Hartlepool United - View

It's a special double featured opposition view from Pride of Nottingham, as we speak with two Hartlepool United fans Mr Ripper and Poole In Nottingham. Notts will be looking to continue our new away record by making it 2 wins from 2 away games, whilst Hartlepool will be eager to cause us trouble. Hartlepool sit at the bottom of the table and their fans will be hoping for some light ahead of the difficult situation Hartlepool United find themselves in. It has been interesting for myself to read two fans views so I hope you enjoy the feature as much as I have.

Firstly, could you tell prideofnottingham.co.uk a little about yourself, such as how long you've been a fan for?

Mr R: I'm 39 and have been a fan for as long as I can remember. My dad took me to my first game when I was about 4 or 5.

Poolie: I've been a Poolie since I was taken to my first game in 1983. We beat Halifax 3-0 and I was hooked. I moved to Nottingham in 1995 and have lived here ever since (in Beeston for the last 10 years or so). My job is selling and installing EPOS till systems. Me and oldest son Ewan are season ticket holders. For 5 years I was the editor of 'Monkey Business', the Pools fanzine, which is sadly no longer in print but is online now.

Things haven't been going too well for Hartlepool United so far this season, could you tell me your views of the season up to this point?

Mr R: We've been crap. Not just results wise but generally performance wise too. Performances have picked up slightly in the last month or two but at least half of the players we've got just aren't good enough.

Poolie: It's been the worst I can remember. Many years ago we were bad, but that's because we had no money. Now we have money, but a collection of pea-hearted money grabbers masquerading as footballers. Unfit, uninterested and unlikely to find another league club when we release them. Before we played Sheffield United at the end of December, Own Goal was joint top scorer with 2, which I think is indicative of our plight.

Your recent form is slightly better than the teams above you, do you feel the club can pull off a great escape?

Mr R: A great escape? It would be monumental and would probably require four or five signings or half a dozen of the current bottom 10 teams going into admin and being docked at least 10 points!

Poolie: Not a chance. If they do I will run round Market Square on a Saturday afternoon wearing nothing but a red indian headdress.

At the start of the season Notts signed Gary Liddle who has been putting in impressive performances for us. How much of a loss is his presence form Hartlepool United?

Mr R: Liddle was good when we first got him but to be honest he was gash for the last two seasons. The Liddle of the last two seasons he was here is no miss whatsoever.

Poolie: Even if he was still here I don't think he'd have made too much difference. He'd been stale for the last couple of years anyway, so I wasn't really sorry to see him leave.

Can you tell me your highlights from past and present memories of following your club away from home?

Mr R: Highlights away from home? Before IOR (the current owners) bought the club the highlight of away days was the beer and the craic and getting a draw was a rare feat to savour. Since then we've had cracking away days including sealing play off places on the last day of the season and that can't really be bettered by anything other than a 3-0 win on our only ever visit to former local rivals Darlow's big daft ground.

Poolie: Best away game is probably Peterborough away. First game back in the third tier for a long time. Blazing hot day, and we came back from 2 goals down twice to win 4-3. I've seen us play at about 70 grounds, including Meadow Lane about 6 times. There's lots of away days I miss - Sincil Bank, Field Mill, Millmoor - I even had a soft spot for Saltergate. I love a London trip, Charlton away where several hundred drunken Poolies dressed as Smurfs was brilliant.

Often previous players come back to haunt their clubs, with Neal Bishop our captain suspended many expect Liddle to return back to midfield, how would it feel if he scored on Saturday?

Mr R: I'd only be as bothered as if any of your players scored to be honest.

Poolie: I hope no County players score on Saturday, but as we haven't kept a clean sheet since what seems like the Boer War, its highly likely they will. It doesn't matter to me which players score against us, they are all bastards to me.

What formation do you see John Hughes playing and if you was to make the calls what would you do differently in terms of tactics?

Mr R: We have a formation? Somebody should tell the players. If it was up to me I'd give them slightly different instructions to the current "go out there and run about a bit" that they appear to be being told.

Poolie: Don't change a winning team, so keep the same starting line up that despatched Pompey last week. As for tactics, I don't know if our players are capable of understanding any.

Who poses Notts County a risk and which players would you say we need to mark?

Mr R: Not telling you. (none really)

Poolie: You're just as likely to score an own goal than we are to score, but I would keep an eye on James Poole, as he has a point to prove after being left out for so long.

Which players of Notts County do you feel could influence the game and would therefore require being marked by which of your players?

Mr R: No idea, but if you've got any players with a bit of pace they should enjoy themselves.

Poolie: Probably all of them - your keeper could have ten minutes up front at some point and you'll still come away with a clean sheet.

This game will be my first away game for awhile, can you tell me about Hartlepool in general and about your stadium?

Mr R: Hartlepool is great, on the coast, lovely beaches, good pubs, cracking beer. The ground is small but tidy although you get the short straw in your end if you're behind a pillar but it is the best stand in the ground for acoustics.

Poolie: The ground has loads of character, with different sized stands built at different times. It's compact, and there's a low roof on the away end which amplifies any singing. Hartlepool is one of many former industrial towns around the country which have been neglected over the years. Not all of it is pretty, but we have a superb beach, Poolies are very friendly with a good sense of humour, virtually everything important (beer, food, taxis) is cheaper than in most places, and the fish and chips are great.

Where do you see Notts County finishing at the end of the year?

Mr R: Mid table.

Poolie: 10th.

How many fans do you think will be in attendance on Saturday?

Mr. R: Seeing as though we've sold a fair few season tickets and had a few Saturday games postponed recently we might edge towards 4k if we're lucky and the weather isn't awful.

Poolie: Under 3000. We have around 4000 season ticket holders, but given our awful performances, large numbers have decided to do something better on Saturday afternoons, such as unblocking drains or watching paint that has dried actually crack and fall off. I have to work this weekend, so I don't have to think of excuse.

We would like to Thank both Mr Ripper and Poolie In Nottingham for taking the time to answer our questions.