By Albatross
September 1 2003

August saw Hartlepool United got off to a good start in Nationwide Division 2; Pools Online looks back on the month so far, for Pools and across the division. The question is, will there still be 24 teams in it by the end of September.... There was shock and despair on Saturday, and the whole football world was rocked to it's core, when for the first time in four and a half months Hartlepool United lost a competetive fixture. Well, maybe not, but although our unbeaten record has finally ended it's still been a pretty good month for Pools Fans.

Two league wins, two draws, just the solitary defeat against Luton, and knocking Sheffield Wednesday out of the Carling Cup on their own turf is more than almost anyone dreamed of before the season started. A new manager, several new players, a new division.... and yet Pools have more than held their own, going undefeated against three of the promotion favourites and beating the team leading the league. Defeat against Luton was unwelcome, but Neale Cooper's reaction - no excuses, a hint that he was going to let a few players know that the first half performance wasn't acceptable, and another comeback that this time fell just short, is exactly the sort of thing Pools fans wanted to hear.

Pools sit ninth in the table after an eventful August, but what's been going on elsewhere in the division?

There are a few surprises after the first five games (four for Sheff Wed and Wycombe who play tonight), with some teams performing well above expectations and others threatening to crash and burn in a big way. Manager of the Month has gone to Brian Horton, who despite their defeat at Pools has guided Port Vale to the top of the table with four wins out of five. Vale weren't expected to challenge hard this season and to be fair they have not had the toughest fixtures - but a start like this may prove to be a shot in the arm. Just a point behind them are Barnsley - the only team in Division 2 still unbeaten, still with an uncertain future, and also expected to be closer to the bottom than the top. QPR and Brighton follow with ten points, both teams expected to be challenging, but surprisingly up with them - highest of the promoted teams - is Wrexham. Indeed, the Welsh team could have been top themselves, but followed a 3-2 win at Hillsborough with a surprising home defeat at the hands of Bournemouth.

Luton currently occupy the final playoff place, but having already lost Tony Thorpe and looking likely to lose more - including Steve Howard, and we've just seen how important he is to that side - this may be as good as it gets at Kenilworth Road this season. Then come Bristol City, Pools, and Swindon.

Sheffield Wednesday are currently a point behind Pools, although a victory against Wycombe would lift them up into the top six. Ironically, both of their wins so far have come away from home; whether opposing teams are lifting their game at Hillsborough, or their own players are freezing under the the weight of their fans expectations, Chris Turner needs to fix things quickly if they are to seriously challenge. Tranmere, another side expected to be up there, are currently languishing in 14th; although they have only been beaten once, they have also only won one game and need to convert more of the draws into victories if they are to climb the table.

At the foot of the table it's no surprise to see some of the clubs that are struggling financially. Stuck to the bottom are Notts County, with a single point and a single goal to show for their five games; and that was a 90th minute equaliser on Saturday against Barnsley. About the only bright spots for them at the moment are that they have finally managed to sign some players - although only on monthly contracts - and that they have a home tie against Ipswich in the Carling Cup. Although they did beat Preston in the first round of that competition, it was by penalties after a 0-0 draw.... Next to bottom are Brentford, with just a win over fellow-strugglers Oldham to show for their efforts.

Oldham are one of five sides on four points, and their situation is now beyond desperate. Such is their shortage of players that coach John Sheridan - just one month short of his 39th birthday, and with a dodgy knee - has re-registered and has played a part in all but one of their games so far, while David Eyres - just six months short of his 40th Birthday - has started three of them. Worse, they have a deadline looming in front of them: by 8th September, they have been told they need to raise £1.2million just to keep the club going for the rest of the season - if the money's not there, they face suspension by the Football League - a move that would almost certainly send the club into extinction, and the long path back up the Non-League Pyramid with a re-formed club. They would become the first club since Aldershot to go out of business mid-season - ironically just as Aldershot Town have reached the Conference, some eleven seasons later.

Oldham are Pools next opponents, and unless someone comes forward with money, it could be the Latics last league fixture for some time. Hopefully, when I write Spetember's review Oldham will still be a Football League Club.

Meanwhile, optimism amongst Poolies memains high - though it may have taken a slight knock on Saturday. The current results of our poll show that more people think we'll be promoted than relegated, and over 70% expect Hartlepool United to be in a comfortable mid-table slot come the end of the season. I see no reason to doubt that.