Cooper delighted

Since his arrival in the summer, the Pool boss has been taken in by the ever-growing standards set by his players and supporters.

A week after their narrow FA Cup defeat at Sunderland, Pool are back at Victoria Park when Barry Fry's Peterborough visit.

And from their encounter on the first day of the season at London Road, Cooper has had to constantly draw breath as the levels of achievement are raised.

"Everyone here just keeps setting new standards - the players, the fans, everyone,'' he reflected.

"I really have never witnessed anything like our support last week. It was immense.

"But, for me, it's not about trying to bring them down from the high of Sunderland or anything like that. We had a meeting on Monday when we talked about what had gone on and this week in training has been another good one.

"I'm not surprised by that because I know what these boys are all about.

"We've heard and read lots of nice things in the last week and a lot of people have noticed Hartlepool United.''

Cooper, whose side have yet to drop out of the top half of the table in a season which, according to many pundits last August, would be one of struggle, revealed: "I've happy memories of Peterborough from the first day of the season.

"We lost two bad goals, three if you include the penalty as well, then full credit to the boys for the way they came back into it. They showed great character.

"Barry Fry was one of the people saying we were going straight back down and I think that was brought up once or twice after the game. But I know what he is about, he is a character and they are a big club.

"That day typified for me what these players are all about. It was an unbelievable day, we played in something like 90 degree heat.

"It's the opposite now, with coats and jumpers on, but for a first game in charge for me it was a great day.

"Our fans took my breath away that day, they created a great atmosphere and I think it helped the boys come back from 3-1 down.''

Crowds at Victoria Park average 5,395 this season.

Seven days ago almost 10,000 descended on Wearside and Cooper said: "This is our first League game after Sunderland and I'm not going to think that every one of the 10,000 who went there will be at the game - it doesn't work like that.

"What I hope for is that those who don't normally come to our home games like what they saw and come along. A few hundred more in the ground can make a big difference.''

Pool's last home game was a rare event - a home defeat when Barnsley inflicted the first Victoria Park reverse since September 28, 2002.

But there's been no hangover as a win at Oldham and a strong display at Sunderland testify.

Cooper said: "We are strong at home. We lost our last game here, but we have a record to be proud of.

"We played well against Barnsley, the odd decision went against us. But then after losing we asked for a response at Oldham and we got it. We asked for a reaction to the defeat and what a reaction we got, to go to Oldham and win like we did.''

Meanwhile, Marcus Richardson's proposed transfer to Lincoln has hit the rocks.

Pool are willing to let the striker - whose month-long loan spell ends today - move to Sincil Bank for free, but stand-in Imps boss Gary Simpson claims Pool's extra demands are threatening the deal.

The Imps have already cleared out five players to free up funds for Richardson's permanent arrival.

But Simpson said: "Hartlepool set us three demands - a percentage of any future sell-on fee, and payment if we make the play-offs or get promoted.

"The first one we can comply with, but we haven't got the money to meet the other two.

"If we do go up, we have obligations to other players. And even if we finish third and go up automatically, the prize money is only £5,000.

"To be fair to Neale Cooper, the demands seem to have come from the chairman and their financial people."

If the clubs fail to come to an agreement, Richardson will return to Victoria Park and see out his contract, which expires this summer.