Scunthorpe United (H)

 

Harrogate Town (H)

 Two nil down at half time.

Up 3-2 by the end.

Never say die.

Exeter City (H)

First game back since January 2020 (Stockport County)

First EFL game since February 2017 (Plymouth).

The Vic was full and rocking, hopefully the good / safe times are returning. 

Up the fucking Football League bothering National League conquering Pools.

Chester-le-street Town Vs Boldon Colliery

 First live match I've been able to attend post lockdown - Hartlepool will have to wait. A lovely late summer afternoon and some good quality passing football at a tidy little ground. It's what Tuesday nights should be about...

Up the Pools

 Three hours of agony that. According to fit bit my heart rate averaged between 110-130 throughout. One hand and four fingers on the trophy, and thus a Football League position, when Torquay's fucking goalkeeper pops up in the 95th minute to equalise. I've never felt so sick in my life...

Until the sudden death of penalties that is. Literally on edge of seat but with fists clenched, looking at my feet and physically shaking. I was ill. 

Then the keeper pushes the ball onto the bar and races away. I roared. Jumped up and roared. For all of five seconds, then I started sobbing. Hartlepool United back in EFL after an unwanted four year break as non league. And in typical Pools fashion, we did it the hard way 

Football. Bloody hell.

Matchday Print

It's been just over two years since EFL clubs voted against compulsory production of matchday programmes. So far only Stevenage have gone online with their productions, being free to download. Colchester then took the novel step of giving away their programme as part of the match ticket. Further down the pyramid Barnet went online too.

It's a novel step. A lot goes into making a programme, pain staking work and deadlines for a product most will buy out of habit and then not read. So by going online with free to download you're potentially increasing readership (people not attending games or away fans unable to travel), keeping sponsor fees but losing the publishing and distribution costs. Given the whole COVID19 behind closed doors scenario, we may see more clubs than the three mentioned before follow suit with doing away with the progie.

Is it right though? I was an avid collector of matchday programmes when I was younger although maybe ten years ago I stopped buying. The problem is I can't remember what games I attended now so about 3-4 years ago I started buying again, just to aid my memory. It's part of the routine in going, as much as the pre match pint, pie and meeting of mates - a memento of the game, particularly aways - so can't see me getting into this online malarky if Pools bin it off.

In fact I know I won't . I used to be a purchaser of Pools fanzine Monkey Business. That went online years ago and I can't recall ever bothering to seek it out and read. Yet when some mush behind the Town End was selling it a pound a go , I was straight over.

Another defunct publication was the short lived Nationwide Review from the mid 90s. A small football league magazine priced a pound which didn't do so good, so then was given away with football programmes monthly. Again was short lived and disappeared. Given the internet was taking off it was commendable Nationwide chose to go with a publication for club news rather than a website - the net was no doubt what killed this mag off - however it would be another 25 years before the internet started to see off matchday programmes.

Pools v Sheffield United (JPT)

Victoria Park. Under the lights. Ten quid in. Pie (balti). Pint. Another one. Usual spot. Love terracing. JPT. 7pm KO. Sheffield United.  We're 3-5-2. Four minutes in. One nil down. Sixes and sevens. Heavy rain. No atmosphere. Good save. Good save. Good save. Where's the defence. Under the cosh. HT. 0-1.

Another pint. Chat. Swear. Laugh. We're 4-4-2. Look comfortable. Look very comfortable. Look better. Than them. Giving them a game. Might get back into this. Through ball. Rakish on it. Square pass. Fenwick. FENWICK. YES. Bouncing. Bobbing. On the stairs. Swear. Cheer. One all.

On top. Going forward. They're League One. We're League Two. But we're at home. We're better. Ooooooh. Close. Flashed by. Atmosphere now. Swear. Clap. Shout. Pools!

3 mins added. One on one. Save. Swear. Corner. Tenth. Need 11. Bet off. Whistle. FT. 1-1. Penalties. Our end. Their keeper. Boo. Goal (us). Cheer. Wave arms. Shout. Goal (them). Quiet. Miss (us). Swear. Blast it. Next time. Wave arms. Goal (them). Swear. Only going one way. Ends 3-4. Out. Again. Still. Some positives. Value for money.

It's a simple game.