FA Cup weekend again.
Blyth away at Hartlepool on BBC2 tonight.
Gateshead at home to Warrington, on BT Sport on Sunday.

At least one North East team will join the big boys in round 3 next month. Which one?

I want Hartlepool to go through, but given the way we've been playing this season, I'm not holding my breath.

I want Blyth and Gateshead to go through but I think it will end up being Hartlepool and Gateshead.

It would be amazing if Gateshead and Hartlepool were drawn against one another in the third round in yet another derby. Possibly a sign of things to come if Gateshead gain promotion.

(05 Dec 2014, 1:06 pm)AdamY wrote I want Blyth and Gateshead to go through but I think it will end up being Hartlepool and Gateshead.

It would be amazing if Gateshead and Hartlepool were drawn against one another in the third round in yet another derby. Possibly a sign of things to come if Gateshead gain promotion.

Given where my loyalties lie, then I am afraid I want Blyth to win...

Another derby in the third round would be good, but for Gateshead and Blyth, if they get through, a derby against one of the big 2 or the smoggies would generate huge interest...

Even if Gateshead miss out on promotion for a 2nd year, there would more than likely be a North East Derby next season in the Conference...When Hartlepool most likely get relegated

My predictions for this weekend

Newcastle 1-3 Chelsea
Hull 1-1 WBA
Liverpool 1-1 Sunderland
QPR 4-2 Burnley
Stoke 0-1 Arsenal
Tottenham 3-0 C Palace
Man City 2-0 Everton

West Ham 2-2 Swansea
Aston Villa 2-0 Leicester

Man Utd 0-0 Southampton

(05 Dec 2014, 6:13 pm)Tom wrote My predictions for this weekend

Newcastle 1-3 Chelsea
Hull 1-1 WBA
Liverpool 1-1 Sunderland
QPR 4-2 Burnley
Stoke 0-1 Arsenal
Tottenham 3-0 C Palace
Man City 2-0 Everton

West Ham 2-2 Swansea
Aston Villa 2-0 Leicester

Man Utd 0-0 Southampton

Are you having a bad day...you normally predict doom and gloom for our mackem friends ;P

Chimps 1-0 Blyth

Hate to say it, they deserve it

(05 Dec 2014, 8:24 pm)marxistafozzski wrote Are you having a bad day...you normally predict doom and gloom for our mackem friends ;P

I don't like Liverpool either though - this is the one and only time

Blyth just equalised...cracking free kick

(05 Dec 2014, 9:10 pm)marxistafozzski wrote Blyth just equalised...cracking free kick

Fantastic match mate. Would love them to draw one of the other North East clubs in the 3rd. Oh, and 2-1 Blyth.

Blyth...

You fucking beauties...

As the BBC just said

'If it doesn't sound too cheesy, the kid who works in his mothers newsagents could have just written his name across the back pages'

(05 Dec 2014, 9:43 pm)aureolin wrote Fantastic match mate. Would love them to draw one of the other North East clubs in the 3rd. Oh, and 2-1 Blyth.

Blyth has done well, i hope they a prem team in the next round just for money reasons.

Actually embarassed right now. Same old from us, throw it all away. Credit to Blyth though, obviously wanted it more than we did. Can fully focus on relegation now.

Lets all laugh at Hartlepooh

(05 Dec 2014, 9:54 pm)beefcake wrote Actually embarassed right now. Same old from us, throw it all away. Credit to Blyth though, obviously wanted it more than we did. Can fully focus on relegation now.

Big problems at Hartlepool mate, they have been terrible for about 3 years now, and I can honestly see you getting relegated this year...

Fine by me, the closer we get to meeting competitively again is all I want

You're not wrong there, no ambition from the top and players who are getting past it. Only way I can see us getting out of this now is if we get money to invest in January, which I highly doubt.

(05 Dec 2014, 9:54 pm)beefcake wrote Actually embarassed right now. Same old from us, throw it all away. Credit to Blyth though, obviously wanted it more than we did. Can fully focus on relegation now.

Always had a soft spot for them and genuinely think they were unlucky.

Pretty sure the ball was over the line, there was a handball just before Bates hit the cross bar, with that deflected shot - that was given as a goal kick.
The Blyth keeper made that cracking save early on and Hartlepool dominated the first half.

Blyth had two shots and scored.

It is the first time I have seen Pools this season, having not been down since last season.

The problems started last season, when Cooper was bringing in all those loan players from Middlesbrough, whilst getting rid of the experienced players.
It was never going to work.
Murray has had to rebuild the team and I wasn't disappointed with any of his signings.

(05 Dec 2014, 10:02 pm)beefcake wrote You're not wrong there, no ambition from the top and players who are getting past it. Only way I can see us getting out of this now is if we get money to invest in January, which I highly doubt.

I highly doubt any investment as well, as IOR have seemingly halted subsidising Hartlepool, they were putting a lot of cash in back in the day and will now have to find there level, which lets face it, never is going to be up there in League 1, they were always round about where they are now pre-2000/pre-IOR...

