IF NEALE Cooper achieves the dream and leads Hartlepool United into Division One, he jokes that his days could be numbered.

The Victoria Park manager is just three games away from steering his team out of Division Two at the first attempt.

And if Pool have Leeds United and Wolves on their fixture list next season, Cooper jokes he might not be around to enjoy it.

The former Aberdeen midfield enforcer has already exceeded all expectations by not only keeping Pool in Division Two, but leading them to their highest-ever league placing.

Pool meet Bristol City today in the first leg of the play-offs and Cooper said if he succeeds at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday, May 29, then he might as well leave town.

"If it happened and we were in the First Division, I think it would be right for me to lock up my office, hand the keys to the chairman, say there you go, thank you very much, and walk out because I don't know how I could possibly do any better than that!'' he added.

Turning to the serious business ahead, Cooper stressed: "We have never even thought about any teams who are in Division One, we've never looked at it.

"All we are thinking about is getting through the play-offs and we know we face two really difficult games against Bristol City.''

But Pool fans can rest easy, the manager has no plans to leave his club in the lurch.

It was a case of "Neale who?" when he was the surprise appointment last July to lead Pool into pastures new.

But both Cooper and supporters are having the time of their lives and the manager-fan relationship at Victoria Park has never been stronger.

He admitted: "I haven't enjoyed myself as much in years. It's a new life, a new environment and a nice feeling. It has been refreshing, just as it was for Paul Sturrock when he came down to England.

"He had had enough in Scotland. People don't know you so well down in England, there's no pressure, no baggage. The club here is a really happy place, possibly because we have done so well. They are a great bunch of lads, with no big-time Charlies.

"I've been very fortunate to have Martin and Paul Stephenson here. I had never met Martin before I came here, but we have formed a very good friendship as well.

"I was here on my own, but straight away when I met the players and people at the club I knew I would get on with them.

"Football, for me, is always the same. I have done all the badges I need, licences and the stuff, so I know what I want to achieve.''

Cooper has suffered just 15 defeats in 52 games in charge at Pool, winning 22 of them.

Their record away from home is the best in the division and the Pool boss admitted: "When I came here, I never set any targets.

"I think everyone thought a good season would be if we finished sixth bottom!

"Everyone had us down for relegation, and I mean everyone. Instead we have proved a lot of people wrong and that's been a big plus for me.

"Last week at Swindon was emotional for me and that's because the boys have been good all along.

"These boys have never looked back from day one of the season.

"It's a tremendous achievement to reach this level and make the play-offs. The town is buzzing and we have had great support right from the first game at Peterborough.''

This is the fifth season in a row the club has had something positive to aim for at the end of the season.

Already this campaign, Pool have pushed both Sunderland and West Brom close in Cup games and Cooper admitted: "Going to Sunderland was a magic day for the club.

"It was tremendous to see so many fans there - we had something like 10,000 there. We gave Sunderland a good game that day and can count ourselves a little unlucky and it was the same against West Brom in the Carling Cup.

"We were favourites for relegation, now look at us. That was a big spur for the players, Barry Fry was one of those to have us down so on the first game it was a big motivational thing.''

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