LAST time Bury played at Victoria Park, James Poole looked on helplessly, as Tommy Miller dictated the game to lead his team to a comfortable 3-0 win.
How, with the players having swopped clubs in recent weeks, Pools and Miller could do with a repeat scenario today. 
Pools meet the Shakers at Victoria Park in their first home game of the season following successive defeats in away games in League Two and the Capital One Cup. 
Miller left Bury at the end of last season, before making a return to Pools. Poole turned down a contract offer from Pools in favour of a new venture.
A planned move to Australia is on hold. He played on trial for Melbourne City against Bury last month and ended up signing for the Shakers on non-contract terms. 
Cooper said: “James Poole comes back with them. I offered him a deal to stay here, but he wanted to seek new opportunities. He had aspirations of moving abroad, that didn’t materialise for him. He’s a Manchester lad, so David Flitcroft will have seen the same qualities in him I did.
“We all recognise his talent and for his career not to stall at this level, his ratios have to come up. He will want to be involved and prove a point coming back.
“I wish him nothing but the best. Good luck to him.’’
He added: “Bury, when David Flitcroft took over, were in a bit of turmoil, but he galvanised them and they had a decent end of the season. He believes they have a chance of achieving things.
“They lost last weekend at home, we lost away from home and both will be out to put things right. 
“The one thing about him is that his teams like to play football and it’s not a team of giants, a team of footballers. ‘’
And Miller, back at Pools after leaving for Ipswich in 2001, said: “Bury have got a few players in, they will be up there come the end no doubt.
“They have spent a bit of money and I am looking forward to coming up against them.
“I will give the manager a few pointers if he asks. They do have a few new faces.”
He added: “I am delighted to be back here.
“Obviously I have been training with the squad for a couple of weeks now and I was just pleased it all got sorted in the end.
“I hoping to help the young lads along. There is some good young players here and I want to help push them along.
“It was an easy decision to come back.
“I did have an opportunity to go abroad, a friend of mine manages a team in Finland and their season is on now having started a couple of months ago.
“But I was wanting to wait and the Hartlepool thing came up and I was delighted.”
Miller is not overly concerned about Pools suffering defeats in both of their games to date.
Pools now have back to back games at Victoria Park, with Dagenham to come next Tuesday and Miller admitted: “This squad certainly has potential.
“It is a long, hard season and you like to get off to a good start as quickly as possible and don’t want it to drag on so to lose at Stevenage was disappointing.
“But I have seen in training that we have enough and I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
“There have been a few changes over the summer and the manager has brought in Bates and Parnaby, both good lads with good experience.
“I think the manager is looking to get a few more in to improve the squad as a whole.
“I’m sure we’ll be fine. Stevenage was disappointing but it is the first game of the season and I’m sure Stevenage will be right up there at the end of the season.’’