IT'S nearly two weeks since Chris Turner left Hartlepool to join Sheffield Wednesday and I would just like to take this opportunity to wish him all the best.

Chris, or the gaffer as we always called him, was a breath of fresh air for Hartlepool and he deserved to fulfil his dream of taking over at Hillsborough.

No doubt it will be a hard job for him at Wednesday - they are second bottom after all - but he claimed his first point in charge on Saturday and hopefully he can turn things around down there.

When he first took over at Victoria Park, we were struggling. We were heading for the Conference and somehow he saved us from relegation and led us to three successive play-offs.

That run of success at Pool is a barometer of how well he did in his three and a half years with us.

And as I'm club skipper I would just like to take the time, on behalf of all the players, to thank Chris for the great spell he had at the helm.

Colin West has taken temporary control and he has ensured training has not changed too drastically and that has also been good to see.

Speaking of success, it has been tremendous to see Newcastle United do so well in the Champions League.

My brother-in-law, Steven, is a season ticket holder, and when Newcastle got through to the second phase, I said to him the Magpies were better off facing the worst teams in the last 16.

But he didn't want that and, like most of their other fanatical supporters, I'm pleased to see they got the draw they wanted.

Having teams of the highest calibre, like Inter Milan and Barcelona, come to Tyneside is tremendous. And I can't help but feel that in front of 52,000 Geordies at St. James' Park they will have a great chance of gaining a result.

I would also like to give credit to Sunderland for their response to a change in manager.

Since Howard Wilkinson and Steve Cotterill took charge they have organised the players well and they are getting their just rewards for the hard work they are putting in on the training field.

They were criticised by many for the way they played at Anfield on Sunday, but let's face it, a point is a point when you come up against teams as good as Liverpool.

Sunderland could have gone there and tried to score four or five goals, but they probably wouldn't have and Liverpool would no doubt have grabbed a winner.

One last thing, it's also brilliant to see ex-Pool boss Mick Tait taking his chance at Darlington.

Wrexham away is a difficult task and there won't be many managers who win in North Wales. Well done Mick.

Published: 19/11/2002