The Poolie Bunker

I have had a look at the extremely remote chance of a play off spot.
This is how I see it going after ignoring the top 4 who I believe will finish in top 4.
5 / Halifax 73 points
6 / Rochdale 72
7 / Southend 71
==============
8 / Altrincham 67
9 / Pools 65
10/ Heed 64
11/ Sutton 60
12/ Tamworth 59
13/ Eastleigh 59

Pools
======
A / Halifax 3
H / Ebbsfleet 3
A / D & R 3
A / Oldham 1
H / Heed 3
A / Rochdale 0
H / F. Green 3
I feel it will be typical of Pools to finish strongly because we have less pressure on us and can hopefully relax and play. The F .Green 3 points is awarded due to them resting players for the playoffs. The rest I can see happening now that we seem to have a decent first 11 and confidence gained after that last performance.

Think we already need snookers.
Need to win every game and hope a couple of teams blow up at the same time.
If the miracle required, did happen - we'd certainly be the form team, going in to them!

Very true. Both Gateshead & Altrincham have lost 5 on the spin now so it's always possible although highly unlikely. Another thing Rochdale have 10 games to play plus a semi final against Spennymoor with limited time left.

I do think Rochdale are in danger of disintegrating- due to they're fixture backlog - just about playing 2 games a week, every week, until the end of the season.

and we can just as easy go back to square one after we play alifax on saturday.

Yep, I love a bit of optimism but it's one good result. If we beat Halifax convincingly on Saturday Pools would be closer to breaking the mould. My money's on draw number 17 of the season...

I did say " remotely unlikely " like Mr.Hogans.

i,d take that now as long as we have no scapegoat for not scoring or them scoring either.

Never ever say never Mr.Hogan's.

While something is Mathematically possible you got to cling on to hope.

Did it last year with our Monday night darts tieam.
Way behind but won our last 3 games 9 0 and won the league 1 to get promotion to the top division.
Keep the Faith.

Anyhow 512 Poolies today.
Our fan base will never let our club die
UTP
WSO

Here are the game point predictions so far V Real points from these games.

25th games. Predicted. Actual
Woking V Halifax D D
Rochdale V York. A A
Altrincham V Solihull. D D
Boston V Southend. H. H

29th games
Tamworth V Eastleigh. D. H
Halifax. V Pools. A. A
Boston V. Sutton. H. H
Rochdale V Aldershot. H. H
Ebbsfleet. V Altrincham. A. D
Barnet. V. Gateshead. H. H

Southend V Oldham. H currently 1-0

So far my predictions are very good and mostly in our favour.
Out of 11 games I got 9 correct.
Ebb V Alty took Away but ended Draw ( LOST but better result for us )
Tamworth V Eastleigh took Draw but it was Home due to red card.
***Overall a successful week for my predictions and for Pools playoffs chances. 2 above I got wrong but 1 was superb for Pools the other the other involved two of our rivals so it's fine for Pools. ***
I reckon I am good at this predicting stuff once again " Our Kev "
***FANTASTIC RESULTS FOR POOLS THIS WEEK ***
Will put next week's predictions up later! Remember I am predicting what I believe will happen and not what we need to happen.
Other teams on a great run at right time.
1/ Aldershot on fire until today got thumped 4-0 away to Rochdale.
2/ Tamworth having a storming finish to this season and looking really impressive against all odds 2-1 win today.
3/ Southend look odds on now for a place in playoffs.
( got really lucky V Oldham who had a stone wall penalty turned down.
***Play off party back on " Our Kev " Keep the faith come on ***

The Vic will be bouncing next Saturday come on.

February was the month when we should have been racking up the points but we bottled it I’m afraid. Two points from three winnable home games was a piss-poor return. This squad was well capable of finishing in the top six but for some reason they haven’t, blame the managers or blame the players attitude but a mid table finish it is!

Not over yet Johnny this is Pools we talking about. A club that often foooks up " easy to win games " then surprise us all by doing something special.

I hope you are right Leggie but the Pools I know rarely fail to disappoint…

512 Poolies at Halifax today - I salute you, one and all. What a superb turnout and shows just how much it means to us all.
Football is a religion in the North East (as we all know) Let's just hope that somebody sincere with Deep Pockets would like a piece of it too!

Same here Johnny but you would think something has to give at some point after a million years of heartache and hope.

If Pools keep this run going there's a couple of teams we could reel in, including Gateshead, but Southend and bloody Tamworth are going well and a lot closer to 7th place than we are. The most important thing is showing interested parties there's already the makings of a team worth investing in, as well as a strong fanbase.

The Heed have blown up completely - and their takeover still isn't a done deal. Anichebe now saying "Let' see how things pan out."

if anyone was thinking about putting money into a football club sat around us yesterday would have surely decided them to part with it debs and all. 512 poolies against what, 12 from some southern based outfit who seem to find em queueing up to run them.

