I was in Hartlepool for about 10am, as soon as I knew we had survived I knew I was going to make a day of it, I also knew the potential for trouble with Cardiff at Pool as well was going to be massive, so as soon as i got off the train to keep out of the way I headed off to the headland and went to a pub called the Middlesbrough
. About 1300 I headed off back to the centre, I was going to watch Pool v Cardiff, there was little groups of Cardiff floating around all over the place and it was sporadically kicking off around the centre. I didn't feel safe.. I was in the ground for 2 pm, but not before buying a home end ticket for Tuesday night when Boro were back at Pool in the 1st Rd of the League cup and we had been only given 1100 tickets. I stood on the long terrace down the side towards what used to be the old away end. The match was quite good and think Cardiff scored first with about 40 Cardiff in home seats behind me letting the home fans know they were there, which led to a big confrontation at half time as Pools fans swapped ends and started gathering in front of the taffs, , this led to a rain of seats and dozens of Poolies spilling onto the pitch. About 5 minutes from the end pools fans at either end of the terrace ( mill bank?) started congregating around the exits, a group of about 200 Boro had turned up and where moving along the back of the terrace on the wasteland as well as police trying to move them on. Sounds like a hooligan recollection but it's not, it's how it was at the grounds in the 80's and even as young supporter you were tagged as hooligans not just by the police but by the opposition fans, and because if you did travel away you couldn't help but speak to the Joeys or even drink with them at some grounds for safety, but from 86 when our away numbers started climbing again you could find more pubs with regular Boro fans in and could keep with them but it was hairy some times.
The town centre between the Pool game and ours was just lawlessness, I had seen some Boro 'fans' smash up a jewellers front and help themselves. In the ground it was a lot more well behaved , the atmosphere really positive , there was a sprinkling of vale fans maybe 60 or 70, they had very short notice to organise their travel arrangements as well, we went 2-0 up everything was good but then before you knew it, " it's the Boro way" had reasserted itself and it was 2-2.
There was a little bit of pavement dancing after the game with the police but most people just headed back off to the train and Teesside, glad to have seen the club again.