By Albatross
September 30 2004

As Hartlepool goes to the polls to elect a new MP, what better time to look at the relationship between HUFC and some local politicians. Football and Politics are not always easy bedfellows, although there have been a few memorable moments for Poolies. By-Election Fever may have hit Hartlepool - although most people seem to have been sick of it long ago - but will whoever wins out of the 14 candidates show much interest in the Football Club? The recent history of political figures and HUFC may suggest that contrary to popular opinion, there may be more than just a passing pretence at an interest.

Outgoing MP Peter Mandelson has of course been Club President, and has appeared very occasionally at games - and early on claimed to have a real liking for the club and was reportedly spotted on the terraces on at least one occasion. One of the most memorable occasions when Mandy and Pools have collided came when Chris Turner was awarded the Manager of the Month award back in 2001 and as the local MP, Mandelson was to present him with his award. As this was shortly after his second resignation from the governement, there was a huge media scrum. The Official Site commented drily that it was good to see HUFC getting the national recognition that their achievements merited.....

His predecessor as MP, Ted Leadbitter, was a proud Poolie and had also been Club President for many years. He's best remembered amongst Poolies though for his speech when we won promotion back in 1991; despite being an accomplished public speaker, he was so overcome that he made a classic gaffe that has entered Poolie Folklore when he described promotion as being "the ice on the caking" to the amusement and delight of the gathered crowd outside the Civic Centre.

Stuart Drummond became possibly the most famous and infamous Political Poolie back in 2002 though when news of his election as Hartlepool's Mayor made the headlines across the globe. Having campaigned as H'Angus - his alter ego as the official Club Mascot - the news that the people of Hartlepool had elected "a man in a monkey suit" attracted derision from the political establishment, perhaps on the grounds that they didn't want someone making monkeys of all of them for publicly showing how disenchanted many were with mainstream politics.

There's currently another leading political figure associated with the club though that possibly has more of a claim than most to be genuinely interested in the club. Honorary Life President is a role filled by the Labour Peer and Trade Unionist Lord Burlison. While some may not think that he has much to do with the club, Poolies with memories that stretch back to the early 1960s may remember seeing plain old Tommy Burlison making appearances for the club; indeed, according to Croydon Poolie's Stats Site he made no less than 157 appearances for Pools over seven seasons before "crossing the floor" to join Darlington. With that record, maybe Mickey Barron should have stood for MP!