SEASON 1996-1997

HARTLEPOOL UTD

1: H) Hartlepool UTD 2-0 Darlington
2: H) Hartlepool UTD 4-0 Swansea City
3: A) Hartlepool UTD 7-0 Hereford United
4: A) Hartlepool UTD 3-0 Mansfield Town
5: H) Hartlepool UTD 2-0 Chester City
6: A) Hartlepool UTD 4-0 Doncaster Rovers
7: H) Hartlepool UTD 5-0 Exeter City - League Cup Rnd 2 Leg 2
8: A) Hartlepool UTD 5-0 Fulham
9: A) Hartlepool UTD 1-0 Exeter City
10: H) Hartlepool UTD 3-0 Northampton Town
11: A) Hartlepool UTD 8-0 Exeter City (13-0 on agg.) - League Cup Rnd 2 leg 2
12: A) Hartlepool UTD 2-0 Scarborough
13: H) Hartlepool UTD 3-0 Carlisle United
14: H) Hartlepool UTD 4-0 Barnet
15: H) Hartlepool UTD 4-1 Swansea City - League cup rnd 3
16: A) Hartlepool UTD 3-0 Lincoln City
17: H) Hartlepool UTD 4-1 Cambridge United
18: A) Hartlepool UTD 3-0 Rochdale
19: H) Hartlepool UTD 2-0 Torquay United
20: A) Hartlepool UTD 2-0 Cardiff City
21: H) Hartlepool UTD 4-0 Hull City
22: A) Hartlepool UTD 2-0 Manchester UTD - League cup rnd 4 (What a win!)
23: A) Hartlepool UTD 3-0 Colchester UTD
24: H) Hartlepool UTD 2-0 Wigan Athletic
25: A) Hartlepool UTD 5-0 Brighton
26: H) Hartlepool UTD 1-0 Leyton Orient
27: A) Hartlepool UTD 4-0 Scunthorpe UTD
28: A) Hartlepool UTD 4-0 Darlington
29: A) Hartlepool UTD 2-2 Liverpool - League cup Q-F
30: A) Hartlepool UTD 3-0 Swansea City
31: H) Hartlepool UTD 9-0 Hereford United
32: H) Hartlepool UTD 1-0 Bradford City - FA cup rnd 3
33: H) Hartlepool UTD 4-0 Mansfield Town
34: H) Hartlepool UTD 2-0 Liverpool - FA cup Q-F Replay (Yes, wicked)
35: A) Hartlepool UTD 3-0 Chester City
36: H) Hartlepool UTD 2-1 Doncaster Rovers
37: H) Hartlepool UTD 4-0 Fulham
38: H) Hartlepool UTD 1-0 Oxford United - FA cup rnd 4
39: A) Hartlepool UTD 1-1 Newcastle United - League cup S-F Leg 1
40: H) Hartlepool UTD 3-0 Exeter City
41: A) Hartlepool UTD 4-0 Northampton Town
42: H) Hartlepool UTD 4-0 Scarborough
43: H) Hartlepool UTD 2-1 Newcastle United (3-2 on agg.) - League cup S-F Leg 2
44: A) Hartlepool UTD 3-0 Carlisle United
45: H) Hartlepool UTD 3-1 Liverpool - FA Cup Rnd 5 (A brilliant match with a fantastic lob over David James)
46: A) Hartlepool UTD 1-0 Barnet
47: H) Hartlepool UTD 2-0 Lincoln City
48:     Hartlepool UTD 2-0 Everton
49: A) Hartlepool UTD 3-0 Cambridge United
50: H) Hartlepool UTD 4-0 Rochdale
51: A) Hartlepool UTD 3-1 Newcastle United - FA Cup Q-F
52: A) Hartlepool UTD 3-0 Torquay United
53: H) Hartlepool UTD 4-0 Cardiff City
54: A) Hartlepool UTD 2-0 Hull City
55: H) Hartlepool UTD 4-0 Colchester UTD
56:     Hartlepool UTD 0-0 Blackburn Rovers - FA Cup S-F
57: A) Hartlepool UTD 6-0 Wigan Athletic
58: H) Hartlepool UTD 8-0 Brighton
59:     Hartlepool UTD 2-0 Blackburn Rovers - FA Cup S-F Replay
60: A) Hartlepool UTD 1-0 Leyton Orient
61: H) Hartlepool UTD 5-1 Scunthorpe UTD
62:     Hartlepool UTD 2-1 Leeds United - FA Cup Final

PL 62; W 59; D 3; L 0; F 199; A 12;

Players/goals

Steven Pears 0
Stuart Ingram 0
Micheal Barron 0
Glen Davies 0
Sean McCauley 0
Chris McDonald 8
Mark Cooper 0
Mick Tair 4
Steve Halliday 16
Craig Nelson 74
Darren Knowles 54
Mark Devine 1
Joe Allon 10
Steve Howard 10
Darren Watkiss 0
Stuart Johnson 20
Steve Jones 0
Graeme Lee 1
Ian McGuckin 0
Keith Houchen 0
Muzzy Doncel 0
Chris Beech 0
Gary Bjornebye 0
Paul Lomas 0

£ Seasons Buy/Sell £

Craig Nelson --> Hartlepool UTD from trialist
Darren Knowles --> Hartlepool UTD from trialist
Mark Devine --> Hartlepool UTD from reserves
Darren Watkiss --> Hartlepool UTD from reserves
Gary Bjornebye --> Hartlepool UTD from trialist
Muzzy Doncel --> Hartlepool UTD from trialist
Stuart Johnson --> Hartlepool UTD from trialist
Paul Lomas --> Hartlepool UTD from trialist

+ Long term injuries +

none

Competitions won:-

English Division 3
English League Cup
FA Cup

Comments: I dont think that a first season in charge of a division 3 club without buying any players could come any better than this.   Key players in the succes of this season were the two new boys Nelson and Knowles.   Johnson who joined part-way into the season also made some heroic performances to keep the wins coming, he got an impressive 20 goals.

Manchester United, Newcastle, Liverpool and Everton all were well and truly outplayed by a confident Hartlepool side.  Even when players were out injured I managed to keep them on a constant roll all through the season, there were not many dips in form and I was alway up for the big matches.

A brilliant season.