Our Hartlepool United writer has picked eight things to look out for when Pools travel to Southend on Saturday. Will you be making the journey?
1. Lennie Lawrence targets three points on his 77th birthday
Lennie Lawrence is set to celebrate his 77th birthday at Roots Hall on Saturday. The veteran boss first took charge of a game in 1978 when he was appointed as caretaker of Plymouth and is now the third oldest active manager in the world. Lawrence has engineered a remarkable turnaround in his side’s fortunes since replacing the outspoken Darren Sarll in October and Pools are now just two points outside the play-offs. However, the congested nature of this season’s National League means a couple of bad results would risk Pools slipping back into the bottom half and a win for Southend would see them leapfrog their visitors and leave Lawrence to endure a rather miserable birthday. The Pools boss said fostering a mutual respect between himself and his players as well as adapting to the ever-changing trends in football has helped him enjoy such longevity. Lawrence admitted a love of the game keeps him motivated, while his dislike of golf and sitting on the beach compels him to keep going. Three points would be the perfect present for the popular boss.
2. Southend’s new signing Charley Kendall bids to mark debut with a goal
The Shrimpers added to their attacking options with the signing of Woking striker Charley Kendall on the eve of Saturday’s game. The 23-year-old, who arrives at Roots Hall for an undisclosed fee, scored three goals in 17 National League appearances for the Cards this season and featured against Pools in August. The industrious frontman handed in a transfer request earlier in the campaign and arrives to bolster a Southend front line who have scored seven times in their last two games but have not always found goals easy to come by this season. Kendall’s last appearance for Woking was, ironically, against Southend at the end of November and he could go straight into the side for Saturday’s match.
3. Veteran midfielder Nicky Featherstone set to make 600th career appearance
Pools stalwart Nicky Featherstone is set to make his 600th career appearance in Essex. The majority of those games have been for Pools and Featherstone is the club’s fourth highest appearance maker of all time. The 36-year-old has been part of one of the most turbulent decades in the club’s history and has been written off, released and relegated but has proven himself one of his side’s most consistent and reliable performers time and again. The metronomic midfielder was expected to play a bit part role this season after Pools undertook a complete overhaul of their engine room over the summer but Featherstone has retained his place in the side and has been an ever-present under Lawrence. Featherstone, who was an integral part of the team that won promotion in 2021, admitted he’d take time to consider his future at the end of the campaign. If this is to be his last season as a player, then he’d love to help Pools return to the Football League.
4. Pools prepare to play at a packed Roots Hall
Lennie Lawrence hailed Southend as one of the biggest club’s in the division earlier in the week. The Shrimpers have, by some distance, the highest average home attendance in the National League so far this season. Southend’s average gate of 7,088 is almost 1,500 more than the next highest, Oldham’s 5,692. Pools are in fourth with 3,563. The people of Southend rallied round the club during a turbulent campaign last season that saw Kevin Maher’s side overcome a 10 point deduction, multiple winding up petitions and several long-lasting transfer embargos to finish in the top half. After the club changed hands in the summer, supporters were hopeful Southend would challenge for promotion but it hasn’t quite turned out like that so far. The Shrimpers are 14th and have only won three of their 10 home games this season.
