Porter has as good as confirmed he's leaving.

"Things have really turned around for me but after five years here at Hartlepool, I'm ready for a new challenge.

"I want to come home on a high. If things work out the way Miron wants it and I want it, it should be a good partnership.

"His attacking style of football would definitely suit me."

"Coming home will give me a new lease of life because I've become a little bit flat and I want to enjoy the game again.

"I'll bring things home that I've learned and hopefully help make the A-League even better.

"It also will be good to get back to eight months of sunshine rather than eight months of winter and it will be great for my wife and two kids. I've had enough of the lifestyle in the UK. I'm an Aussie born and bred and it's time to get back."

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/200 ... occer.html

Edit: Link. The link does not work because the work soc-cer is replaced by the word football.

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=u ... &scoring=n
If it doesn't work it's the top article on the link above.

Well thats that done and dusted. Lets hope he can help us have a good f.a cup run to round off whats been a great few years at pools for him.

Maybe thats his agent pushing it through. Mind, this was always going to be his last season no matter what others on here knew or thought, forget big contract offers from pools its a cert. There's not been many finer players to grace the shirt of Hartlepool United and for that I am eternally grateful

Maybe he wants to but has been told he can't?

I am going to cry.

well i'm just gutted that this will be the last season i have the pleasure of watching Joel Porter. And that's what it is, Pleasure. He has been fantastic for Pools and now we have major rebuilding to do in the Summer, a new hero to salivate over hopefully.

All the very, very best Joel, now to sign off your Pools career in style

Link doesn't work.

I dont get much inside the club info but one thing is certain, Porter wants to be away, it wouldn't matter if we signed Ronaldo to partner him up front, he'd made his mind up last season, luckily for us we had the claus in his contract, this runs out in june then he's on a first class flight back to the sunny climates of Australia.
And who can blame him!

Maybe he just hasn't been asked?

The board replaces the word soc cer with the word football hence if you open it up and then in the bar replace football with soc cer (all one word obviously) then it will work.

Porter said he has been watching the A-league here, has he got Oz tv coz i have never seen it, i am a big watcher of Oz arobics but never seen the football

What channel is it on ?

Maybe he's got a dodgier, dodgy box?

He's fulfilled his contract despite family problems forcing him to ask for a release last close season. His contract will be up in the summer and these things work both ways.

Personally I've always believed that there was zero chance of him re-signing and we can't blame him one iota, good luck to the lad.

True to say he owes us nowt, or even less.

Never as good as people rated him neither. Adequate, but not that good.

the claus in his contract

Santa???

There were times when he seemed completely disinterested then we discovered that he was playing injured. When fit, Porter is up there with the very best footballers to ever play for Pools.

at

I did tell you all months ago to prepare yourself for this very day...

I also agree that when on his game Joel Porter is one of the best strikers I've seen for Pools. But his days have been well spread out due to some bad luck with injuries and regular losses in form.

He says it himself in that interview, he's lost interest in football at times whilst he's been here, deep down we've all seen that on the pitch.

Always will be a Poolie leg-end though.

December 31st, 2008

GOLD Coast United-bound striker Joel Porter is licking his lips at the prospect of forming the A-League's most potent strike force alongside New Zealand international Shane Smeltz when billionaire Clive Palmer's team rolls off the runway next season. The Hartlepool hitman is expected to ink a three-year deal with the expansion club within days and can't wait to return home to demoralise defences and resurrect a Socceroos career which stalled after just five caps.

Porter (pictured), who has struck 13 times this season for the modest League One outfit, said a return to his roots would reawaken his passion for football eroded by the draining demands of life in England's third tier. With kindred spirit Smeltz leading the A-League scoring charts with 10, Porter said: "If I join the Coast then it's fair to say we could hopefully form a pretty useful partnership. "I've been watching the A-League on TV here and Shane's been pretty dynamic, it would be interesting to play alongside him. "I'm sure we could worry a few defences along the way and get a great partnership going."

Ironically, the pair could have teamed up this season at Wellington Phoenix had Hartlepool not activated an option to keep Porter for another season. While United cannot officially approach Porter until the transfer window opens on New Year's Day, coach Miron Bleiberg watched in him action against Yeovil earlier this month and he has already been factored into the team's plans to dominate the A-League in 2008-2009. "It's been a good year for me goalscoring wise," said Porter, whose prospects of playing in the Premiership or Championship were effectively wrecked by several long-term injuries.

