I saw that team line up before the game and I could'nt help feeling underwhelmed due to such a big presence of last seasons no hopers, ie Woods, Hawkins, Harrison and Donnelly. Now obviously Donnelly will be out when Adams is back as he's certainly no left back but that midfield has failed us over the last 2/3 seasons yet two of them still get in the starting line up. Hopefully a game like this shows Harrison more than a win would have, after that he may be able to tell who he can and cant rely on.
Scott Harrison didnt have the worst game ive ever seen but his name in the team just baffles me, the lad tries but he's so lacking in quality its painful to watch, we really need an old head in there who's been around the block and communicates and organises the back line.
That game was just a carbon copy of so many we've witnessed over the last few seasons at the vic, organised team goes 1 up and we are utterly clueless in how to break them down. We dont stretch the game , its so narrow so we just end up pumping it up to a lone striker who loses most headers, we desperately need some pace on the flanks and one of them with a left foot.

Not going to judge the new lads yet but Cassidy looked the best of them today. Munns was absolutely wasted in the first half wherever he was meant to be playing, its clearly not where he needs to be. The squad to me still looks unbalanced with way to many central midfielders yet only 1 left back, no natural wingers, only 1 keeper and no dominant central defender. Fingers crossed these problems get addressed because it will just be the same as the last few years if we dont.

On a positive note its early doors and things could pick up!

On a negative note (again) the club shop really should have been up and running by the first game of the season, the day most fans buy something. I went in and it was the same problems, wanted a hoodie yet they had two sizes XXXL or XXL, now im not small but they would drown me, asked if that was it and the lass said thats all theyve got, nothing ever changes in there!

On a positive note to finish, cracking crowd in, well done to everyone.

There is certainly no cause for panic - we were well beaten by a team that's chasing promotion (5th top and unbeaten this season).

Dover have brought in 13 new players I think yet looked instantly organised, why do we never get that?!

It is as if they have no retail experience whatsoever, half of shop taken up with old badge shite, reduce it and clear the decks, fucking Gnome for £15, jog on you greedy bastard, £5 at most, stick em in a row in the window in a pyramid, merchandising is pants and boxes of stock on the floor, must do better.

As soon as the teams lined up before kick off I panicked, Dover looked a big strong, physical team. Pools looked and were very lightweight played right into Dovers hands with the long ball game, muscled out in midfield, no creativity, how I long for another Mark Tinkler. This like the League above us is not one where you can play football not unless you have the skilful players which we don't have, it's going too be a long hard season.

Not sure of their summer but ours was pretty disrupted. Manager came in pretty late and organising of friendlies was a rush job with a few changes. It's fair to say our preseason didn't go to plan in many respects. Other changes, such as pretty much the rest of the backroom staff were our own choosing and to be fair needed an overhaul.

I'm going to try and remain positive and it is only one game down.

I think also that people who turn up at 2.50 to buy a ticket need to get organised, gates open at 2pm and beer is sold inside if that is the issue. You make an educated choice, turn up a bit earlier, have a drink and get seated or be thick!

The BBC report has Bates as Manager, WTF ,!

Sorry like but that is one stupid post.

Pools need every fan they can get. You do not attract newbies, part timers and tourists by making it stupidly difficult to get in.

I thought pan was bright?

Well if she is she won't let this happen again.

The person that introduced his system is a fucking idiot. And I trust is no longer working there.

I applaud all of those that turned up to pay £20 but walked away.

And £20 is too fucking expensive anyway.

Stupidity on this scale really pisses me off.

Chip why shouldn't people just rock up and expect to get straight in?

What exactly is stopping them?

Pools are a seriously failing busiNess that needs new customers. It seems even now pools have no idea how to attract them.

I can't think of any other business that tries this hard to fail.

So if 4,000 people all turned up at 2.55, you would expect them all to walk striaght in?, you are one dumb fucker with no concept of how stuff works, stay away from sharp objects.

If you are going to call people dumb fuckers you need to resign your position with the trust.

Or at least have the balls to say it to my face.

Chip stated there was 100 people queuing.

Not all 4000.

Are you saying Pam or Pan?

We accommodated over 5000 in our heyday with out any problems and with out the daft ticketing system.
I can see why it was introduced, a £20 ticket could be sold for £10 with the full price part of the ticket removed by the gate person who would then pocket £10, I am very surprised IOR never cottoned on too this.
The answer would be a concession gate only with only the concession part of the ticket.

gladly if you take my position einstein.

