Sam Collins captain
Monkhouse on bench, Robson starts

I think we can expect the latter situation to change during the match. It had better!

Matty Robson opens the scoring!

Where did you get the score from Thornley?

1 - 1 Duff

Apparently pools playing well though a sparse crowd!

Sky Sports News are covering all the friendlies today including pools.

2-1 To the barcodes now, duff again.

2-1 down now, updates on sky sports news

3-1 mags, guthrie

4 - 1 Duff hat trick

looks like he's put Janice on for the second half

And full time. That score's about par for the course. It might even have been the score in the pre-season before we went to Cardiff.

Apart from helping with fitness, does anyopne think games like this do Pools any good? It sounds like we never had the ball all through the second half. I suppose it gives Lee-Barrat practice at picking the ball out of the net.

there should definitely be an "upper" limit for teams like Pools in friendlies. SPL teams such as Falkirk may be thought of as lower-half Championship side, but still overall would be a better outfit but they are at a sufficiently low enough level for Pools to test themselves against, and also have a realistic chance of winning the game. Friendly or not, there are no lessons to be learned from a game against Newcastle - they are too good for us. Any team should have the ball at least a fair percentage of the game to get anything out of it. Newcastle would be better served as the opposition for Championship level sides - League One opposition won't do Newcastle a lot of good either.This is one of the reasons I don't want us to play them- Hartlepool will NEVER beat Newcastle's first team in any shape or form, what is the point of it??

Do you remember when we beat Manchester United 6-0 a Kevin Dixon hat trick and they had Chris Turner in goal for them.

plus I hate the c-unts to the extent I don't want Pools to pander to the pantomimes. If we never play them for another 100 years I'll be happy. Any big Cup tie against a Prem club every couple of years would be a nice earner for the club, also a heavy defeat, but I would not want it to be against those twats.

Premier League football is on a different planet compared to 20 years ago. That Man Utd squad, none of them would be deemed good enough to play for them these days!!!!

Tis true

I think its a good idea to play a top level side pre-season as long as its only once. Then, the other games should be nearer in ability and winnable. But to have 45 minutes of running around trying to get the ball from superior opposition. I think its good for fitness levels and for showing the correct way to play football....just the once though

Newcastle every year though......................

Hodcroft may be a Mag, but we Pools fans aren't exactly fond of them, and if the club owner's think we're happy with playing them year in year out they're mistaken. I switch off if they're live on telly, unless they're getting soundly beaten then I'll revel in watching them lose. I shouldn't let it eat me up, but my personal revulsion of them knows no bounds.
If we were playing someone like West Ham or Everton there'd have been a lot more interest. I'd have been tempted to watch a team like one of those give us a sound thrashing instead.

I agree with me mate Parmo

Lads get told not to tackle when they play this kind of opposition as part of the deal

You cannot play against this kind of opposition without giving them a tw*tting

it's like playing some one at draughts but not being able to jump over their pieces

Much rather have a game against Sheff wed / utd, Wolves, etc.....

Thats why i'm sat at home on the snake bite


pump

I love you

aw shucks................................who's gonna tell the wife???