[Rene Artois]

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Souper Campbell

[Rene Artois]

How about a go fund me or just giving page to raise web hosting funds?

I’d donate £20 – but don’t want to have to predict results every week. I’ve not much interest in football other than Scunthorpe & Hercules.
I never watch England, PL, Championship etc, WC or Euros or club World Cup… just not interested in it anymore.
And I definitely don’t watch anything to do with girls football – no objection to them playing … but I wish the Beeb would stop trying to ram it down peoples throats with positive discrimination.

[Rene Artois]

Offensively we look to have potential and options.
Defensively we look as solid as a sandcastle on the bank of the River Severn with the Bore fast approaching.

[Rene Artois]

From the short clip, Maison’s handling & distribution looked fine.

The back four look as solid as jelly in a Turkish steam room!

We need a competent hard tackling / biting, nasty holding midfielder.

Don’t worry about Maison – the mob in front are my worry. The back four were horrendous in the short video.

Dubem looks promising.

Beck looked to keep things simple. Nice lay off for our first goal.

We’ll get a better idea when AB plays his first X1 towards the end of pre-season.

The staff are going to have a busy week or two trying to cobble a half decent back four together.

[Rene Artois]

10. Was meant to say jump and turn your back / side. Apologies for my error.

[Rene Artois]

Butler & Schofield would be fuming about their equaliser.
Absolute shambles defensively!

1. CR10 didn’t mark / track / pick their thrower of the ball up. When the thrower received the ball back, he had all the space & time in the world to deliver the cross.

2. Their no11 was completely unmarked at the throw. JR Ewing was 10 yards off of him.

3. Four of our outfield players looking after one one of their players at the near post.

4. One of our outfield players watching three of their players at the back post.

5. One of our smaller players swamped by their 3 much taller players – match up like for like?

6. Evans is in no-mans land when the ball is delivered. Why on earth is he there?

7. Benehoun, no challenge / half challenge or ‘disruption’ to their player who received the ball from the thrower. Too easy!

8. Their receiving player is able to return the ball to the thrower so, so easily.

9. Benehoun then chases the lay off back to the initial player who threw the ball in. However, he jumps and turns his back as the ball is struck. Scared?

10. Don’t turn your back / side. Stand up, be big & brave.

11. Turn your back and a good player will make you look a complete donkey.

12. Good delivery by them.

13. Unbelievable ‘non-defending’ by us.

14. Perhaps Maison’s starting position should have been central on the goal line?

Case for the defence rests your honour.
Not guilty!

1 user thanked author for this post.

lesgeo

[Rene Artois]

Top 7 Finish Odds:

Carlisle 1/9
York City 1/6
Forest Green 1/3
Rochdale 1/2
Southend 7/10
Morecambe 21/20
Scunthorpe 29/20
– – – – – – – –
Hartlepool 21/10
Halifax 5/2
Altrincham 13/5
Gateshead 11/4
Tamworth 11/4
Sutton United 14/5

Woking 5/1
Solihull Moors 11/2
Yeovil 11/2
Eastleigh 13/2
Boston Utd 15/2
Aldershot 8/1
Braintree Town 17/2

Wealdstone 13/1
Boreham Wood 20/1
Brackley Town 22/1
Truro City 33/1

[Rene Artois]

WonderGoals wrote:

Rene, you can’t compare a generational talent to a player like Campbell. That’s like comparing Wayne rooney as a breakthrough teenager to our ex youth player Andy Parton lol

I see what you’re trying to get at with him getting a chance at a young age, but as I said above, he was a generational talent. You do get them, with Wayne Rooney being another example.

Campbell just isn’t ready.

Yet, 4th division Notts County didn’t identify that ‘generational talent’ during an eight game trial period he had with them.

Scunny spotted him playing for his local youth club team, Skegness Cosmos in a Lincolnshire Final @ The Old Show Ground.

He played in Division 3 for the Iron in seasons 1965-67.

Very early in the 1966-67 season, Clemence shipped seven goals in a humiliating 7–1 defeat away to Grimsby Town – one that left him worrying it could end his professional career before it had really started.

However, Scunthorpe’s faith in him never waivered and the defeat was the second game in a run of 46 consecutive starts he made to see out all of Scunthorpe’s remaining league and cup matches that season.

Even the very best doubt themselves at times.

Faith!

Let’s get off of young Maison’s back and show some compassion & empathy for him and his parents.

“While I was there, it was like being part of a family.” – Ray Clemence.

Let’s welcome Maison to our family and support him – not destroy him.

[Rene Artois]

We need to undertake a reality check as a supporter base.
We’re a newly promoted club who managed to survive a very close extinction episode.
We had large debts.
We probably still have some debt.
We do not have multi millionaires on the BoDs.
There’s a budget.
Another keeper will be signed.
Sit back.
Support.
Enjoy the ride.
At the end of the day… it’s only a game.
The club lives to fight another day.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Siderite, Iron-awe

[Rene Artois]

The old timers must have being having kittens when Clemence was thrown in at the deep end? I bet their typewriters were clacking like a Gatling Gun reeling their letters of angst off to the ST.

Ray Clemence was 17 years old when he made his Football League debut for Scunthorpe United. He signed for the club on his 17th birthday, August 5, 1965, and his debut came in April 1966

I bet Notts County were Sick as a Parrot after having discarded him from their Youths!

[Rene Artois]

What if?

