THERE'S a joke doing the rounds in Hartlepool that the town's football club will soon be announcing an official link-up with one of their Premiership neighbours.

The sting in the tail is that Sunderland will be named as Hartlepool United's feeder club.

Darren Williams' recent arrival at Victoria Park means there are six ex-Wearside favourites in the Pool camp.

Tweleve months ago, Williams and Ben Clark were in Mick McCarthy's squad preparing for the Championship opener at Coventry.

Yet today they join Michael Proctor and Thomas Butler in a Pool squad managed by Martin Scott and Steve Agnew to face Bradford.

From red and white to blue and white is the new colour of the sextet.

Williams arrived at Pool after spending the majority of last season at Cardiff.

With his future in South Wales uncertain, the chance to return to the North-East was too enticing for the Middlesbrough-born 28-year-old

And the chance to see a few old compatriots helped just as much.

He admitted: "It's nice to get back here, it's slightly different to having to drive home from south Wales. My family came down after we rented a house down there but there were a lot of things to sort out and a lot of travelling.

"I'm pleased to be here and pleased to get things sorted out.

"The aim is to go one better and it's nice to join a club on the up. A few years ago Hartlepool were fighting it out with Darlington at the bottom end of the Football League - now Hartlepool are the bigger side.

"It was a wrench to leave the North-East and to leave Sunderland.

"I've said before it was disappointing not to stay at Sunderland for ten years because of reasons that were beyond football circumstances.

"I couldn't stay, which was disappointing, but these things happen and I am pleased to have a chance with a side that is going places and aiming for promotion.

"I spent many years at Sunderland and wish them all the very best. Saying that, I've joined up with half of them here now!

"It seems that a lot of us are filtering down bit by bit and it's nice to see some familiar faces here.

"I didn't take much persuading to join the club because, like I say, this is a club on the up.''

After 240 appearances in eight seasons since a £50,000 transfer from York, Williams' hopes of a reaching the ten-year service benchmark were ended by Mick McCarthy.

Just one appearance in a Sunderland shirt last season was no way to end his time at the Stadium of Light.

McCarthy engineered a tightly-knit squad to promotion last season and Williams can see similarities at Victoria Park.

The merits of a fine dressing room spirit at Pool are well documented.

It's that camaraderie which played its part in reaching Cardiff in the play-off final last season.

After going so close to promotion last season, the aim in clear this time around - go one better.

"I took an interest in the club last season and the last couple of seasons to be fair because they have had some success in the play-offs,'' admitted Williams.

"I did feel for them in the play-off final, because I felt it was a harsh decision - and that's from being a neutral at the time.

"The aim, hopefully, is to go one better and then at least we will all have a longer summer. Automatic promotion is what we are looking at and we are quietly confident.

"We've brought a few new players in to add to what was already here and the gaffer has spoken about it. It is going to be a squad thing.

"It's a very competitive league and injuries will happen so the squad will be rotated.

"To survive and do well in this division you have to train right and be competitive. You have to make sure you rest up when possible.

"There is a good dressing room here, a great set of lads and everyone gets on.

"We have our disagreements at times, just like you get at any club, but the good thing here is that nothing is ever carried over from the training ground.

"What happens is constructive. There's a great spirit here and a good togetherness.

"This club is on a different level from Sunderland but I know this club is going in the right direction and hopefully we can take it a stage further.

Being back home on Teesside means a lot to family man Williams.

Born and raised in Middlesbrough, there was a brief time, however, when things were not going too well for him off the pitch.

On May 19, 1997, Boro and Sunderland were scrapping it out for their Premiership lives at the Riverside Stadium.

And, while Joe Allon was keeping Pool in the Football League by scoring a dramatic winner at Darlington that day, Williams was making his own derby-day mark.

Right on the stroke of half-time Williams, picked to man-mark Juninho but given more licence after the Brazilian started on the bench, met a Chris Waddle free-kick with his head to give Sunderland the win and hope of beating the drop.

In the end, both teams were relegated, but antics off the pitch affected then-teenager Williams, who was given a direct number to phone the police if things got even further out of hand.

"I'm a Teesside lad, always have been, regardless of what some Teessiders think,'' he joked. "I'm from Marton and went to Coulby Newham School.

"Despite scoring against them in 1997 I am a Boro fan, contrary to what people think.

"It wasn't the best of times, I had property damaged and things like that.

"I took a lot of stick in the warm-up and scored a goal. It wasn't my first goal for the club, it was my second, but what happens afterwards you don't really recollect.

"It's not until afterwards that you think 'what have I done?'

"The fans are there to give you stick all day, which is something you take and get on with.

"That game I ended up scoring, which didn't go down too well.

"But I have always looked for Boro's results, just like I look out for Sunderland's now. Being a Middlesbrough fan playing for Sunderland didn't mean I didn't support them.

"I still get recognised around Middlesbrough - it's not too bad on the lynching side, I think they have put all the nooses away now! I have a lot of friends and family in the town and I still go there. I am not one to walk away from something.''

Williams, Scott and Agnew were team-mates when Sunderland made the move from Roker Park to the Stadium of Light in 1997.

And the defender, a young pup in the Black Cats' side at the time when Scott and Agnew were in the more experienced bracket, admits it hasn't come as a suprise to see the pair in the manager's dug out.

He said: "Looking back, the gaffer had the right credentials to be a manager and I think the same applies to Steve (Agnew).

"I think the pair will form a good partnership and we will do well this season.

"Steve came from Leeds and it kind of helped me come here in a way.

"I had a couple of other offers - Millwall and Hull were two and you always hear of others being interested as well - but Steve being here helped, as did the chance to come home.

"Knowing the way this club is going made me realise I wanted to come.

"It felt right to come here after speaking to the gaffer and knowing a few of the lads here helped me as well.

"I played with Paul Stephenson at York, so I know all the management team from playing.''