Stockport have signed a couple of lads from chorley now they are not playing to the end of the season. Wonder if pools could do the same from all the local sides if only for the final run in. The squad aint that big and a few injuries and suspensions it will start to pick itself again. doubt any loanees would break the bank and some may play out of their skins for a full time contract.

Taylor from Spenny, if they'd let you have him!

That's a great idea. I would imagine most clubs would look favourably on their players getting game time. There would be exceptions there always is but it's worth a good coat of looking at.

They're jumping the gun a bit because the FA hasn't ratified the decisions made by the National League or decided what happens with non-league steps 3-6 yet - it chose to wait for yesterday's government announcement about the roadmap out of lockdown first.

You'd expect that they'll do it sooner rather than later, but the lack of promotion and relegation between our level and the NL North and South is going to be a huge issue, especially if several other clubs follow Dover's example and end their season unilaterally. Wealdstone announced last night that they have furloughed some of their players, which means they won't be at full strength for their remaining games (https://www.wealdstone-fc.com/post/an-u ... r-chairman).

Mark Ives, the new chief executive of the National League, was interviewed on the Non-League Football Show Podcast at the weekend. He wouldn't be drawn on what sanctions the likes of Dover will face if they refuse to play on or put out the youth team, but urged every team to finish the season because the NL's elite status was at stake as well as promotion and relegation with the EFL. He also gave some encouragement to the move by 18 NLN and NLS clubs to be allowed to play on despite the vote so that there is promotion and relegation between them and the NL, saying that personally 'he preferred things to be resolved on the football field.'

Couple of other things Ives said - quite a few NL, NLN and NLS clubs are still negotiating with Sport England to take low interest loans after all (Coxall would have had their hands off) and free Covid testing is now available for all NL clubs - and would have been to the NLN and NLS too if they were still playing!

There is no chance in hell steps 3-6 won't be voided. It's too late in the season now and some clubs have played a minuscule number of games. Factor in hospitality won't return for months and the decision seems to be made already. It seems the general consensus believe the next step 3-6 season will begin in August once clubhouses can open and crowds can be of a decent capacity.

As for decent players in the NLN. Like Loanstar said above, Glen Taylor is a really good striker. Tyler Forbes also at Spennymoor is fairly decent. Darlington fans spoke highly of Adam Campbell a while back but he struggled while at Pools on loan. Gateshead's squad is average, while Blyth are absolutely hopeless.

I only mentioned Steps 3-6 because it was part of the FA's press release - you're right, there's no doubt about what will happen with them. All the uncertainty is around the NL.

What about Laing?

fine if our kitman is unavailable or if we ran out of cones in training.

Snapped his cruciate.



Campbell is very good if you use him off a target man, not so good leading the line. Played a lot of his time for us wide in a 3.
Will Hatfield, Joe Wheatley and Erico Sousa are all capable of playing at higher levels. Sousa has scored some belters already for us.

Jack Mumms should be available from Dover.

Meh, midfield already too full.

There isn't really anyone in the NLN or NLS I'd be too interested in having, I feel the team are playing just fine and if anything should try and loan out players like MacDonald.

I listened to this and I thought Ives was totally rubbish. He couldn't explain where Barwick was, he seemed to think that he was so overworked, he offered no explanations or apologies - while the two interviewers treated him with kid gloves.

I've heard a number of good ideas coming from the more vocal chairman over what to do now - none have been coming from Ives.

There's nowhere to lend them to, that's why we've got Brad Young and Aaron Cunningham back.

Have to admit I'm confused we loaned out Young and then brought in Ravas. Thought Challinor outright said Young and Killip would rotate based on form?

Brad has never appeared in a competitive game for Pools, just friendlies. He's a big unit but still only 18. Challinor and goalkeeping coach Ross Turnbull are obviously taking their time bringing him on. A season in the NLN was a big step up from the Northern League last season - as things turned out he only got a third of a season, but Blyth Spartans were so bad he'll have been plenty busy in the games he did play!

It's rubbish for the lad now with 3 keepers and only the first 11 in action - not much better for Ravas either as he's only played 5 games.

[quote="Flying Hogans"]Brad has never appeared in a competitive game for Pools, just friendlies. He's a big unit but still only 18. Challinor and goalkeeping coach Ross Turnbull are obviously taking their time bringing him on. A season in the NLN was a big step up from the Northern League last season -
its easy to kill off a young keeper by putting him the firing line too early than it is for an outfield player who you can sub without killing off what confidence the lad has got.

Campbell was dreadful for us as for Louis Laing possibly one of the worst players we have ever had, no wonder we were consistently losing games against rubbish, with him in the side. Its no surprise to see darlo struggling if that’s the standard they can attract.

seen both hatfield and sousa at accrington. think they have both reached their level now. first was in a poor side the second didn,t feature much. thats not to say everyone at NLN could not get into the present pools squad. with still over 20 games to go there is no chance that injuries and suspensions are not going to crop up with so many games in still a short period of time.

Laing would probably make my all-time worst ever 11 who played regularly for Pools - and that's in 48 seasons watching them. But Mr. Blue wasn't being serious, the little tinker.

Pools were once linked (from the Hartlepool Mail I think) with Gateshead keeper James Montgomery. No use bringing him in now though. Spennymoor's Adriano Moke was another one linked. Can't comment on either player as I've never watched them

Yeh we'll just struggle on to the FA Trophy quarter final. How are you getting on in that competition? All North East Wembley final maybe??
I guess we haven't had any difficult ties so far, like Weymouth away for example. Anyone can win there can't they?