Monkeybutt, that one horrific post from a bloke in a fairly high profile position associated with HUFC

What is the weather like on outrage island?, horrific? calling the colonel a dumb fucker, really?

And I am not on official business and am the tea boy.

Crack on. Not the first time. Shame, you actually seem like a decent bloke. Must be some sort of personality defect.

It is, I call it my bunkernality, only comes out when on here, seeking help for it.

Mr Butt

It's issue that is costing us floating fans. As much as £20 a pop for an adult. Dimissing the fact and calling people names is just embarrassing just like about 95% of your posts have been since you signed up for the Bunker.

It's ironic that you've banged on about the catering outlets for years which is a far lesser issue. These are probably blokes who have left a pub late pay in on top whack compared to season ticket holders then will probably buy a pint at half time. It's absolutely radged asking people to queue twice when our ground is half full.

Colonel a floating fan? You would need to go to a match occasionally to be called that.
Anyway, you pay your money you make your choice, not difficult, get to the ground in plenty of time, enjoy a drink and take your seat, or have the extra pints in a pub and. get to the ground at the last minute and have to queue in the rain, life is about choices PJ , some people plan and others don't, the wing it type will end up moaning while the planners will be not wet, sat in seat and ready for the off.
Choices.

I was wrong to call him a dumb fucker but my filter has deminished over the years and if I had planned it out and considered my choices, i would have just ignored his whinging, choices!

Don't worry if we keep playing like that nobody will have trouble getting in.

[quote="Chip Fireball"]FFS it has nothing to do with planning. Not everyone has an empty life with no family, no commitments, and no job. People do stuff on a Saturday morning, or they have long distances to travel to get to the game.

Not everyone is obsessed with having a pint, and not everyone wants to be stood round the back of the Mill House Stand for 45 minutes before the game.

People should not have to queue up for 20-25 minutes to get a ticket for a game while there are turnstiles with no queues, and the ground is half empty. Standing in the pissing rain for that length of time, to pay £20 to watch non league football, and not even getting in for the start is not a good experience.

To suggest people who did are moaning Minnies incapable of planning is just daft. Frankly the club is not in a position where it can be alienating floating voters one game into the season, and like I said earlier, I am sure they will sort it.

So when you travel a long distance to a game, you dont plan it?
I have 2 young kids and my wife works on Saturday, if I didnt plan things it would go tits up and my unders 13 year old kids would be home alone.

Fail to plan, plan to fail, level one stuff.

Come on mr butt. You must see chips point here?




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So a floating customer needs to plan whereas Hartlepool united football club don't ? Regardless of the name calling there's seems to be a fundamental flaw in the argument there I think.

So The Colonel, a notorious wind up merchant, suggests that Monkeybutt should resign his VOLUNTARY position with the Trust for reacting to comments on here. INCREDIBLE, JUST FUCKING INCREDIBLE.
I don't normally respond to the Colonel's wind ups or dumb comments on here but this time he has gone overboard.
Are we seriously saying that anyone who VOLUNTEERS to do work for the benefit of US ALL has to live the life of a monk and restrain himself/herself on this forum, when everyone else has a free reign to voice an opinion.
Mr Butt does an excellent job for the Trust and is the epitome of gentlemanly conduct, courtesy and efficiency, whilst carrying out his duties.
On the other hand wind up gobshites like the Colonel are allowed to call for his resignation for daring to speak his mind on the bunker.
You couldn't make it up.
FFS.

Of course I see his point and I also see the need for the club to get a better system, that doesn't mean I cant have some fun baiting chip, i must be less subtle in future!

Newton gave one of the worst performances I've seen for years. Not going to judge the lad on that one game but he was awful yesterday. How he managed to not get taken off is amazing.


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It's a long time since I watched a Pools team where not one of them seemed to be able to pass a football to any great effect and Newton was number one suspect.
I read somewhere that the St Johnstone fans said that we were lacking in the final third. They appear to have a point.

Newton is exactly the same as woods and fether and Hawkins.

Sits in the centre circle. Can't really tackle or dominate. Can't get beyond the strikers. Can't pass long. N every pass short is stray

If we play with them 3 again it won't be a good season as they just don't do anything.

