The mention of Mick Tait the other day got me thinking about this so in TPP stylee......

Which Pools player, past or present would you really not want to fight when they were at their peak?

Billy Ayre.

Obvious one Bob Newton......

obviously cant speak for the old guard, but i thought mark tinkler was a decent modern day hardman, strong in the tackle, took no shit and could even back it up with some goals too.

And by all acounts Tinks was handy with his fists in the pub when confronted by Mackems.

Only a loanee but Kevin Kyle would make me shake like a shitting dog!

he looks solid but to be fair, he was soft as sh*te

Paul Baker or Mick Smith.

Didn't Martin Burleigh allegedly flatten Bob Newton in the dressing Room at Feethams one time or is it only legend?

I remember Bob Newton when asked about him being a hard man said that I am a pussycat compared to Billy Ayre...

dean emerson would be mine

Keith Nobbs (is God) would be worth avoiding too.

Mick Smith, ex-copper. Must get my vote. He was nails.

This might come as a surprise to some as it was to me - but I know some people who know Istead. Around Shields he is supposed to be game as fukk...

John Rowlands. I Win, endof.

I give you...
Anthony Skedd.
Surely pound for pound he wins?

played footy with skeddy for years at school and st francis wasnt a hard man just a moody little tw**!!! one of my good mates though a good lad who did what i always dreamed of...played for pools!!!

Ian Crumplin.

I'm suprised that nobody mentioned Tommy Butler, apparently a hard man in the dressing rooms.

Would'nt like a clip off Steve Howard, although John Rowlands,Billy Ayre or Bob Scaife took no prisoners.

I suppose Tommy Widdrington could sneak onto the list too.

i think baby foley would bite yer balls off

Richie Barker

Surely Ben Clark deserves an honourable mention for twatting Scooty.

Bill Green

Peter Billing. Not saying this is gospel but heard from a very reliable source that Tony Canham never left Pools... he was actually eaten by Billing on the bus back from Rochdale back in the day.

You have all got most of the hard men but you have missed 2 worthy candidate Bjornsson and seriously the balding Paul Haigh

McGuckin

How about hard case managers?
Neal Cooper'd be up there.

Paul Williams looked like he could handle himself, so to speak, in the late 80's as a centre half. I think he left us for nowt and ended up at WBA as a striker and played international football for NI. Unbelievable!

Stan McEwan was also a hard as nails fullback who could hit a ball as hard as anyone. Didn't always go where he meant it to go but it ended up somewhere quickly. And he had few teeth. Not sure the 2 are linked however.

My all time favorite though is Mick Smith. Hard as nails with a pair of knees like custard but he would tackle anything and would run through a brick wall for us. Proper legend who did as much as anyone to keep us up with Cyril and then get us promoted the year after. Thoroughly nice man as well.