If Hartlepool drop out the league this year, which they are nailed on by the bookies to do so, they will find it hard to get back.

As for, tonight, Blyth deserved the win, Pools should have wrapped it up in the first half, they battered them in the 1st 45 mins. I will say though, Harewoods ball went across the line and I reckon had Hawkeye been installed, it would have said so to.

I think if we fall out of the FL this season then IOR will just pack up and be off, fans are already getting annoyed with the lack of investment, and us dropping out of the league will probably be their natural cue to exit. Back to tonights game and I agree with you 100%, had we of took our chances in the 1st half, then Harewood's disputed goal would merely be looked at as a fumble by the keeper, not a pivotal point in the game. Turnbull's free kick was pretty good to watch, even if it did go against us. The one thing that is worrying me at the minute is the difference between first and second half displays, which needs addressing as a matter of urgency. There's a cluster of games coming up soon, and if we have any chance of clawing ground back, we need to start chalking the points up, and sharpish.

The thing Hartlepool fans need to worry about is if IOR cut and run and leave you in the lurch, ya fucked in other words...

I mean it from the bottom of my heart when I say, I would hate to sew Hartlepool have to go through what happened to us in 2012, I mean that, but IOR pulling out could mean just that...

They got to do something fast, Murray has his work cut out and it will be a miracle of biblical proportions if they could pull off a great escape of some kind

Paul Murray and Willie Donachie have both been released from their contracts with Hartlepool. Granted we got beat last night, but what on earth is Hodcroft doing to the club? It's almost as if he and IOR have all but thrown in the towel and are preparing us for life in the non league. Next managerial appointment is crucial, and needs to be appointed in time to work out where to strengthen in January.

(06 Dec 2014, 11:38 am)beefcake wrote Paul Murray and Willie Donachie have both been released from their contracts with Hartlepool. Granted we got beat last night, but what on earth is Hodcroft doing to the club? It's almost as if he and IOR have all but thrown in the towel and are preparing us for life in the non league. Next managerial appointment is crucial, and needs to be appointed in time to work out where to strengthen in January.

It's sad to see one more team based in the NE could drop out of the league =(

Then again so could Carlisle, although not really NE based but will make it worse  

(05 Dec 2014, 6:13 pm)Tom wrote My predictions for this weekend

Newcastle 1-3 Chelsea
Hull 1-1 WBA
Liverpool 1-1 Sunderland
QPR 4-2 Burnley
Stoke 0-1 Arsenal
Tottenham 3-0 C Palace
Man City 2-0 Everton

West Ham 2-2 Swansea
Aston Villa 2-0 Leicester

Man Utd 0-0 Southampton

My predictions for this weekend


Newcastle 1-2 Chelsea
Hull 2-1 WBA
Liverpool 1-0 Sunderland
QPR 1-1 Burnley
Stoke 0-1 Arsenal
Tottenham 1-0 C Palace
Man City 2-0 Everton

West Ham 0-2 Swansea
Aston Villa 0-0 Leicester

Man Utd 2-1 Southampton

Watching the Newcastle game... boring as out....

Cant hear the best fans in the country singing!

Nice win for Newcastle today.

(06 Dec 2014, 2:41 pm)Michael wrote Nice win for Newcastle today.

Can't believe it!!    

(06 Dec 2014, 2:41 pm)Michael wrote Nice win for Newcastle today.

With Chelsea Losing, Fabregas/Hazard and Costa have me let me down in the Fantasy League, Hopefully Aguero will score a Hat-Trick for City to make up for the loss of Points.

(06 Dec 2014, 2:44 pm)mb134 wrote Can't believe it!!    

I don't want to say... i'm glad Newcastle won, hate Chelsea so much

Stoke are beating Arsenal 3-0 at Half Time, the other 3pm Kick Offs are all 0-0

(06 Dec 2014, 11:38 am)beefcake wrote Paul Murray and Willie Donachie have both been released from their contracts with Hartlepool. Granted we got beat last night, but what on earth is Hodcroft doing to the club? It's almost as if he and IOR have all but thrown in the towel and are preparing us for life in the non league. Next managerial appointment is crucial, and needs to be appointed in time to work out where to strengthen in January.

What in the name of bloody hell is that about, Murray only had a few games....

The next step would surely be calling in an administrator, then ya really fucked and even more fucked if Pools got relegated in admin by being further relegated to the Evo-Stik Premier League...

I can see why IOR would start to decrease funding, they have financed the club for years for probably pittance in return, I personally think Hartlepool could be flushed down The Kermit all together if they get relegated to the Conference and you will end up 'doing a Darlo'...

I would not wish our problems on anybody even the Simian Stranglers

Last night was humiliating, no doubt, Pools deserve the beating in my opinion, they should have wrapped it up in the first half and Blyth simply wanted it more...

Murray only lasted 44 days, the same amount of time Brian Clough had the Leeds job