"Things have really turned around for me but after five years here at Hartlepool, I'm ready for a new challenge. "I want to come home on a high. If things work out the way Miron wants it and I want it, it should be a good partnership. "His attacking style of football would definitely suit me." Porter, who turned 30 on Christmas Day, scored 49 goals for Hartlepool at an average of almost one every two games.

But for a serious knee injury, which required multiple surgeries, the resume of the former National football League striker would be even more imposing. He's also salivating at stepping out in the same side as Socceroos star Jason Culina, United's likely marquee signing in January. "By the sound of things the Coast have got a great side together and if Jason comes in, what more could you want?," he added. "If he can't find you with a pass, then I don't think anybody can."

Bleiberg insisted last night that reports that Culina was set to snub the Coast and re-sign with Dutch giant PSV Eindhoven were 'news to him'. Porter, meanwhile, believes a switch to the Coast would aid his Socceroos prospects, with Porter likely to be in the mix for the looming Asian Cup qualifiers as coach Pim Verbeek leans heavily on A-League talent. "If I get my name about and keep scoring, then maybe I can get an opportunity," he added.

Porter admits he has become stale, adding: "Coming home will give me a new lease of life because I've become a little bit flat and I want to enjoy the game again. "I'll bring things home that I've learned and hopefully help make the A-League even better. "It also will be good to get back to eight months of sunshine rather than eight months of winter and it will be great for my wife and two kids. I've had enough of the lifestyle in the UK. I'm an Aussie born and bred and it's time to get back."

Good call that.

i'm up for that like, a fitting tribute for him

So what do we wear?

Well thats that then.

Awesome player.

Give us the best seen i've ever seen watching pools, upfront him and boyd we're championship class.

One of my favourite all time players.

Legend.

One of two,the other was Sweeny

if only a returning friend could talk him round

Right that's it....Dimi come back NOW.

far as i can gather his family are much more settled over here now than this time last year and a new boss and some old friends may help suade him

I don't think the timing is too coincidental, as of Thursday he is available to sign a pre-contract agreement with anyone he likes.

I would go if in hes shoes...

Awesome player, and not over-rated at all.

The thing is we all know he's going but this season his attitude and performances have been as good at times as 2005 with Boydy. Even during Sundays debacle he never stopped and was the best player in terms of quality on the pitch. He could have easily picked up his wages in the knowledge he's going and served up half arsed performances but he's been class.

He's one of the best players who's ever played for Pools, he'd look better at a higher level as well with players more on his wave length.

Do you think i will be aloud in the ground with a didgeridoo

Pools would never have the nouse to help organise summit like this.

Would be awesome though.

sick as, love Joel Porter me!!
easily the best player I've seen play for us......granted this is only my 12th season, but still a fact.


good luck Joel!

Pools don't need to, this could be another messageboard thing; a sort of cross boundaries thing. A free vote in the house if you like.

its a good idea, but I dont think I could bring myself to wear any aussie clobber mate!

although I could go as alf thingybob off home n away, flamin gallah!

A few of us could go as the Sullivans

I will be Tom the handsome one
My cuz (Chip) can be John the intellectual one
POK can be Terry the little rascal

We need a Dave, Grace, Norm, Harry, Kitty and Grace any takers

can i be Kitty?

If you like but you will have to be prepared to be tormented by Terry who is POK

i have just remembered i am washing my hair that day and can't make it....

Our alternatively, it could be a case that he's been playing with a level of commitment and determination that would endear him to potential suitors. He wants to go home, he wants to get the best deal he can, therefore he's been playing very well this season.

All credit to him, he was told he was staying, he didn't complain, he got his head down and he's successfully played himself into a strong position to get a really good contract of this aussie side, very professional.

Thats the way I read it all along too.

You seem to have forgotten Kona Hislop from that list!

If you're selling the car, it helps if you make it look as good as possible ..... If it's true, it's a case of thanks, but if you're off, your replacement is my real concern.

It took him a while to settle in and he has appeared uninterested at times, but I will always remember the equaliser against Bristol City in the first leg of the play offs here at the Vic. Right at the end of the game he got the ball and ran the full length of the pitch and scored.

all players move on eventually, some with everyone's good wishes and some not so, Porter definitely falls into the category of the former - and of course Snowy is right, we need to start looking around quickly to identify who we can attempt to replace him with. We may have to change our style and play with a big target man like Steve Howard plus tricky, skilful striker, with wingers who get the ball in wide areas and put crosses into the box.
Imagine Howard and Boyd up front next season - mouth watering

Great poetic licence!

I remember him nicking in front of the oncoming Steve Phillips and sliding the ball into an empty net in about the 70th minute but your version is better