Bit busy just now playing National League games twice a week. Tried to look up who you play in the quarter finals but the BBC Sport website doesn't even list the games under Scores and Fixtures. Very poor of them to completely ignore such an important competition. If only Dave Challinor had got his priorities right we could be being ignored this weekend as well.

seen Moke a few times. typical little right winger with a few tricks and a bit of pace over a few yards. no real end product though.

I've seen Moke play quite a lot. He seemed to be highly rated by York but I could never work out why. He looked comfortable on the ball but as you say 'no end product' and he couldn't change a game like some players can.

Suits me. We are on a sound financial footing, not taking out loans to add to a debt just in the hope you are one of the two teams that get promoted. The new loans won't be in Singhs name though will they, they'll be added to the loans he's already given you of course.

Singh has proved in the past to be good at getting teams out of the National League - I'm sure he knows what he's doing.

You really do try to put everything on Raj Singh's shoulders, don't you? Did he pick and coach the team as well?

I mean, this is the real Darlington FC we're talking about isn't it? The club that went into administration 3 times in 10 years? The one saddled with the White Elephant Arena by George Reynolds, surely the real villain of the story if you want one? The club that 'took 10,000 to Wembley' but averaged less than 2,000 fans for home games in the National League?

Hey, if you win tomorrow then win the semi-final as well (unlikely as that sounds) you get £15,000 for that achievement. Amazing. I imagine Pools clear about that for every home live stream at a tenner a pop.

Meantime, it's looking better than 50:50 that the clubs that want to in the NLS/NLN will be able to restart their seasons and play for promotion into the NL. Here's the link: https://twitter.com/Ollie_Bayliss/statu ... gr%5Etweet

Win or Lose tomorrow, i think our cup runs have already stuffed over 100k into our fan owned suitcase this season,thank you.

I’m not certain there is a suitcase in monopoly is there? Dog, car, boat, top hat, boot and iron. A good cup run involving you lot passing go and you’re at least 200 up.

Hogans is certain of promotion,he's already bought his hotel on Mayfair.

Yeh and that goes towards your wage bill for that week.
What about the weeks when you are away and have £5k travel costs no income from a stream? The wages still need paying and Mr Singh will be borrowing more money to pay it.

[quote="Flying Hogans"][

Meantime, it's looking better than 50:50 that the clubs that want to in the NLS/NLN will be able to restart their seasons and play for promotion into the NL.
what a farce. some can, some wont and with so many games to play how could someone like york who are miles behind the rest as are darlo ever going to finish the season anyway. if somehow they did i just wonder if dover will have a change of heart in their stance on playing.

You 'think'? £60k max in prize money (look it up, it's not difficult), maybe a few quid off the BBC for permission to show FA cup highlights - but on the other side even fan-owned clubs have expenses to meet - what it's cost to put a side out on the pitch for 9 FA Cup and FA Trophy matches so far. Darlo might be £30-£40k to the good in the real world.

It's about as clear as mud, but 19 NLS/NLN clubs wanted to carry on and if a few more had a change of heart I suppose they could form 2 mini-leagues of 10, 11 or 12 clubs to play out the season and add in a PPG formula for matches completed in the regulation season that ended a couple of weeks ago. That would put no pressure on NLN and NLS clubs who want no part in a resumption.

Reading between the lines of what Ives has been saying for the last couple of weeks, it's pretty clear that the FA is really baulking at the idea of EFL clubs being relegated into a league that has no relegation of its own. It's tough on clubs in the NL that are being forced to carry on, but at least the terms of the loans offered by Sport England are way better than anything a commercial lender would propose. https://fchalifaxtown.com/news/club-announcement-4/

If there is no relegation into our league then there would be no promotion from it. If that is the case then the rest of our season is pointless. If that is the FA's favoured option and the EFL go along with it, we need to be told ASAP.
I have fifty quid @ 10-1 if Pools get promoted but if promotion is null and void I get my fifty back, However at the moment I am being offered just over £84 cash out. So do I take the cash out offer and run, thus showing £34 profit or do I sweat it out.

If there is no relegation into our league then there would be no promotion from it. If that is the case then the rest of our season is pointless. If that is the FA's favoured option and the EFL go along with it, we need to be told ASAP.
I have fifty quid @ 10-1 if Pools get promoted but if promotion is null and void I get my fifty back, However at the moment I am being offered just over £84 cash out. So do I take the cash out offer and run, thus showing £34 profit or do I sweat it out.[/quote]

Think the NL board and this Ives fella will do anything they can to avoid that - which is why they'd rather partially overturn the NLN/NLS vote.

Beaten by a club in the Isthmian League who've played no competitive football for months apart from FA Trophy matches. Ah well, that's cup football for you.

something needs to be done in the summer anyway to make the NL into a 24 team or a 22 team league for next season.

I heard the FA are looking into that, as an entire National League System restructure.

Can start with sacking the entire NL board in my opinion.

Let’s not be too hasty the losers get a whopping £2,000 for which they paid the entire staff two weeks wages

Think the NL board and this Ives fella will do anything they can to avoid that - which is why they'd rather partially overturn the NLN/NLS vote.[/quote]

Just an update on the state of my wager. They are now offering a cash out of £91.67. It's creeping up.

Have you already banked the £2 million from winning promotion this season then Hogans??

Have you already banked the £2 million from winning promotion this season then Hogans?? [/quote]

If Pools have to win their last game of the season 10-0 to make the play offs, our chances of winning promotion will still be inestimably greater than Darlo's chances of winning this season's FA Trophy.

No that that will bother you because I seriously doubt you give a toss about Darlo FC these days - if you ever did. I'd lay odds you never post on Darlo Uncovered - inane one liners are not their thing at all

Woaah! i'm the first one to spread any gossip about Pools on there.