Winning is everything as Scott's army storms Wales

Pool head for the Millennium Stadium for tomorrow's League One play-off final with Sheffield Wednesday.

A place in the Coca-Cola Championship is up for grabs and Pool, backed by 16,500 fans - some 18.5 per cent of the town's population - have history in sight.

Pool have never played their football outside the bottom two divisions, but that could all change come 5pm tomorrow.

Victory would see the likes of Leeds United, Ipswich Town, Norwich City and Southampton on Pool's fixture list next season, while Pool would be exempt from rounds one and two of the FA Cup.

Sheffield Wednesday stand between Pool and their dream.

Pool beat Paul Sturrock's side 3-0 at Victoria Park last month but that counts for nothing tomorrow, especially, it appears, in Sheffield.

Sturrock was yesterday forced to issue a warning to his supporters about over-confidence.

"There is a game of football to be played,'' he warned. "We have to be level-headed and focused or the game could run away from us. The fans must appreciate that Hartlepool have a goal to achieve as well.

"We must be confident but not over-confident. I would hate to think we're in for a mighty fall."

Sheffield-born Scott admitted: "Their fans know they are a lot bigger than us and they demand victory.

"There is more pressure on them; we are the little club and no-one actually expects us to win.

"When we beat Tranmere in the home leg, people were saying we were definitely through. But I knew it was going to be difficult in the second leg and they battered us.

"It went totally against my plan, but we had to sit back and defend and battle. We could easily have gone under and conceded more goals than we did.

"It went to penalties after that and over two legs we deserved something.

"Tranmere did as well, but we came through it.

"I have massive belief in the players. I have watched every team in this division three or four times over the season.

"Hull and Luton went up as the best teams but on our day we can beat the best in the division. If we are not at our best we can lose to the worst.

"We've shown that by losing to Stockport and Wrexham but on our day we can play as well as anyone. We are a good team.

"We have total respect for what Wednesday have in their squad and they are a good team. We know we will have to compete.

"It's a one-off game, anything can happen, that's been shown in recent years.''

Pool set off yesterday and will take in this afternoon's League Two final to get a flavour for the impressive arena.

With new suits for the occasion, Scott and his players are determined to be as smart off the pitch as they are on it.

"We travelled Friday, will train normally on Saturday and get focused for Sunday,'' he said. "We are going to the Millennium Stadium on Saturday for the League Two game and to see the place.

"We've all got new club suits, new shirts and club ties. Teams that are successful look the part.

"Again, it comes from the top. When I first came to the club I would take the warm-ups on the pitch then come in and get showered and changed and it was a pain.

"But you can see why - the chairman wants us to look the part. And the comments we got from people saying we looked smart as a management team and the players were organised as well reflected well on the club.

"From top to bottom, he wants the club to come across well. We can be proud of the players and of IOR.

"The players are being looked after, the wives and children are going down the day before and it's important the players know they are being looked after.

"But there will be no contact, the wives, families and supporters are going down to enjoy it.

"We will enjoy it, but more so if we get the right performance and result.''

Scott was born in the Steel City, but despite being a regular at Hillsborough in his formative years, could never claim to be a fan.

He spent his youth watching both Wednesday and rivals United.

He said: "I'm a Hartlepool United fan this weekend. I am a Sheffield fan, I wanted both Wednesday and United to do well, but not this time.

"I signed for Rotherham and became a Rotherham fan, then Bristol City, Sunderland and now Hartlepool. My family are mainly Sheffield United fans, my father in law is a Wednesday fan - so he's not getting a ticket!

"From where I am from in the city, it's mainly Owls.

"I've lots of friends who are Wednesday fans, so I've a lot of friends cheering them on but they will hope that I'm successful as well.''

Scott is a managerial first tomorrow, as the Millennium Stadium has a caretaker boss in control.

Former boss Neale Cooper has wished his former charges the very best and Scott insists he will accept whatever decision is made over the coming weeks.

"When Neale left, the chairman and I spoke,'' he said.

"I said I didn't want to talk about it until after the Bournemouth game.

"We came through that and I then said I didn't want to speak until after the Tranmere game.

"We have spoken every day since and he hasn't mentioned it, I haven't mentioned it and I totally respect that.

"For the chairman to be talking about my position and the management position at this time would be wrong. We will speak after Sunday and whatever decision the chairman comes to I will respect it.''

Read more about Hartlepool here.