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Message to Chairman Hodcroft - get real

Ken Hodcroft
By Clarence Rode
August 10 2008
Hartlepool United chairman Ken Hodcroft got his season off to a controversial start in his programme notes for the game against Colchester. But we've got a simple message for the man in charge at Victoria Park - think before you commit your thoughts to print Ken.

As the boss Mr H has every right to say what he thinks, and before we go any further we need to puit on record here and now that in our view if it wasn't for him and his mates at IOR etc etc, Pools probably wouldn't even exist now.
But we feel it's only right to question two points he made in his programme column for the Colchester game.
First, he said: "The number of players in the squad has been reduced from last season. Economics dictate that the club needs to be more seelective in who remains and any new players brought in need to balance the squad."
Fair enough - money is tight, crowds were poor last season (because the team didn't play too well) and Pools need to be run on strict economic lines.
But why didn't you tell us this last May, Mr H?
All right, we knew then that you had little or no money to lash out, but we can find no trace of you saying the squad had to be cut.
If some sort of announcement had been made at the end of last season, fans wouldn't have spent most of the summer wondering where the next signing was coming from.
The second controversial comment came right at the end of the chairman's column when he said: "We expect a good crowd today for the first League game of our centenary season ..."
Expect a good crowd - you must be joking. Nobody at any level of football has a right to EXPECT a good crowd, whether it's Pools v Colchester or Man Utd v Real Madrid.
You might hope for one, you might even pray for one, but you can never, ever, expect one.
As it was, the crowd was below 4,000, reflecting last season's in-and-out form and the fact that Pools had a very quiet summer in the transfer market.
The crowds will surely go up if Pools continue to play as well as they did againt Colchester - but even then, don't EXPECT them to.

By the way Ken, thanks for saving Pools from football oblivion and for keeping the club going for ten years.

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Message to Chairman Hodcroft - get real
Posted by: PoolsOnline.tk (IP Logged)
Date: 10/08/2008 11:32

Message to Chairman Hodcroft - get real

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Re: Message to Chairman Hodcroft - get real
Posted by: Wagga Dot (IP Logged)
Date: 11/08/2008 09:53

A lot of my mates were on holiday and Im sure that was one of the reasons for such a poor crowd,. But if the lads play like that they will get much bigger crowds. Well done to everyone for a great start

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Re: Message to Chairman Hodcroft - get real
Posted by: Rift House (IP Logged)
Date: 12/08/2008 10:25

That's right - the fans will watch a winning team. But it's like any entertainment - if it's crap, people won't pay to go.

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