The Poolie Bunker

What a day!!

Its on the official site. The photo of him is reminiscent of some 1930s Arsenal player. Looks like he'll give opposing Centre backs a hard time.

Another cracking signing, well done pools

Glad I was up and about when I read this- as I probably would have Shit the Bed!
What a signing, can't believe we've got this over the line as well as Popov on the SAME day.

Think our forward line might just about be complete.

The rest of the league will be absolutely shitting themselves at the firepower we now have at our disposal

Excellent work by all involved, and HUGE thanks to Landon for sanctioning these top drawer signings

I'm really excited for the season to kick off

Come on Pools- Nowt to Beat!

Is it going to be like Keegan's time at Newcastle just outscore the opposition, last season Harris 22, Nolan 18 and Popov 7that is 47 between them, Yes please.

CLUB STATEMENT FROM HALIFAX TOWN
Contrary to a recent announcement from another party, FC Halifax Town can confirm it holds the player registration for player, Will Harris.

A one year option was exercised for an additional contract year, for which the player has been informed within the normal administrative process of the FA and importantly within the FA timescale for 2026.

Going to be messy

He's not going to play for them again that's for certain. Strong rumours a short while ago that Halifax had taken too long to exercise options on a number of players not just Harris.

With the signings we're making and the statements from the club it's quite obvious Fevs park the bus tactics are not going to be the order of the day. Even if we don't achieve promotion this time around it looks like it WILL be fun trying this season.

Give it a rest why don't you? Do you seriously think Featherstone would have parked the bus with that kind of firepower at his disposal? Of course you do

There is no comparison between last season's squad and the one that's coming. Pools have moved on to a different era.

That's the point I'm making, glad we're in the same page.

That’s what he promised and it looks like he’s a man of his word.

Can the club please let us know is he our player or is the registration still with Halifax. Please just clear this up.

Nothing to see here -
They've realised they've dropped a MASSIVE bollock and are trying to rinse a few quid out of us- typical yorkies

There is no way we'd have announced that (under the new regime) if we weren't confident we had our man.

There is Zero chance he'll play for them again.

The club must have evidence that he was a free agent.

Wonder if some kind of legal battle is going to happen? If there is a dispute I presume he wont be allowed to play. Lets hope its sorted out quickly.

Whether he's a free agent or not, he seems to have nailed his colours to the mast.
The pleasing thing for me is , we're getting the business done pretty early and not waiting for supposed "names' to give us the benefit of their previous experiences, but signing quality players in or comig to their prime. Hope the next one in is a goalie !

I sincerely hope that they have - otherwise this could be one of the biggest gaffes in Pools history. However I have complete faith in Landon and his professional and highly experienced backroom team that this is not indeed the case.

Apparently Harris and a couple of other players contracts lapsed on the 5th May 2026, Halifax triggered the options 25 days later on the 30th May. They're now saying the FA rules say the deadline is 1st June 2026 for contract extensions. I'm no employment lawyer but not exercising the option by the end of a current contract means the player is off the payroll and becomes a free agent.
They've fecked up and no doubt will claim he's their player but it seems obvious that from 6th May he ceased to be under contract to any club and was available to sign for anybody.

Worst case will be some form of compensation, if the legals are not straight forward.

Either way he clearly isn’t going to play for Halifax again.

Just hope it doesn’t drag on too long so that he can focus on prepping for a successful season with the mighty Pools!

Loads of comments on X as you might expect but nobody thinks there's a cat in hell's chance Harris will be playing for Halifax next season.

This is one of their fans take on it:
"We had a year option in his contract, we triggered it after the contract had expired. In FA rules that's allowed but according to common contract law it isn't and so he's a free agent but we're arguing it to try get compensation."

Another one of 'their' players, Jay Turner-Cooke, is in the same situation. Imagine if Raj had cocked up like this - there'd be hell on from Poolies.

I am obviously delighted for Pools but I feel sorry for Halifax fans.

It seems their club has dropped a right bollock and are trying to deflect the situation, and it may not just be Harris they've done this with. If the shoe was on the other foot, I'd be fuming.

Some of their fans are focusing their rage to Hartlepool. I think rather than doing that they should focus on their owners and directors, and how to increase their fanbase (losing their best players due to administrative blunders will only harm this).

This reminds me how we felt when Dave Challinor joined Stockport.

They need somebody who knows what they are doing in charge. Luckily for them a certain fellow from Middlesbrough is interested….

I'll assume 'Other' must be Carlisle. They'll be serious contenders again, especially without Hughes.

what are the odds on halifax at the vic on the 8th august.

just imagine if this had been manny D 12 months ago. how many pages would the thread be now about incompetance from the club and owner. doubt rochdale would get a mention, but we are poolies and not shaymen who are a different animal.

The thread on the Halifax forum talking about exactly that incompetence from their own club and owner has reached 25 pages now…

I get the impression that if FA regulations and employment law aren't consistent then the regulations will have to be rewritten, as happened years ago with the Bosman ruling.

