By Charlie Summerbell
November 29 2010

After the draw for the third round of the FA Cup, Hartlepool United – and their second round opponents Yeovil, for that matter - can only feel jealous of the likes of Peterborough, York, Stevenage, Notts County and Bournemouth, who all got the plum draws they were praying for when the balls came out of the bag.

What did Pools and Yeovil get? Watford away.
It’s traditional now to insert the phrase “with the greatest of respect to Watford”, so we will oblige. But come, on, they are hardly giants are they?
They were once, when Elton John and Graham Taylor were in charge.
But now most fans of teams like Pools and Yeovil would have to Google the club to find out who their manager is* and who plays for them.
In mid-table in the Championship, Watford will be clear favourites to make progress to round four, and if that does happen Pools or Yeovil are unlikely to have the consolation of a big pay-out - crowds at Vicarage Road have hovered between 12,000 and 15,000 this season.
But of course there’s the re-scheduled second round match to get out of the way first, and before that (next Tuesday, December 7), Pools have to hope the weather relents and the pitch at the Vic clears up in time for them to face Southampton in League One on Saturday.
The Cup draw might not have been kind, but at least pools are still in it and the League One season is not going as badly as it has occasionally threatened to go.
So that’s as good a time as any for us to once again call on Pools to do something about giving Mick Wadsworth the job on a proper footing instead of just as caretaker.
Not that they’ll take any notice.

*Save you looking, the Watford manager is Malky Mackay, whoever he is.