Hartlepool

[secessionman]

My only visit to Victoria Park was when we played them in the League Cup in August 2009.

10 changes from the previous league game saw us struggle before Stephen Fletcher's late goal saw us through.

Highlights of the evening were the very friendly welcome in their tiny little Social Club, where we bought a raffle ticket (and still to this day have no way of knowing whether we ever won), and the enormous hot dog at half-time which is the stuff of legends. And, of course, the elation of a late winner right in front of us.

It transpired the following day that my grandma had been taken ill around the time of kick-off and had passed away around the time of the final whistle. All of those memories changed immediately in their perspective.

I have always kept an eye on Hartlepool's results since then, a proud little club... a proper club, with fond and poignant memories for me. And I have always wished them well.

And so today's outcome is a slight depressant on an otherwise effing good day, especially the way it panned out in the dying minutes. I don't have a second club but if I did...

I'm really hoping that they can survive this, but we all know that we wouldn't have done in '87. Good luck compadres.

[MACCA]

Just weren't solid enough for long enough this season it seems.

[john'sroseyspecs]

If only that steward was stood a bit more to his left