Just noticed the halifax manager saying that they have "third party representaion" over the Will Harris situation. Sounds like they're trying to salvage something from it.

they are yorkshire so it will be the money they are after.

Proper hard headed Yorkshiremen, with a nose for protecting their brass wouldn't have got themselves in the apparent mess they have allegedly concocted, in the first place.
Leaving access to one of their main assets is tantamount to leaving the safe door open and Yorkshiremen don't do that as a rule, unless the safe is empty with a note on the door saying "feel free to fill me up "wi a bit o brass" ta very much.

"Where there's muck there's brass." If Halifax can stir the (insert word of choice), it might be they will get some brass out of Pools. I await this story developing with some interest.

taking the rights and wrongs and who wins or losers out of all this i think very few clubs have not suffered under this rule where players can go for free once there contract is us. things might have needed a little change but not to the extent of players and more so agents running the job. if halifax do have a gripe its against harris,s agent and not us. if it was not pools it would have been someone else.

When all said and done, I want Harris in a Pools shirt scoring goals. If there is a protracted legal battle, I am concerned he wont be allowed to play if he is supposedly still contracted to Halifax. These things take months to sort out.

the one who will suffer the most then if the career of the lad himself if that was the case. we have bosman written into football law, what next pools.

I wonder if there's any sort of doubt on Halifax's part, whether they'll have the stomach for court, if they lose it's court costs for them and no transfer fee. I reckon worse case scenario the clubs will come to an agreement.

An out of court settlement? Lets hope so.

What baffles me, is if you have a brain wouldn’t you have been actively trying to hang onto the player if you want to sell him, long before this last desperate to get somethig out of this farce.

Seems they have cocked up and are trying it on to salvage something from the ruins. Even if they have little chance of success, it could be annoying if during the waiting game, Harris is barred from playing.

I reckon Halifax have fecked up, it's hard to believe that there weren't talks between the club and himself and his agent along the lines of "are you exercising the option / we are exercising the option" before the end of the season let alone before his contract lapsed.
Employment Law will trump FA Rules every time.
I reckon the FA will just confirm we hold his registration.

Now the other player involved at Halifax has said he is moving on and Halifax have said it is with the FA legal team. Surely the employment law of the country over rules FA rules. Did Halifax pay Harris until June30th and indeed if they insist he is still their player they should be still paying and taking disciplinary action against him for not returning for pre season training,

Players leave at the end of their contract and surely any option should require the agreement of both parties.
A player who does not want to play for you is hardly going to work out in reality surely…?

The player agreed to the option when they originally signed the contract. Any extension further than the 1 year option would require the agreement of both parties.

It just doesn't make sense for an option to be triggered 4 weeks after a contract expires. At the end of the contract the player needs to find another club, can't expect him to sit in limbo for a big part of the close season, the club could also say no would that mean he's off pay from May 5th but can't even consider alternative employment for nearly a month only for the club to then say adiós.

It looks like both players will be moving on," says Town boss McGrath on Harris and Turner-Cooke
By Tom Scargill
Published 4th Jul 2026, 19:13 BST
0:00/0:00

Town boss John McGrath says it looks like Will Harris and Jay Turner-Cooke won’t be at F3.

Turner-Cooke was unveiled as a Shrewsbury Town player today, after Harris was announced as a Hartlepool player last month.

Both players were on Halifax’s retained list on June 5, which stated they were under contract for the new season
It has been speculated that Town didn’t trigger the options in their contracts in time,
The Courier understands the matter is currently with the FA’s legal team, but it now appears the main question mark hanging over the saga is whether Town will receive any money for the players, rather than if they are staying with the club or not.
After Halifax’s 3-1 friendly defeat to Sheffield United, McGrath said: "It looks like both players will be moving on, it looks like both players won't be Halifax Town players next year.
"I've got 20 lads to take care of. They've made the decision to move onwards.
"I've not had the opportunity to work with them. I've seen a lot of them on clips on Hudl (video platform).
"We'll come up against Will Harris this season and obviously I've heard Jay's gone to Shrewsbury. I wish them well.
"I've not had an opportunity to work with them, so I'm disappointed because I'd have liked to, but it's now my chance to go and find the next Jay Turner-Cooke and Will Harris."
When asked if Town had received a fee for the players, McGrath said: "I think that's something the chairman and the board will negotiate - I'll just deal with what we have got on the ground
Unmute

According to Rob Law Harris is still a Halifax player and they will want a fee for him, it’s near the end of the vlog.
https://youtu.be/fnaetOEBYfk?si=ENJbZGtd95fiecks

That video was released 3 days before the club announced he'd signed for us. The fact that he played for us on Saturday would indicate we must hold his registration, why risk a fine for fielding him in a friendly if he's not out player?

That interview was done more than a fortnight ago, before Harris had even signed for Pools - Law talks about Port Vale also being in for him.

In other news, Newcastle United have denied that Alexander Isak will be signing for Liverpool...

For some reason it popped up on my YouTube, yes it was made 2 weeks ago, my algorithm probably recognised I follow Pools.