I think Pools will finish the season on around 62 points, a case of what might have been!

Should we fail to make the elusive playoffs, I'd rather it be by several points and NOT goal difference - as that would be devastating. Even more so in my house, should it be to SARFend

Yet we still have quite a few on here who think it's little old hartlepool who should never succeed. We have massive potential. One day we might realise it.

100 %

We nearly realised it on 29th May 2005.

nearly 20 years ago now. you cannot believe it or anybody who said on the day we,d be a mid table non league club in another 20 years.

Worth a watch, the 2004/05 season:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo7yeIcE5b8

Everytime I watch the playoff final, I still think Pools will hold on and the ref won't give that penalty!!!

if hollywood had made the script that would have happened. think i have only watched the highlights once after and just cannot repeat it again.

I've got the DVD but never been able to watch it all the way through. Still think it was a conspiracy (and I don't normally do them) as they were never going to let us beat the mighty Sheff Wed. We definitely got stiffed that day

My best AND worst ever day out watching Pools, happened on the SAME day

Ken Hodcroft confirmed a letter was delivered before the game to the Vic and in that letter, that he saw when he returned after the match, was a statement saying a penalty would be given to Sheff Wed.

Yes, Indeed the letter was post marked the Friday before the game on the Sunday. Don't think the office staff opened it until the Monday after the game.
I asked Russ Green about it, on one of Jeff's walks. Pools reported it to the FA and sent them a copy- the FA wanted Pools to send the original- which they refused as they knew it would mysteriously go missing.

The story I was told was that the original was sent and it did go missing. What we should have done was either sent it registered or delivered it by hand to the FA headquarters with a pre arranged agreement that it would be given in person to the secretary and signed for.

I am sure Ken talks about it in State Of Play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mliugJG0tZk

1 hours 20 mins in...

its not as if there has not been history before in play off and fa cup semi finals of small clubs getting kicked in the teeth by actions of hand picked match officials from the fa. i got exactly what i expected on the day but wanted to see it all live.

He also mentions the officials stopped in the same hotel as Sheff. Wed.
Why Westwood raise his arm, he has never explained why he did but soon as the Sheff Weds player felt contact he went down.

More of my predictions Vs Actual points

1/4 Predicted points V Actual points
Woking V Rochdale D. D
5/4
Eastleigh V Halifax. D. D
Pools V Ebbsfleet. H. H
Sutton V Southend. D. D
Altrincham V Yeovil. H. H
Gateshead V D& R. H. H
Maidstone V Tamworth H. H

100% correct with my predictions 7 out 7

If my luck continues with these correct predictions we have a real outside chance of achieving the playoffs against all odds.

Well played Leggie, I assume you placed bets on these matches.
Do you fancy Boro to beat Leeds on Tuesday?

8/4 Predictions
Aldershot V Boston. D
Sutton V Rochdale. D
12/4
Tamworth V Braintree H
Rochdale V Eastleigh. H
Ebbsfleet V Sutton. A
Boston V Altrincham H
D & R. V Hartlepool. A
York V Aldershot. H
Southend V Solihull. H
Halifax V Maidenhead H
F.Green V Gateshead. H

Lets see if I get it right again.

I do not see Leeds winning even though on paper they should. Problem with Leeds is expectation and its a major problem. They have dropped from top to 3rd and only won 1 in 6 after beating Sheff Utd away.
I reckon Middlesbrough win and I go 2-0 or 3-1 they are coming good at just the right time. Its a derby game and they hate each other so boro fans will be well up for this one.

No bets I should but decided to put all my luck pools way.

Well this is the very best way to get predictions wrong. Last night I took 2 draws but luckily for Pools they both ended up away wins.

Here I have put together the last 5 results from teams in and around us pushing for a playoff spot. Obviously not the top 3 teams.
W. D. L. F. A.
Oldham. 2. 1. 2. 6. 4. 7. points
Halifax. 0. 2. 3. 1. 5. 2
G'Head. 1. 0. 4. 4. 11. 3
Rochdale. 1. 2. 2. 6. 7. 5
Southend. 2. 2. 1. 6. 7. 8
Altrincham 1. 2. 2. 5. 6. 5
Tamworth. 3. 1. 1. 9. 5. 10
Pools. 3. 2. 0. 10. 5. 11
Sutton. 2. 2. 1. 6. 5. 8
Eastleigh. 0. 2. 3. 5. 10. 2

They are all falling apart only Pools & Tamworth / Southend are making any progress let alone playoff form.

and i doubt any of the rest fancy a game against any of that three if there form carries on to the end of the season.

Another strange thing Accy I had a dream last night that we got into the playoff final against Forest Green and won. Yes it was indeed only a dream but hey maybe it might come true.