By Poolie Kev
August 9 2005

Pools Online is pleased to welcome a new columnist to the site - Poolie Kev. Less of a match report, more of a view of the day as a whole, here are his reflections on an expesive opening day to the season - take it away Kev! So the long awaited day arrived, the first game of the season, the opener of 2005/2006 against Bradford City. With the assistance of my work colleagues and the five hour marathon that constituted a leaving party I awoke with the most stunning of hangover’s two minutes before breakfast finished in the hotel. In Barnsley. Good job I bought that pizza at 1am. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. I think….

Making do with the coffee and biscuits in the hotel room, oh yum shortbread for breakfast, I hit the shower and tried to assemble some train of thought about what time to set off for the ‘Pool. Room service made my mind up for me, informing in typically blunt Yorkshire terms what time check out was and I was on the road for 10.30am. Bye-bye Yorkshire, hello Gods little acre.

My first encounter with fellow Poolies was a couple of beshirted fans driving up the A168 near Northallerton. I had at this stage only seen one carful of Bradford fans although I was well aware that just under a thousand tickets had been sold. Anyway, up to Billingham, down to the Seal Sands and through Seaton Carew to the Marina. Park up in The Historic Quay and leg it up to the club shop. One season ticket, one black shirt, one calendar and the DVD from last season. £366.95 in total, I’m sure it never used to be this expensive to be a Poolie. I used to do it out of my pocket money before decimalisation………..

So back down to the Jacksons Wharf and the recently reprieved Pools Bar, which, whilst it might have been reprieved has subsequently disappeared. I understand the new all singing all dancing version will be back with us in November. However they still sell beer although it was murder getting served, and so grabbing the latest Monkey Business (£367.95 and rising) I ordered a shudder inducing pint and settled to read the fanzine. A most pleasant read and some stirring memories of THAT day.

2.30 and off to the ground via the programme seller and the lottery ticket sales bird (£371.45 on the meter) and my usual Town End position at the Clarence Road side of the terrace. A prime site from which to watch Dean Windass crash a free header into Dimi’s net on only eight minutes. Ho hum, well you all saw the match so no need to dwell on it. Halftime chips and Bovril (£373.65 so far debited from the Bank of Poolie) and a rather flat second half in which we never troubled Donovan Ricketts (what were his parents thinking of??) and then the 108 mile drive home to North Notts in the company of the risible Len Brewer on Radio Cleveland. I swapped to TFM to hear Jeff Winter and an hilarious interview with a Poolie called Steve who managed to get the word ‘arse’ into the conversation to Jeff’s consternation in his first show. Apparently he wanted to pay Ben Clark in washers. I thought he did alright.

Bournemouth on a Tuesday?? Well living where I do, its 256 miles either way, and last season for all the obvious reasons, it was my third favourite day out. So don’t write me off yet!!!!!