So so sad.

Reading that made me cry.

Sad to hear this, would have been great to have him back.

As for 'fans' not caring because he didnt applaud the fans -

I have just observed my own personal 'Angelus' moment in tribute.

That's better now.

Willie who, ye say?

Well done Mutters for getting this thread back on track.

It would have been good to have seen a fit Willie Boland back in the team, after all we all seem to agree that he is the type of player we need in midfield. I wouldn't have been in the slightest bit bothered if he didn't applaud the fans at the end of the game, if he had been able to come back and do the job we need to be done in midfield.

So good luck in whatever you do in the future Willie.

And you keep expressing your opinions on here PoK, diversity is the key.

he wasn't on the wage bill this season.

POK, to use the words "sad day for the club" on the 21st October, shows total lack of any thought.

Boland retired. Thats all.

The 20th October 2007, was a sad day for the club. Almost 2 years to the day that you use "sad day for the club". When some people have more on their minds than someone simply retiring.

Like I keep saying think before you post.

And if anyone now turns this post around again then they worse, than any unthought out post made by POK.

For those who not sure 2 years ago yesterday saw Pools lose Michael Maidens in a far worse scenario than Boland's retirement.

And on that thought maybe now is the time to put this thread to bed.

agreed

With all due respect I don't think their is any need to bring that to the table in thread like this.

POK may be a bit hyperbole but he means well and I think it's pretty low using that stick to beat him with, slighty out of order in fact.

The thread wants deleating.

agreed, i dont think anyone knew that bobby.

a case of extremely bad (yet unintentional) timing on quite a few peoples behalf, mine included.

It's not at all.

Not having the date etched on your memory does not make you a bad or indeed 'thoughtless' person. It's something that should never ever have been brought up in this context or thrown at someone.

I accept now that my post was out of order, the point I was trying to make is that the use of "sad day" simply because someone has , only retired, when there are more important things that those words can be used for, maybe another use of other sad events may have highlighted what I was trying to say better. As I have said ,only today, we all make posts we ,or at least I, realise once posted may be wrong. As in this case.

But a retirement is not a sad day.

My apologies to anyone who I have upset.

Yes, I agree with the point you are trying to make. Michael Maidens' death though wasn't just a sad day for the Club - it was a terribly bitter day for us all. The day he died was a different sad day compared to the announcement made today, where it is sad because a Hartlepool United player has had to hang up his boots due to circumstances he couldn't control.

In my opinion, any day where a footballer has to stop wearing the blue and white of Hartlepool United is sad, but it is not as painful as when a young Hartlepool United player with his life and career seemingly ahead of him perishes in tragic circumstances.

Just stop talking!!!

If every player we had played with the desire that Willie had and then didn't applaud the fans then i wouldn't be bothered in the slightest. Willie Boland did a job - that was what he was about....!

He did a job in League 2, yes. He was very poor for the full season when we first came to League one, along with many others. He played well against Colchester on the first day last season and many people, such as Tree, then erased the whole of the previous season from their minds.

I remember when we played Brighton in that first season and we were rubbish, as was Boland. The Pools fans clapped the team off and Boland was the only player who didn't acknowledge the away end which I think is pretty needless given the distance involved and the money many people had spent getting there. Perhaps he was pssed off that we lost but given that was just one of many games he did it in, I'm not so sure about that.

I don't think he played with anymore desire than any other player that has played for Pools past and present.

I don't hate the guy, I've just stated that I don't particularly care what happens to him now given his clear lack of respect shown for supporters. Perhaps I have got him wrong but thats how it seems to me.