Dovers back 3 had a very easy game first half as they were just up against amond on his own.

I can't see the point in playing all 3 in a home game.


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It's also once again mega annoying to see a team come to our ground again n dominate us with their style of football

Dover played 3 at the back. Pushed the wing backs high and dominated from about 2-3 minutes in.

What did we do about it?

Very little for 45 minutes

What was our style? What was our shape?

It's early days of course. But Harrison's got his work cut out here


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My experience of the Dover game below.

Shop poorly stocked
Still holes still in area behind Mill House seats
No programmes on sale at Corner flag turnstiles
No lottery tickets on sale
Only meat and potato pies no chips and poorly stocked
No bins to put rubbish
Staff disorganised and seems half asleep
Football appalling- as stated by all of you above
Bogs dirty
Bored at 60 minutes
Disillusioned at 90 minutes

Surely someone needs to get a hold of the commercial side of the club - Pam stated she wished to maximise income from these sources ha ha

The whole experience was shite.

If pools dont improve all of this it will be sub 2000 attendances very soon.

I`m sure the commercial manager earning a decent salary is oblivious to all this

What disappointed me the most yesterday was that it was just a continuation of the same turgid football we have seen dished out by the last 3 or 4 management teams. Unambitious, lacking determination, predictable, etc - I know its early days but come on Craig, have a bit of self-belief, take the game to the opposition. We made their big no 5 look like a world beater, once we started to look forward we had no options, outnumbered every time. Second half we were better, lets hope we learn something from this.

The feel good factor didn't last long did ?. Why can't people be positive like me?. I thought there were a lot of positives to be taken out of yesterdays game ( getting in there before Harrison ) The facilities appear to have improved immensely since last season , oh and I see Accrington Stanley got a good result yesterday.

Why is this idiotic fiasco still happening prior to kick off It was brought up for being a shambles of a system at the start of last season when most people (but not all) were still piping Coxall off trying to say that it was progress and great. i didn't go yesterday because of work but I missed games last season because this idiocy, it's an extra negative you don't need when it's freezing raining and the performances are normally uninspiring. 20 minute + queues to get into Pools is pathetic.

People can say as much as they want that fans should be organised but it doesn't quite work like that. People have the money so if Pools want the money so make it easy and wothwhile for people to have a decent matchday experience and watch the football. I can accept queues for larger than normal attendances but not when the ground is half full.

It really isn't hard - it's only last season that this stupidity started - bring back cash turnstiles and the problem is instantly sorted.

GET THIS SORTED PAM...!

This. Anybody who reckons we improved second half was watching a different game to me. We competed a bit better with two big lads on for Woods and Munns but the football was still atrocious. Dover should have won by 2 or 3. They missed sitters - our best efforts were a couple of long range shots.

I'm assuming things will improve when Adams, George and Featherstone are fit to play - and when we've made a couple more signings.

Yes he/she are probably pouncing around in corporate hospitality sucking up to all and sundry whilst the proletariat suffer.

I agree Chip it borders on the dangerous........an elderly guy fell yesterday as there is nothing to hold on to enen young uns have a problems.......but unless H&S can take it up nothing will happen.

Yes he/she are probably pouncing around in corporate hospitality sucking up to all and sundry whilst the proletariat suffer.

Hi Mr Horden which facilities have improved?

Yes you use the phrase "matchday experience" what dont the nuggets running this club dont understand.......you need to give the customers a good experience......every brothel owner knows that so why doesnt the commercial management team know this

I'm on a wind up marra ! the older posters will understand.

Poor Hartlepool , cant find catering staff with the ability to cook frozen chips , and staff to work the turnstiles , who wont trouser half the admission fee.

thank god you were on a wind up i was just about to section myself................i thought Franks would have been an option yesterday!!!

Franks ? you mentioned sectioning ?

I bet you get a massive bonk on when we lose, to be fair, it must be like being on viagra all season long for nearly a decade

Being proved right is not all its cracked up to be, believe me

We all moved over to the Cyril Knowles stand after years in the Mill House 'seats' (I use the word seats in it's loosest sense) and the fact that there seems to be no control over who comes in.

I'm with Monkeybutt regarding the tickets.
If you're catching a train that leaves at 9 o'clock and everyone tries to buy a ticket five minutes before nine, whose fault is it if some people are left behind.....?