By Albatross
April 1 2005

...politics and plenty else! Pools Online hasn't been updated for a few days - so here's a quick look at what's been going on in the meantime. All may not be that rosy in the garden in some ways, but our Division 2 destiny is still in our own hands.... What a difference a week makes. Last Friday Pools were preparing for what looked on paper to be an easy home game with Huddersfield while I was up a hill near Bolton wondering what the traffic would be like getting out of Blackpool on Easter Monday; this Friday Pools are preparing for a crucial match for our playoff ambitions having lost four home games in a row while I am discovering the delights of fatherhood! If you're wondering why there have been no updates to the site for a week - well, that's why....

First of all there was Friday Night and a disappointing defeat to a Huddersfield side that had every reason to feel thankful for the good form of their Goalkeeper; then came a 2-2 draw at Bloomfield Road that for many must have felt like two points dropped after being 2-1 up with our opponents down to 10 men. Meanwhile our Youth Team were making their mark on the Dallas Cup, finishing in 3rd place after losing to Santos Laguna but beating former winners Tigres in a playoff.

Although we only took a point from the two games over Easter, the good news for Pools was that some of our closest rivals also failed to perform to expectations: Bournemouth lost at home to MK Franchise, while Brentford lost at Blackpool and then only drew with Peterborough. We are still in the driving seat - but need to start putting some decent form together to be sure of reaching the playoffs once more.

There was excellent news this week when Tony Sweeney agreed a new contract with the club that will keep him at Pools for the forseeable future - or at least entitle the club to demand a healthy transfer fee. Having scored 12 goals from midfield this season Sweens is tipped to go further - his new contract means that Pools are excellently placed to share his success, whether he stays or goes.

Meanwhile there's huge speculation about Neale Cooper, with the job at Dundee United being the latest he's been linked to. Much as when Chris Turner was attracting attention, it's sadly inevitable that Cooper is going to be linked to any of the reasonably big jobs going in his homeland; he's made no secret of the fact that he sometimes finds it hard to be so far away from his kids, and as a Scottish Manager doing very well on a budget in England is bound to attract attention from SPL clubs who, with the exception of the Old Firm, are having to tighten belts and fight against administration while still meeting the expectations of fans. After all, last summer Coops was reckoned to be a shoo-in for the Dunfermline job; and with the exception of Rangers and Celtic, who would probably want someone with a higher profile, he's bound to be a strong candidate for virtually every other job after showing that last season's success was no flash in the pan.

Cooper has stated publicly that he's not intending to walk out on Pools, and contrary to what some in Scotland seem to believe I doubt he'd leave us unless it was to go elsewhere; however Dundee United are still a relatively big name in Scottish Football, and the prospect of reviving the fortunes of a side that regularly finished in the top four of the SPL in the 80s, even winning the title at one point, as well as reaching a European Cup Semi and UEFA Cup Final, may be too tempting to resist. Chris Turner assured everyone that he had no intention of leaving Pools: "I have a job to finish at Hartlepool" - but when Sheffield Wednesday came knocking he wasn't going to turn them down. Hopefully Coops can lead us onwards - but the more he achieves at Hartlepool, the more his stock will rise with leading figures in Scotland.

Coops is still HUFC's boss until further notice though, and we still have a shot at glory this season. Here's hoping the next seven days will see us take full advantage, starting against Swindon tomorrow.