A United squad

ANTONY SWEENEY: The spirit was brilliant. We still meet up at times each year and there’s never any awkwardness. Everyone knew everything about each other – families, kids, we all socialised.

At the time I thought that was the norm in football and it’s only as the changing room changes and you move to a new club you realise how good it was.

Spirit helped us compete against the best - it might be sub-conscious, but if your mate gave the ball away you wanted to win it back for him. Put that extra five percent in and it makes a difference.

RITCHIE HUMPHREYS: It’s part of your family. We had good players, top strikers, but the work ethic and spirit took us where we went. You need extra 10-15 points from mid-table to the play-offs and we had the spirit to get us over the line.

It was era of our career we will never forget. We have grown old together and we still try and get back together as friends and families.

MARK TINKLER: The unity we had... you try and find a way of winning games and I’ve never experienced a spirit like that in all my career. We had some really good players, but the way we evolved was fantastic.

Sometimes you don’t want to play football when it’s not going well, but we were going to work with mates. Sometimes players don’t get along, that wasn’t the case with us.

I was in and out and injured a lot that season and didn’t play in the final. Achilles and calf problems and I didn’t think I would make the bench, so to be part of it is incredible.

MICKY BARRON: It’s a bit like family, you don’t speak to all your family all the time, but when you do you click instantly.

I was captain, but it wasn’t a difficult role. If we had to be somewhere, Ritchie would organise it. Darrell (Clarke) and Westy played big roles, nights out and the like. Neale Cooper said we managed ourselves and if someone stepped out of line they were put back in line.

It wasn’t a job, it was about going and enjoying yourselves. It all started under Chris Turner.

It’s luck as well, we signed players who clicked – Trigger (Darrell Clarke), Bassy (Jon Bass), Tommy Widds (Widdrington) – and you enjoy each other’s company. You find extra on the pitch when you really are mates.

Tuesday afternoons in Durham was a regular thing and that’s how spirit and friendships are formed. You could see at the reunion the other week how well we all still get on – there’s a bond.

Beating Tranmere in the semi-final and the build up

RH: There was a few aspects to Tranmere. One part was being able to score a penalty, one was setting up a final against my old club and the third seeing these boys come running towards me to celebrate. Sweens and Westy (Chris Westwood) took penalties before me to protect me – they probably didn’t trust me.

Everyone piled on me when I scored, special times. You don’t want to leave the pitch, me and Dimi were last off.

I walked up after Ian Sharps missed. I was going to go the same way as Cheltenham – post, bar and keeper! Watching again and it wasn’t the best, I probably didn’t strike it sweetly but I got a bit of luck.

MB: I always say Tranmere was the high – that was our final. We knew we were going to the final that night, and from then there was such a buzz. It was totally different to normal. The joy, anticipation, the final, everyone wanted to talk to you. What happened for Ritchie that night, it was so big for us as a squad.

Pre-match BUILD-UP

MB: Pulling into the ground and seeing all our fans was my biggest moment. To see them all, people you know and recognise had so much delight on their faces.

I was so proud to walk out in the stadium – and I messed up by leading the team the wrong way and the referee had to tell me where to go! The team-talk and standing in the tunnel was something else, but the drive to the ground still amazes me.

The noise in the warm-up will always live with me, but the shaking hands, toin coss, I can’t remember. The huddle – I’m supposed to lead it and I can’t remember it.

I had an injury in the build-up and I was 50-50 if I would play. The injury was always on my mind. I went off injured in the end. There was a point we trained before we set-off for the hotel, I was sore and me and Tinks were both struggling – I felt I wouldn’t be there and it was hard to deal with.

I knew I wouldn’t last a full game, but I had give it a go.

MICKY NELSON: From going down the day before, seeing the stadium, the hotel, the trip down – we were nervous, exited all looking forward to it and I’ll never forget the journey to the ground, seeing all our fans.

RH: The Pools fans singing Two Little Boys was a memorable moment, I heard Hi Ho Silver Lining from Wednesday, I’ve heard it before, but hearing our fans signing took me away.

GOING 2-1 AHEAD in the second half

AS: When Jon Daly scored, its hard to explain, it’s a rush. He had just come on and you think we can do it. The goal went in and it’s pure emotion – then you go back to the halfway line and thinking ‘we really are in front’. Looking around the stadium, it’s three quarters Sheffield Wednesday and they are quiet.

MN: A bit of shock. So many emotions. Jogging back to line up and you are praying you can see it out. We were 20 minutes or so away and it was manic when he scored. It was going from the high to getting organised and seeing the game out. We actually did well the next ten minutes before the penalty.

RH: We celebrated, but I can remember being sensible as we were knocking cameras over and I was wary of it, telling people to be careful. It’s weird, why remember that?

MT: I get a shiver when we talk about going in front, we could have been playing Championship football. You get nervous for your team-mates from the bench.

THE PENALTY and chris Westwood’s dismissal

AS: If he had had come and cleaned him out, definite penalty it happens. Borderline and there’s always a doubt. We lose 4-2 and there’s always going to be a what if feeling...

I told Westy recently he ruined my career by stopping us getting to the Championship – he replied and said he saved my career because if we got to the Championship I would have been released!

MN: I still wonder about the penalty. Thinking back, the decision and tackle, it was all about disbelief with the red card. I was praying Dimi could have got something on it, he almost saves it, he dives and it hits his thigh and goes in.

Me and Westy were good as a partnership. From me first coming into the club, we didn’t have time to form something. Me being taller and more aggressive I won a lot of balls and he mopped up. When he had to mix it he could, the balance was good and we did well – one of the best I’ve had.

RH: I’ve played with the player who went down for the penalty at Chesterfield for the last two years... and I’ve reminded Drew Talbot about it every day.

MT: I walked into the changing room with Westy when he went off, we had already used our subs so I wasn’t getting on and you try and lift your mate when he’s down.

THE AFTERMATH

AS: The journey home was as if we had won – a sense of achievement kicked in. At the time we were used to big games and knew the importance of it, but we felt we could go again next season – we all know what happened.

We tried to kick on too much. We needed tweaking, but we instead got players in, built the squad up and really tried to have a go. It went the other way instead.

A big squad means players are disappointed and it can have a negative effect. Playing time was spread about, and you saw what happened. We ended up being relegated.

MB: In the players’ bar after and the bus home it felt like we had won. After the game I spoke to Spike (Graeme Lee, Wednesday’s ex-Pools defender) in the bar, and he said it looked like we had won – we were all happy and enjoying the occasion with family and friends.

I remember going home, the bus home was a party. I got home, went to McDonald’s and sat in the the back garden!

There had to be a reality check of where we were at and what Hartlepool is. To get near the Championship, to where Pools are now, is crazy. It was a crest of a wave. The next season was very tough.

THE ABSENT GAFFER

MN: Neale was fantastic here. I was gutted for him that he wasn’t there, he deserved to be there for what he did – it was largely down to him. I’m sure he looks back well at two of the best seasons of his career.

I’ve seen him in Scotland when I was up there, and he’s such a character.

It was a funny relationship with the lads, it wasn’t all about a joke – when he lost his temper he really could and we knew where we stood.

But every day was a laugh and Martin complimented him well. From going into training Monday morning to finishing the game Saturday it was enjoyable.

You make the most of those times. I’ve been fortunate enough to play for clubs and play a lot of games, you have to enjoy the good times - you don’t know what will come in the future.