Molyneux to a Scottish Prem side.

Ferguson to Harrogate.

Odusina to Portsmouth.

You weren’t obliged to say anything, so it may be used against you in the Bunker Court at a later date.

Think it's going to be a different looking side next season!

Unless Harrogate pay bigger wages than Pools are prepared to offer, why would Ferguson go there? The other two, yes, they are plausible moves. Agree with Richy, the side turning out at the Vic next season will bear little relation to the one on the pitch at the final whistle against Colchester on 7th May. Sterry, Byrne, Morris, Ogle, Featherstone, Bogle and Carver will still be in the squad in my view although only Sterry, Featherstone and Bogle are actually contracted beyond this June. Should be an interesting summer although a lot of us thought that last summer and look what didnt happen.

Ferguson won't be here next year by the sounds of it being offered double what pools are offering. Money talks and at the end of the day we will lose most of our best players at the end of the season, like we did last season.

Let's hope we don't try and replace them with kids who we don't have to spend much on, only burey was any sort of success this season and he didn't play much. Next season will be a bigger struggle than this to stay up.

We live in interesting times, but interesting doesn’t necessarily mean good times or bad times come to that. But make no mistake, there’s been plenty of time to prepare for next season.

yes, if some go we need there replacements to be as good or even better. this regularly happens and not just at pools. can understand fans being worried when decent lads go as pools have had a habit over the years by signing up players who end up to be worse than the ones gone. pools may not be the highest payers in the game, but i,m sure there are a good number who pay less.

Dont have a problem if our decent out of contract players turn US down to go higher up the pyramid.
But surely we can negotiate deals to stop them going to other league clubs.
6th best supported team in division and a few quid in the Bank.
Ye will be an interesting summer.
Hopefully the recruitment is up to standard to go for a top 7 spot.
UTP.

Meant other league two clubs

The club needs proper organizing when it comes to recruitment we should not be loosing out to clubs with crowds less than half ours who also have not had the two cup runs and extra revenues. If not where is this money going? Also why do we have to wait for this new recruitment guy to serve out notice when with us they seem to leave immediately? After using the short time for recruitment last year we should not have a repeat this year. Raj has said there will be money to spend so lets see it.

Why do we actually need a recruitment guy....? What the recruiter thinks is a good player and the manager thinks may not necessarily be in agreement. I think the manager should be doing this job along with his team and the reports of scouts. Recruitment role is just another pointless management layer drawing money away that could be spent on a player.

If true, this would be very bad news. Those 3 plus Sterry are our best players in the squad in my opinion and would be very hard to replace. I think Crawford could be a big player for us next season though so hopefully he stays.

Back in the late 70s early 80s.
Most 4th division Managers were lucky to get an Assistant Manager to help burden their workload.
40 years later we still a 4th division club.
Even a 5th division club for a few years.
Deffo a waste of a wage some these modern day club roles especially in the 4th Division.
But they talk a good game.
Results show how good or whether these new roles are worthwhile.

I agree, why the heck do we need to pay someone to recruit? That was always the manager's job.

The thing is, I always imagine the scenario where some ‘recruitment’ guru turns up with half a dozen players he has decided will do a job for the team. The manager looks at them and says....... No1 is waste of space, played with him before, No2 is well know for his stunning talent but notoriously dodgy knee, No3 known as ‘Wandrin Star’ never lasts a full season at any club and wants to be away within six months, No4 is a good keeper, no doubt about it but struggled after he got a glass eye, No5...Hmmmm we released him last season for being crap, No6 could be a good prospect but we should have waited till his plaster casts on both his legs were removed.
Seriously, even the concept of being given the material to work instead of choosing your own beggars belief.

There was bound to be interest in Odusina, since he eliminated his usual big gaff in every game he has rarely put a foot wrong. He should have had his contract extended in January and then we would get a fee.
I have no doubt his agent has been beavering away to extract another ill gotten fee to boost his agency coffers.
Players staying at one club is no good to agents.
The bloody lot should be booted out of the game.

one club has one so the rest follow. more about current fashions in the game rather than anything else. same with the extensive youth systems and this squad player stuff. been no improvement in the game from the old days of 1st team, reserves and the 16 to 18 year old youth teams.

yes, just like all the extra club staff but even worse. upsetting players for themselves and their bank balance just for a few quid extra a week. if you are a decent player and want to get on in the game playing higher up somebody will sign you agent or no agent. again fashion and sod all else.

snowy..."Seriously even the concept of being given the material to work with instead of choosing your own beggars belief"

from 01.35...."he'd heard a lot about me....i came recommended...."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUtLkioIyjo

in other words... i've not been watching you... and tbh i've absolutely no fkin idea whether you're any good or not...but liam watson and lee turnbull are mates of mine ...and they think you'll do the business for me....

