WHEN it comes to an election in a free country like Britain, everyone is entitled to express an opinion.

But it is a rarity indeed to see a football club enter the political fray in the way Hartlepool United chose to declare its hand earlier this week.

Hartlepool fans are still on a high after the club pulled off the “great escape” to stay in the Football League when its exit had seemed almost certain just weeks ago.

As supporters of North-East football, we share that sense of relief because we want to see all of our professional clubs prosper.

But, in the opinion to which we are also entitled, Hartlepool United was unwise to issue such a political statement, urging its fans to “think carefully” before voting for the town’s sitting Labour MP Iain Wright.

The advice to supporters followed Mr Wright’s criticism of the club’s plans to sign convicted rapist Ched Evans. The MP had warned that the club would become a “pariah” if it signed the disgraced player. He was right to speak out but the club accused him of using the controversy for political gain.

There is clearly more to the club’s opposition to Mr Wright than the Evans saga alone. The surprise statement accused him of failing to recognise the importance of the club to the local community while his political rivals were praised for attending games.

Hartlepool United is, of course, important to the town’s economy and identity. There is nothing quite like a professional football club for getting a town frequent mentions on national television.

But the Evans saga was clearly a public relations mistake and it should have been laid to rest rather than be dredged up again on the eve of a general election. Instead of basking in the great escape, the club was a talking point around the country yesterday for scoring another embarrassing own goal.