CLUB captain Micky Barron is ready to return to the Hartlepool United fold, with a glowing reference from boss Martin Scott.

Barron, with 326 Pool appearances to his name, has not kicked a ball in the first team since the play-off final defeat back in May.

Following knee surgery after the club's first pre-season game, he made his second 90-minute reserve appearance in a week in Wednesday's defeat to Lincoln.

Now he is in Scott's thoughts for a place on the bench for tomorrow's League One game with Brentford at Victoria Park.

Scott said: "He played OK for 90 minutes on Wednesday and came through training well this morning. We will look at him on Friday in training then pick 16 for duty on Saturday.

"It's been important not to rush him back and he knows the lads in the team have done well.

"As a player sometimes you go through a bad time, for a season or even two seasons, when you can't shake off injury.

"Micky has had that, he's coming through it now and it's very good to get him back.

"We had a young reserve team out this week and his experience was there, talking to the younger players.

"It's similar to last season - he was out of the team and I brought him on for the last 20 minutes or so at Bournemouth on the last day of the season and his experience helped us into the play-offs.''

Barron has suffered knee and hernia problems in the last two seasons. He is in his testimonial year at the club and signed a new contract last summer.

"He's been injured, but still has had a massive part to play in and around the club,'' declared Scott.

"I invited him to come to Blackpool with us earlier in the season because we had a young squad with us - and the role he had travelling with the squad and in the dressing room worked for us.

"He spoke to a few of the young kids and helped them and he is a very experienced and very good professional.''

l Pool striker Joel Porter will be signing copies of the Poolie Pride CD, which features a version of Two Little Boys, in Music Zone, in the Middleton Grange Shopping Centre today from 4-5pm. The single entered the midweek charts at No 19 and sales are now believed to be in excess of 2,500, after selling around 450 last night at a signing session with Dimi Konstantopoulos and Tony Sweeney, which should be enough for a top 20 slot in Sunday's charts.

l Colin Hendry's managerial tenure at Blackpool is over after the Seasiders handed first-team responsibilities to Simon Grayson.

The struggling League One club have so far refused to comment on Hendry's situation, other than to announce: ''Following further discussions with Colin Hendry on Thursday, Simon Grayson has taken temporary charge of first-team matters.

''Messrs Colin Hendry and (assistant) Ian Miller, in line with their request, are scheduled to attend a further meeting at the end of next week to discuss the club's position.''

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