Give the boy a chance – I’ve a feeling we’ll be ‘over the moon with him’

[Rene Artois]

The Basildon Boys possibly say it best?

[Rene Artois]

Let’s hope that people within the club are keeping a very close eye on the young man

People Are People… Depeche Mode.

People are people, so why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully?
People are people, so why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully?

So we’re different colours and we’re different creeds
And different people have different needs
It’s obvious you hate me, though I’ve done nothing wrong
I’ve never even met you, so what could I have done?

I can’t understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand

People are people, so why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully?
People are people, so why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully?

(Help me understand)
(Help me understand, help me understand)

Now you’re punching and you’re kicking and you’re shouting at me
I’m relying on your common decency
So far it hasn’t surfaced, but I’m sure it exists
It just takes a while to travel from your head to your fists

I can’t understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand

People are people, so why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully?
People are people, so why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully?

I can’t understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
I can’t understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
I can’t understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
I can’t understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
(Why should it be?)
Help me understand
I can’t understand
What makes a man
(Why should it be?)
Hate another man
Help me understand
I can’t understand
What makes a man
(Why should it be?)
Hate another man
Help me understand

[Rene Artois]

Social media abuse in football

Scunthorpe UNITED!

[Rene Artois]

What if he (Campbell) jacks in – who’s going to volunteer to go in goal then?

[Rene Artois]

Deereyme66 wrote:

One thing’s for sure – he’s not been given a fighting chance, so it’s difficult to judge how well he might perform in future competitive matches due to the impact of the doubters. He’s been court martialed by social media.

Guilty, until proven innocent.
Sad state of affairs.
12 Angry Men.
Give the boy a chance.
Support him and see how he goes.
Another keeper will arrive before the season commences.
Let’s stop persecuting the young lad.
He’s someone’s son, brother etc.
Empathy & understanding.

[Rene Artois]

From the FIFA World Club Cup thread:

Awaywego wrote:
Butler has said he’s open to entering the NL cup, 5 others already declined “if there’s a grubby pound to be had our club will seek it.
We dont need them extra games with the thread bare squad we have.

Rene Artois:
Probably not the most reliable source (Reddit – Sept 2024):

“NL teams will get £10k for participating.
£8k for a group win.
£4k for group draws.
£15k for knockout round wins.
£60k to winners.
£30k runners up.”

4 group games, all at home v U21 teams.
QF, SF, F

So, if you are unlucky enough to play 4 and lose 4, then you only pocket the £10k participation fee.
Home team pockets all Att monies.

We’ve no reserve or U18 team, so why not. A few might need game time?

1 user thanked author for this post.

cassidystash

[Rene Artois]

Deereyme66 wrote:

Was that a kit? More like training shirt stop gap

Horrendous ‘shirt’
Embarrassing tbh.

[Rene Artois]

Francis(es).

[Rene Artois]

Not only lazy scouting but according to THIS article, no compensation for any players they hijack.

[Rene Artois]

Awaywego wrote:

7 teams have now declined their invite for the NL cup, any idea why there must be reason.

“ A statement from the club confirmed:

Hartlepool United Football Club have declined the invitation to play in the 2025-26 National League Cup

Following thorough internal discussions, the Club have decided to decline entering this season’s National League Cup.

The focus and priority remain on achieving success in the league.”

Concerns surrounding the National League Cup centre on fixture congestion, the cost of staging games, poor attendances, injury risks, and the added pressure on already stretched squads – all against the backdrop of an already demanding schedule. “

Hartlepool Utd FC in the Nonleaguepaper 14/07/25

[Rene Artois]

How about – son of Rio?

Lorenz Ferdinand GK

Rio – Duran (for the benefit of our younger readers / posters)

[Rene Artois]

Vitruvian Keeper

If a Vitruvian Keeper covers 24% of the goal – then how ‘good’ does our keeper really need to be?

The ‘Rio’ Keeper:
‘With a step to your left and a flick to the right you catch that ball because your the best’ – Duran Duranish

Rio – Duran Duran

[Rene Artois]

It’s a rest day tomorrow – yet they’ll still be putting the miles in… or else their legs will seize up.

[Rene Artois]

Another amazing stage!
It’s obvious I’m the only person who has any interest in the TdF… however, I’d recommend watching the highlights.
Unbelievable – four and a half hours of cycling… I moan when I’m on a flight above four hours!

[Rene Artois]

Budget.

Match winners – Whitehall, CR10
Match saver – keeper

Take your pick.

I’m happy to have 2 match winners and a ‘development’ keeper.

A keeper won’t win you a game.

He’s big enough, he’ll grow in to it as the games go by.

[Rene Artois]

lesgeo wrote:

I refer to people going around the ground with a basket – or whatever – delivering snacks to the 90% who really don’t wanna queue.

Happens at footy games in Spain.

25 years ago, I was a season ticket holder for many years at the local Rugby Union club.
They did this (food) AND beer / lager way back then!

[Rene Artois]

lesgeo wrote:

I sent this to JM.

They trawl this site – many an ‘idea’ has been lifted & implemented from here.
It’s a powerful platform.

[Rene Artois]

8 categorised climbs today.
I wonder if Ben Healy (not one of mine) may end up in yellow tonight? He’s 3m:55s to make up.

[Rene Artois]

Italy 3-1 Spain
He’s like Spiderman of tennis!

[Author]

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