...............that when I had to miss a game, through work or other commitments, I was devastated. I hated missing games, and have used so much Annual Leave, swapped so many shifts and owed so many hours to watch my beloved Pools.

On Saturday gone, I couldn't get to the game, and to be perfectly honest, and I am almost ashamed, and desperatley saddened to say that I was not, in the least, upset at missing it.

It was almost like I knew what would happen, I knew how dissapointed I would be. It's truly truly gutting to admit that the hours of the game being on I never really gave it a thought. Even when I turned the radio on at 5 pm on the way home, there was nothing inside me willing us on to a win, it was a sense of resignation that a defeat would be reported on, and so it was.

I know we have had bad times, shit times even, but there was alsways that optomism that 'today would be the day'. Thats gone, really gone. Why?

I doubt you read this Chris T, I doubt you read this Ken, but if someone who deals with these two please let them know that Joe Average Pools fan deeply loves the team, the club that you are destroying. We've been here longer, we will be here longer than either of you will be. We are not just supporters, that term is not enough to describe the lads that turn up, and have turned up week after week, year after year through thin and thinner. All we want is honesty, a realisation of your limitations and a self-awareness that is currently lacking in both of you.

There is nothing more I would like than that waking up on Saturday morning, excited like a kid at Christmas, my heart thumping as the team I love running out onto the Vic and giving thier all for us, for the Team and for Hartlepool.

C'mon all of you, is it so much to ask.............................

Good post.

I would love to see how Ken and CT would react if they read through the bunker.

There was a time, not too long ago, when Pools getting beat would spoil my entire weekend. Nowadays it hardly registers. Pools have fallen into the corporate trap and the supporters are secondary, almost an irritation. We certainly don't have a voice and even if we did it wouldn't be listened to.

I find myself yearning for the days of Halifax and York away. Standing on the terraces of watching players of limited ability; the likes of Paul Dobson and Roy Hogan sweat blood for this team. Now we have allegedly better players turning up in 4x4 BMW's and barely breaking sweat. The aforementioned Dobber and Roy Hogan would either turn up on the number 6 bus or in an old banger but would have more pride in their big toe than the entire current day squad.

I don't blame Turner for clinging onto a job that he simply is not capable of doing, everyone has bills to pay after all. The fault of this lies squarely are the door of the chairman who seems more interested in the goings on of Brian Mawhinney that the fact that Pools looks like they are heading back to the 4th division.

I just hope that the council haven't signed the deeds over.

Same here, was just going to say the same.

Yes but the hiders in those days weren't picking up £1500 a week. I don't completely accept that anyway, and its not just about on the pitch. The exclusivity of the premier league has filtered down and its visible even at 'lowly Hartlepool'. Consequently it seems aloof in comparison.

I can't argue with that in financial terms but I bet you can't find more than a small handful of people who feel as close to the club as they once did.

Maybe its an age thing, the older you get you realise that it really isn't that important in relation to other things.

To be honest, Mr Bresslaw, let's face facts:
We are now heading into the last five/six weeks of the season.
We know there will be no title, no chance of promotion or the play offs.
We are down the bottom half of the League.
The teams below us are much more inconsistent than us, and because of that we should stay up.
Quite frankly, the run-in that we've got, if we don't stay up after it finishes, then we do deserve to go down really.
Therefore this part of the season is effectively dead.

I don't think your enthusiasm for 'Pools is floundering, you're just suffering from "End-Of-Season Syndrome" that's all.

I should know, I've been feeling it as well, I better others have as well.

What we all need I think is a nice long rest after the season finishes, enjoy the summer and come back in August fit and raring to go again.

End of season blues my arse.

No fucker can be arsed anymore and i wont be arsed next season whether we stay up or not. The owners are letting the club go down the shitter (yes they saved us etc etc) but they are doing bot all about the current situation and can fuck off for all i care. They dont care about the current situation and neither do i.

Do i want a business who dotn care about the club owning our ground and selling it for housing when they pull the plug leaving us homeless?

Do i shite.

I will be there next game, I will be shouting my tits off for the club I love.

Its not really yearning back for the days that I all too well know were not sepia tinted wonder-stuff. I was merely remarking that on Saturday I missed a home game ( a very rare occurence ) and I was neither bothered that I mssed it, or for that matter, devestated that we lost it. Something that I have never before felt !

look them are just rumours we were just friends and they promised not to tell anyone

Did I grow up in the 50's or 60's because when I was a nipper supporting Pools in the late 80's and 90's I though all players got more than the avaerage man on the street, this is nothing new.

are you being serious? The teams below and above have all been capable of putting a couple of wins together lately, Exeter are doing it now, Brighton have done it, Orient have done it, Gillingham have done it. Tranmere usually come good at home and they have a game in hand over us.

We can't win away, we can't hold onto a lead for longer than 3 minutes ffs. Home is inconsistent to say the least and lets face it Southend were only despatched by 3 because they were really bad.

The only consistent thing about Pools is how bad we have been since mid December. Once again we are relying on other teams being "inconsistent" or bad in order to stay up. It's a disgrace that it has been allowed to come to this AGAIN.

When the pressure is on and Pools are involved in big or must win games how many of those have we actually turned up and done it? How many full houses have we had in the past and on the day blown it?

When you are relying on other teams to keep you up...then for me all hope is lost. You listening Turner?

And they are both above us in the league

ahth

Good post mate, I can see exactly were your coming from. I not missed a home game for years and don't intend to, but have missed 4 away games this season, and for the 1st one against Brighton I was sat round S occer Saturday wanting to know what was happening and wishing I was there. By time I missed the Yeovil game I was more interested in knowing other results to see if my coupon was up.

I've mentioned this before but their is a lot of apathy amongst what i would call die hard Poolies, I travelled with you to away games where we would have our own mini bus 14/15 of us setting off at 7/8 o'clock for an away game.

This season I've travelled in a car with 2 of us in it. The lack of mates takes away the fun of an away game, and when those "die hards" aren't going then there is something wrong. And you know the people I mean.Now I'm not saying a lot is to do with the management/owners/playing style as other factors now affect some, but for the away game at Carlisle there was 2 of us in a car. A game that even on a Tuesday night git 10/12 in a mini bus.

I believe like you its not other factors but the way the club is being run, and I don't want IOR out that would be suicidal.

Those fans still attend home games but there isn't the "match day experience" there used to be. The fun on the terraces I mean even I moan now when years ago a defeat and bad performance resulted in saying sod this let's have a laugh.

Maybe we now expect to much, I don't think I do i just want a decent performance a feel good factor before and after the game and above all a new management team.

I will be there the last away game of the season, hopefully we will be safe and the fancy dress will be out, hopefully i will remember this one not like rochdale a couple of season ago when I cant even remember going into the ground.

agree chip i used to fill big bus easy
i struggle to fill 14 seater now

...and both have been able to put even a small run together to lift them up the table...we have continuously fallen down the table and not put 2 consecutive victories together.

hth

Two wins in a row this weekend would be priceless.