Great interview with the current Carlisle boss and former Poolie here, as well as a clip of an old Pools v Cardiff game:
https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/sport/195 ... ol-united/

Beech was a decent player for us but I went right off him when he left because he was portrayed in the Mail as a real mercenary. Reading his side of the story and his obvious affection for the town, I'm going to have to change my opinion. Bearing in mind this is an interview with Carlisle's local rag, it reads like an audition for the manager's job at Pools!

did not see much of him as i only did a handful of games a season back then. seemed to play ok if i remember right so you cannot knock anyone who wanted to move on. its those who do nothing to take a wage that bother me.

As if Little Robbie Earnshaws first Professional goal was that overhead kick in the Vid against Pools. Cracking Career that man went onto have.

Good Player Beech - cracking team pools had then aswell

Wow that was some goal by Earnshaw that day.

You’re right what you say Mr Hogans, I also held a grudge against him at the time. Just shows you should always avail yourself of all the evidence before you pass judgement. What made it more galling at the time is that he was about the only decent player we had, but in retrospect you can’t blame him. Should be a great game tomorrow.

For the younger people here...

Imagine an alternate world where Nathan Thomas refused to join Sheffield United because he wanted to join Middlesbrough instead, and proceeded to down tools while the club was imploding on and off the pitch.

That's who Chris Beech is.

I watched a lot of games in that period but my memory is failing a bit about what happened when. I remember him leaving under a cloud but I thought we were OK-ish off the pitch as a club at the time, as it was long past the Gibson years.

Pretty sure it led to us having to play a lot of young players, he was certainly a massive loss and while the club wasnt as bad as the Coxall era the club hardly had a large supply of cash. But I suppose time heals all wounds...

I remember that game & Earnshaw's goal, but what I most remember is some Cardiff knobhead running out of the Rink End & knocking himself senseless on the goal post !!

Wasn't he nicknamed Blackpool beech at the time?

And didn't he stop playing and turning up to get his move, I seem to remember him refusing to play and indeed not turning out .

Not quite how that article portrays it!

Think someone needs a pump, because Beechball's managerial tactics seemed a little flat...

Congrats today folks, far and away the better side and fully deserving of your win.

Beech is away with the fairies, his post match comments read like he wasn’t at the game. As for his ‘tactics’… played a formation that doesn’t suit us, and refused to change it until we went behind again, despite the fact that you’d had by far the better of the game and we clearly needed to change it. The man in increasingly out of his depth. We were top of EFL 2 at the turn of ‘21, but since then the decline has been terrifying.

Anyhow, see you in January - the Pizza trophy is a joke and should be treated accordingly.

for older fans chris could advertise something that suits him, Beechnut chewing gum. you are right moonie about the pizza trophy. less fans that go to these games the better for it to go the same way as the anglo italian and watney cups. would not turn up if i lived across the road from the ground.

Last time we entered said competition it was the Vic's lowest ever attendance, about 300 or so against Rochdale. Would like to see us boycott it again.

Pizza trophy? More like pizza shit!

in these early stages these games are more like pre season friendly games. managers seem to get together with their opponents and agree on the minimum number of regular first teamers they play and the others are squad players who get the nod. even clubs slash their admission prices to bribe folks in to watch something like an old time reserve game.