By Albatross
June 6 2003

Here's yet another batch of contenders for the post of Hartlepool United Manager. All of these have been mentioned somewhere as possibles, but who'd put it past IOR to once again pick someone that we didn't expect? And the interest from Colin Todd and David Hodgson is apparently there as well...

The race for Pools Manager is heating up a little, although we know very little about who is likely to get the job yet. Martin Scott and Colin Todd have confirmed their interest in the position; and the Northern Echo is reporting that David Hodgson has indeed applied for the post as well. Meanwhile, Season Ticket sales look likely to be at record levels as the discount period comes to an end, and Newell is continuing to speak out; as well as hinting at interference from the boardroom and claiming he was literally about to move, he's also said to the Hartlepool Mail that he thought he was beginning to get the fans on his side. If the messages posted by Pools fans on ITN, the Official Site, and on here are anything to go by, he's sadly mistaken in that view! It also looks likely that Kevin Sheedy is about to follow Newell out of Hartlepool United. Meanwhile, here's a few more names that have been bandied about in connection with the Victoria Park hotseat....

Gary Peters

Peters may have failed to keep Exeter in the league, but considering he had just 13 games to do it in did remarkably well to even give them a chance on the last day of the season; they already looked dead and buried. Taking over from John Beck at Preston, he showed that he much preferred to play a bit of football, and is still spoken of fondly by many North End fans.

Pros: Experience; has had some success in Division 2

Cons: Might not be interested

John Cornforth

Cornforth was rumoured to be in the frame for the Pools job last time, after being sacked from Exeter. His record at the Grecians was hardly world-beating; when he left, they had won 11 points from 12 games. Mind you, with the media circus surrounding Exeter this season it was hardly the ideal environment to get a side playing well. Would he be able to shape up as Pools Manager? I'm not convinced. On the plus side though, he did guide them to mid-table safety the year before, and attracted some "names" to St. James Park.

Pros: Has some experience; local connections

Cons: Didn't set the world on fire at Exeter

Paul Bracewell

Faced with the unenviable job of trying to follow Keegan at Fulham, Bracewell made a reasonable fist of it before departing when Mohammed Al-Fayed decided that 10th in Division 1, a Worthington Cup Semi and the FA Cup 5th round wasn't good enough. His spell at Halifax though proved less successful, and he left very early on in their relegation season.

Pros: Local connections; some experience; did OK at Fulham

Cons: Struggled more at Halifax

Bryan Robson

Mentioned by one or two people, Robson must surely be a long shot. Possibly the biggest name in English Football during the 1980s, his spell at Middlesbrough lead to success initially, but in some ways you can argue that with the amount of money he had to spend that's hardly a surprise. Names like Juninho and Ravanelli spoke of the attraction of Robson; but it all turned sour, and you can't help wondering if he's really the man to lead a team that will not have the funds to go and sign the big stars he's used to.

Pros: Big Name

Cons: Big Budget