ANOTHER sporting week goes by and the headlines have a familiar ring to them.

Michael Owen has done a hamstring and is out for the season. Not exactly a new story.

Yet another South Africaborn cricketer has scored a century for England. Allan Lamb was doing this 30 years ago.

The Great Britain Winter Olympics team has returned from the Games with only one medal. Some things never change.

And then out of the blue there is a new news story.

It appears that Hartlepool United, for so long the whipping boys of the Football League, have served a winding up order on neighbours Billingham Town (Echo, Mar 6).

This is the same Hartlepool United who were once so hard up that the then manager Brian Clough gave serious consideration to driving the team bus himself in an effort to save money.

Now Pools may get their pound of flesh in court, but at what cost to their reputation in North-East football?

Surely their good name is worth more than £10,000 which would just about cover a month-long loan signing.

I am a Billingham Synthonia fan but Town have been a cracking club over the years and a credit to the Northern League.

Think again Pools, think again.

Martin Birtle, Billingham