley & Beech

Remember beating them 6-0 at the Vic.
With Midgley bagging a hatrick. Sure it was a night match? Tony Cottee had just taken over as their player manager and duly took them down to the Conference from the relative safety of mid table!

Think it might have been Tubby Turner's first play off season when we sneaked in the playoffs on the last day at Hull City's Boothferry Park- was absolute bedlam and it all kicked off after the match with their fans outside the ground. Sure Graham Lee got sent off- we were definitely down to ten men early on and 3 up. Hull had a bigger crowd than usual that day, as Brian Little had just been appointed their new manager.

Always been a good day out Hull
Silver Cod mob always gave ya a nice welcome.
The good old days.

Can ya at least wait till 5pm Saturday

Hull… remember playing them at home and they brought a good following.
@0 minutes into the match stood in the Rink End two lads noisily got right behind the goal and were slightly pissed and cheering away enthusiastically when Hull were awarded a a disputed free kick and while we were furiously disputing it everyone realised the two shouty lads were cheering madly.
Silence suddenly reigned and the two lad realised they were cheering alone..they slowly turned around, their expressions priceless and realised that they’d cocked up…luckily three coppers pitch side literally dragged them over the wall and frog marched them around the pitch to the Town End to be with their own fans…better than kicking them out though.

5pm you,ll be lucky. we will not be in time added on by then with the new rules inforced about time added on.

Haha, i just tell it how it is and things have been a mess for too long, two ex managers have basically hinted at that, of course fans will say sour grapes. Any way i boody hope so that my hopes will improve mate I predicted relegation last year and I'm hoping my worries for this year dissappear quickly, I think we're in for a major shock over the next few weeks.

0-1 but performed well.

i think an "unlucky" narrow defeat is the most likely outcome but I guess any outcome is possuble and first day of the season we travel in hope.

Just a daft laugh Billy, My reasoning for doing better than our 1st season here is the manager + We have a squad that have performed at this level before.
Don,t think the shock can be any greater than when Dover turned us over 0-1 in our first time at this level.
Was at that game and it was a eyeopener!!!
A lot of fans in Lge2 believe this is really non league football, But i think a few clubs could survive Lge2 easily.

Barnet 1 Pools 0

Barnet 0 Pools 3

1-1.

2-1 Barnet---late consolation from Cooke

without seeing this side play in anger and having no idea what our opponents will be like we are in a much better place than 12 months back. i,m sure this side we now have would easily beat the scrap put out at this time last season.

Be a very tough team with 2 of the title contenders for me playing it out. Wont give any indication as to what our season holds unless we muller them 6-0 ill then be planning for life back in the league and ordering the we are champions flag ! but seriously its a tough first fixture but id rather get these teams out the way early when the full season is still to play for ! should we get a draw i think its a good indication of us having a good season - they will be tough to beat and being at home, the initial season jitters will be slightly relaxed for them. We have new players wanting to stake claim for starting positions in this team - shame about Mani not starting but id hope we have a raring to go Umerah and Wreh up top giving it 1000% - who knows might have another in by then too as Wallace being out is such a Pools hangover we didnt need going into this new season first thing

Barnet unbeaten in preseason.

They lost 5-1 against Oxford behind closed doors if that counts! I'd take a draw but being positive, 1-2 to pools.

Even after tonight's result I'm sticking with a 1-0 defeat and hope I'm wrong.....again!

Camera work is shite.
And must be a shit division if theae 2 are favourites.
Mini rants out the way.

UTP

Things can only get better.
As the song goes.
UTP.