ONCE again Hartlepool United have been affected by the weather this week.

Today they are training at their regular base at East Durham College in Peterlee, after being nomads last week.

Pools take on Notts County at Victoria Park on Saturday and preparations for the squad have taken them to Brierton School in Hartlepool this week to work on a 3G pitch, while they will be on a regular playing surface today.

Boss Dave Challinor said: “It’s always going to be tough and needs must – last week we trained at a different venue each day and this is not too dissimilar.

“We think we’ve come through the worst of the weather and then we have to accept the fact it’s probably going to be the same on Saturday.

“We prepare properly, we know how the game can potentially pan out and there’s variables in that – namely the weather.

“We’ve trained well, we’ve worked them hard. It’s frustrating that after a really good week last weekend’s game was off. We want to see how things pan out in games rather than how you hope.’’

Pools were without a game last weekend as their trip to Solihull fell victim to Storm Ciara. Two clear weeks on the training ground have given the manager a chance to mould his players.

He added: “It’s allowed us to bed down other stuff and reinforce other things – different things this week to prepare for different opposition, with a different shape. We look at where we can cause problems and work, from my perspective, that we would normally have embedded in pre-season.

“That means when you come up against teams with a different shape you knew what you would have to do or potentially have to do. There’s nothing worst than the wind, and it’s forecast for strong winds on Saturday.’’