...the lad signs 10/1/22.....and doesnt get a sniff.....on the bench....played out of position..."not fit enough"...says it all..

Don’t shoot the messenger!!

Football is getting like local government...”Ooooh Slagthorpe Council have just appointed a Director of Ink Cartridges, we’d better appoint one before they’re all snapped up.....and a full back up team!” Useless mouths doing jobs that never existed, I can only assume you can now get a degree in the subject.
Same with footy, layers of bag carriers, look at any Premiership bench and they’d got headsets and sheets of paper with god knows what on them consulting frantically like the bridge of the Titanic, but what the F*#K are they doing? They have more cosy office staff than the Tax man and those fools further down the leagues are trying to emulate them in the hope it’s the magic remedy for everything....IT ISN’T, it’s the King’s new clothes all over again. Keep the paper shufflers and pontificator lean in numbers and spend more on the crew on the pitch

Goes with the territory...can’t beat a good rumour.

or armstrong harrogate to pools and one of portsmouths big defenders to us as well in swaps.

Raj said we would in January we brought in guys who have hardly been seen, the keeper, hull the centre back, Fletcher until now. We released better signed one lad from Southport, everyone got giddy at the thought we spent about 10 grand even though he was probobly on peanuts to come. The only major signing was Omar Bogle not wanted by relegation threatened Doncaster. Did brilliantly first month, now I'm not even sure he is up to leading our forward line next season, either play to his strengths or they might as well get shot.

We had one of the most exciting teams in the national league last season we were slow to get people on contracts, we lost out. Once again this season sounds like Ferguson Odusina molyneux are definate gonners, to be replaced by who? Young kids on loan and maybe one gem if were lucky. We've had the 5th biggest crowds for most the season and we appear to be able to hold on to hardly anyone. Invest in the team and take advantage of the crowds were getting or potentially could get or just risk it all dwindling away.

Well now that I have been told those three are definitely leaving no season ticket for me next year

I didn’t see people moaning when, we got promotion, had an excellent start to the season, had two excellent cup runs and not having to fear relegation. Now moaning over the signings we made and let’s be honest anybody who follows football knows that players out of contract will leave for more money or ambition. Should we have got them signed up earlier? Who knows we didn’t try? Why sign a contract when you know at the end of the season you have all the right cards to pick and chose.

billyboy...."We've had the 5th biggest crowds for most of the season".... "Invest in the team and take advantage of the crowds were getting"...

...you can get good crowds... and still be financially fked....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPTmwTpgzu4

Odusina was on the radar of other L2 clubs going into the Palace game so im told - Leyton Orient backroom staff have also been monitoring him at some of our latest home games. There was also a manager and his counterpart from a L1 team in one of the boxes i think at the Salford game (this could of been the Portsmouth lot, not sure if they had a game that night). heard that direct from a catering steward who worked that night.

Ferguson is another i think we all knew would be on the way out (Pools in affect have reignited his career as dont forget he has played at higher level previously). Wont be too shocked if he went to L1 club. I think there is better / equivalent out there for Pools to recruit - wont loose sleep over that one.

Mols is a given aswell - On his way to Motherwell a reckon.

Crawford is another out of contract who i can see leaving us aswell.

Byrne and Killip also out of contract - can see Byrne having admirers too, had a cracking season at this level.

Spike was quoted as saying he has contract negotiations in place and also with targets he is after so we know discussions are on going with new recruits aswell. fingers crossed he knows what and who we need. Be an interesting summer anyways and yet again a different 11 almost completely as to what we started with on the first day of this season.

We have this every time the close season approaches, a section gets the chronic vapours, fantastic rumours fly and confused headless chickens run amok in circles.
These players according to the rumour mill were going to be plucked by The Pied Piper of Stockport any minute...what happened.... nothing..... some people really do seriously overrate our own players and it’s been ever so since my first season on the terrace being told who we’d lose by Messrs Flinstone and Rubble.
Usually the only thing that ever turns out true from the rumour mill is delayed hindsight...and some even manage against all the odds to actually get that balled up.
We’ll see.

eiphos....."heard that direct from a catering steward who worked that night"

...must be the same "insider" who is mates with billyboy...."from the horses mouth so to speak"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nYxcmPu2RE

flapper rumours anyone.....please ?

What about your season ticket for the bunker?...... no point now.

snowy..."Seriously even the concept of being given the material to work with instead of choosing your own beggars belief"

dec 21...
spike...alright paul ...just got the job at pools...got any big defenders you can loan me mate...?
paul warne...well done spike ....and good luck...you're gonna need it...ha ha ha ....yeah ..you can have my lad jake hull next month till the end of the season..should do the business for you mate...
spike... thanks mate...

april 22
jake still to make an appearance....

