AFTER joining an exclusive club by bagging 20 goals this season, Adam Boyd still has some way to go to make the record books.

Boyd's penalty against Brentford at Victoria Park on February 22 took him to the 20-goal mark and one of only six Pool players to have passed the landmark in the last 30 years.

There are two other records in sight now, and while they might take some achieving, the man whose record he is after wouldn't begrudge him it one bit.

Starting with today's game with Wrexham at Victoria Park, Boyd has 13 - possibly 16 - games to make his mark.

But there's still has some way to go to match Joe Allon's scoring records from season 1990-91.

Allon bagged 28 League goals and 35 in all competitions to fire Pool to promotion.

If Boyd, with 15 goals in League One, goes on to match Allon's feat, the former Pool striker, who moved to Chelsea in 1991 after becoming the darling of the Victoria Ground crowd, would have no complaints.

Allon is a fully-paid up member of the Boyd fan club and admitted: "Everyone is praising him right now but he is one of my favourite footballers and I've been saying that for three years.

"His skill and potential are frightening - that's because his head is right and he realises the chance he's got.

"He's showed his ambition by signing a new contract at the club.

"He wants to play at a higher level, he's got the ability to do it, and he is saying he can now do it with Hartlepool, his home-town club.

"His goals-per-game ratio is phenomenal.

"It's a tall order for him to get 28 in the league and beat the record, but I'm sure he will push it close.

"If he does, I will be the first in the queue to shake his hand and wish him all the best.

"I shared the record with William Robinson, but he did it in 1928 and had to wait a hell of a long time before someone got close! He wasn't there when I did it, but I would love to see Boydy do it.''

Allon, crowned North-East Footballer of the Year during his record-breaking season, admits the scenario could have been so different if then boss Cyril Knowles had got his way.

Knowles was keen on sending Allon to Scarborough in exchange for former Pool forward Paul Dobson during the early stages of the promotion campaign.

Allon rejected the move, stayed at Pool, and his partnership with Paul Baker took Pool to promotion.

After Boyd returned from a successful loan spell at Boston this time last year, Allon can see the similarities.

"He went to Boston and came back a different player and something similar happened to me,'' he recalled.

"I was nearly sent to Scarborough on loan during our promotion season, but only one person decided on that one - me.

"There was no way I was going to leave Hartlepool at that time and we ended up being promoted.

"I remember the dark days at the club, we lost three games on the spin - Doncaster 6-0, Aldershot 6-1 and York 7-1.

"I was being played all over; I was up front, then dropped back into midfield for a few games - things were really bad.

"I remember thinking I had gone from Newcastle to being promoted with Swansea to being right at the bottom.

"It was a case of 'right, what do we want out of this?' It's not really a kick up the backside, it's more a case of realising what you can get out of the game and think it's the same with Adam.''

Allon grew up on Tyneside as part of the all-conquering Newcastle United youth team of 1985. Alongside Paul Stephenson and Paul Gascoigne, the Tyneside teenagers were destined for great things, but his stay at St James' Park didn't last long and he went to Swansea before moving back to the North-East in 1988.

Allon is well aware of the pitfalls of playing for your home-town club.

"One of Boydy's problems is being a local lad, everyone knows him and sees him everywhere,'' said Allon.

"If you go to the shop and buy a Mars Bar, someone is going round saying you are a chocoholic and it's the same if you are out for a pint - it's wrong, but it happens.

"Neale Cooper was having him watched when he was out on loan and he played a few games and scored a few goals, but he came back a completely different player.

"He's been a breath of fresh air. "He really has got it all. He can play with his back to goal, he sticks his backside out like Dalglish used to, he can go past players, he can score spectacular goals, simple goals, headers - you name it, he's got it.

"Playing at a higher level is something he can do and something he can do with Hartlepool.''

* Former Pool defender Jon Bass is on trial at Bristol Rovers.

After leaving Victoria Park in July 2003, he spent a season playing in Malaysia.

Read more about Hartlepool here.