By Albatross
October 14 2004

Not a new signing, but a new contract: Hartlepool United have announced that Dimitrios Konstantopoulos will be staying at Victoria Park after signing a new deal with the club. How much to have that on a shirt again? "Dimi" first arrived at the club about a year ago, initially on trial as Cooper looked to find more competition for the keeper's jersey. When Tony Williams sounded off to the Hartlepool Mail about his lack of first team action, Konstantopoulos soon found himself signed up and in the first team squad in place of the Welshman - his first appearance on the bench being as we lost heavily at Blackpool. After that he was pretty much a fixture as an unused sub as Jim Provett retained the keeper's jersey. With the departure of Taff over the close season, he is now one of two pro keepers at the club.

A former Greek u21 international, he signed for Pools having left Portuguese side Farense. A highly distinctive figure, his height and flowing locks earned him the nickname "Chewbacca", with Wookie howls in evidence once or twice as he warmed up!

He had to wait a long time for his first appearance, finally making his first team debut in this season's Carling Cup win over Macclesfield, and his league debut on August Bank Holiday Monday in our 2-1 win over Colchester. His finest moment so far though came in the LDV victory over Hull, where his penalty stops played a big part in us winning the shootout.

While only those that watch the reserves regularly have seen much of Dimi, he's shown enough to look like good backup at least, and Cooper has shown he's not afraid to start with him if Provett isn't looking like doing the business. Whether he will displace Jim from the starting eleven on a consistent basis is debatable, but that will be his aim - and it can't help but keep Prov on his toes.