By Clarence Rode
April 23 2009
Hartlepool United's League One home season ends on Saturday when a team from Yorkshire visit Victoria Park. Fans of the visitors appear to think that this is some sort of big game, but in fact it is just another fixture against just another footy team, who happen to have qualified for this season's promotion play-offs.
But then, of course, they did that last season as well and, like Pools before them a few years earlier, failed to make it when it mattered.
Pools still have something to play for because their League One safety is not yet absolutely assured, though it could be by Saturday teatime if results go their way.
A point or three against this team from Yorkshire would be enough, but Pools can even be safe if they lose - provided both Crewe (on Friday night at Stockport) and Carlisle (at Cheltenham) fail to win.
The Yorkshire club have sold their full allocation of tickets for the game, which is at least more than Scunny managed a couple of weeks ago when they only had a few more than 300 in the Rink End - a crap turn-out for a team battling for a play-off place. if the roles had been reversed, our guess is that 1,000 would have gone to scunny from Pools.
At least this Yorkshire club, who used to play some big clubs, has a good following, but footy in Yorkshire is at a bit of a low ebb at the moment, with only Hull City in the Premiership.
And they are in Humberside anyway, and about to be relegated.
Pools reckon top scorer Joel Porter will be fit for the game, which is good news as he will be just as keen as the fans to say goodbye with his name on the scoresheet as he prepares to head home to Oz this summer.
Pools aren't saying much on the subject, but it seems a done deal and we would like to wish him and his family the best of luck for their future and thank him for his loutstanding service to the club.
So it's Pools v a team from Yorkshire as the season ends at the Vic ... a point each would be just right.