Two players out on loan

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By Albatross
November 4 2005

Hartlepool United have announced that two of their young first year professionals are heading out on loan for a month. Neil Wilkinson is joining Blyth Spartans, while James Winter will spend a month with Gateshead.

Wilkinson and Winter are only the latest of our young players to head out to local Non-League clubs for a bit of "toughening up". For some players it's a chance to learn and push their claim for a squad place; for others, it is less beneficial.

Over the last few years it's proved of benefit to the likes of Jim Provett, Darren Craddock and Andy Appleby. However for Kevin Duncan it lead to his release. In many ways it's a chance for both Pools and the player to find out whether they can cut it: reserve and youth team football are all very well, but there's no real substitute for first team experience, even at a comparatively low level. For the first three players mentioned, it showed they had the composure and temperament to cope and helped them slot into the first team fairly comfortably when the chance came.

Scott seems to be talking about both players in terms of getting them ready for first team football - he's quoted on the Official Site as saying that "they are both players with big futures". How they get on in the Unibond may have a say in how big that future will be.