...and just relying on others never works....mate or no mate.......

I often object to such ramblings by others when i see the " my mate said this who knows so and so" type bollix that often gets spread on forums, un-regrettably on this occasion im one of them. Choose to believe it or not... its fact, it happened and the young lady is a pools supporter herself (so not so much just a part time job to fund her Panini Sticker addiction). She was part of the catering staff so hardly an 'insider'. Basically served 2 gentleman whos interest lied within watching certain players at our club.

Got a feeling that Darlo might be after a few of our players.
Its just a feeling not a mumour but we could make it one?

think flapper would do a job for them...

Yes you can but as we maid profit this year I'd like to we aren't financially fucked.

billyboy... "but as we maid profit this year"......

...yet more guff and "insider" info...."from the horses mouth so to speak"....no ?...then when were the accounts published exactly??... must of missed them myself....and whats that young lass from catering and you all about ???...disgraceful........

Certainly ain't no young lass from the catering office. Thought you would be buzzing that raj has managed to take the club into profit this year? We will see if it's all guff won't we? Just like the hologhan leaving a week or so later.

billyboy..."We will see if it's all guff won't we? Just like the hologhan leaving a week or so later."

..re holohan..."It triggers something in his contract apparently if he plays. Obviously on his way, probobly to Stockport."

1.trigger..no..guff
2.probobly stockport..no..guff

conclusion..that catering lass is taking advantage of you..suggest you bin tout de suite[look it up]...

I’ve heard a rumour, a corker of a rumour but I’ll have to censor key words to protect my source.
According to XXXXXXXXX we have negotiated a XXXXXXX with XXXXX XXXXXXX X X to bring XXXXX XXXXXXXXXX to the club alongside XXXXX, XXXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXXXXX and XXXXXXX, the deal having been finalised this very afternoon at the Widdecombe Arms in XXXXXXXXX.
Leaving the club wil be the following players....
XXXXXXXXXXX,
XXXXXXX,
XXXXXXXXXXXXX,
XXXXXXXX XXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXX
HarroXXXX have taken XXXXXXX and XXXXXXXXXXX and Dave XXXXXXXXX will return with xxxxxxxxx as soon as things have been sorted.
There you go, you didn’t hear it here

I don't need to look it up. You know maybe you should look up the meaning of probobly.

billyboy...."I don't need to look it up. You know maybe you should look up the meaning of probobly."

...."probobly" for probably...."maid" for made...."hologhan" for holohan...nah...sorry pal...still think you should look it up in that dictionary...clearly you have nothing to contribute on here other than your usual..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34UZqP2VxRc

Oh dear do we need to go through your posts and sentences? Nah i will save you from it.

billyboy..."Oh dear do we need to go through your posts and sentences? Nah i will save you from it."

..crack on....cant wait....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nYxcmPu2RE

Hell's bells, half the team gone and it's still only the beginning of April. Rumours are usually complete bollocks. The only poster on here who had any sort of record for getting them consistently right was Compo.


Carver came on a 2 year deal BTW. It beggars belief that according to the Mail Neil Byrne is a free agent in June. Didn't Pools pay Halifax a fee for him only last summer?

If you look on news now Hartlepool united thee is an article from the Carlisle local paper listing all the league two player out of contract at the end of the season. Sutton have nearly the whole squad listed including Richie Bennet and bouzanis a very good keeper. Some jems amongst all of them worth a look but they must get a move on before only the dross is left.

Whilst you could say it goes with the territory - ie losing all your best players every season - there does appear to be clubs such as Sutton who managed just fine to retain theirs.

Possibly a ridiculous comparison but look at the best clubs in the world who have built a team over many seasons and hand selected small improvements each window.

If only….

Sutton have an advantage in that they are located in an attractive part of the country. As much as I love Hartlepool, it is not the sort of place a seasoned pro would come to if he had an equal offer from a big city club. Also, if you are a based in the London area, it is a right ball ache to uproot your family and move to Barrow, Carlisle, Hartlepool, Harrogate etc. Every incentive to stay put if the money is at least acceptable. Also we can only assume Sutton pay higher wages than we do. Richie Bennett couldn't wait to get himself there even though he had been in the North West all of his career. A club like Pools will shop window the likes of Oates, Josh Hawkes, Mols and the like and they want to be away first chance they get. Not blaming them, it is just the way things are with a club like Pools. We are left with journeymen pros, former stars who are on the wane, loan players and youngsters trying to launch their careers. That's what comprises our current team and it will be no different next season though the individuals will have changed.

On the subject of Sutton, though, I think they have invested in their squad in the hope they can go up. If they dont, I'm expecting a substantial clear out and a much smaller squad. Maybe that is why they have allowed a so many contracts to run out at the end of this season, in case they dont get promoted.