Phil Hadland Q&A
by Scott Thornberry - 5th April 2010
darlo_guru
Hiya Phil,
What's been your favourite moment in your brief spell with Darlington Football Club?
Kind Regards,
PS. You have been an asset, and I hope I havn't seen you play your last game for us!
Phil_Hadland
hello stephen, thanks for question and kind comments.
my fav moment so far was when after getting hammered by the carlisle bench for ninety minutes ( shut down hadland he cant cross , poor first touch slow no pace !!! . ect ect ect ) walikng off the park totally knackered and seeing the look on the fans faces , was my best moment so far , everyone knew we were in a battle but it was a battle we won fair and square. also the carlisle bench all came up and said well played i thought that was very sporting . sorry its nothing exiting but i really enjoyed that night. and i hope to have many more to come in a darlo shirt. thanks phill.
Siege
What was the feeling of the players about the whole Tino saga, before, during and after the somewhat bizarre events?
I would really like you to stay, but if you don't, do you fancy playing for Uncovered FC? (Ask Scott for an explanation!)
Phil Hadland
hi siege, thanks for the question. i think that the players were all just letting it happen , and waiting to see the outcome. i personally took it all with a pinch of salt , the chairman did a great job of having a go a trying to get him and you cant blame him for trying , but i heard the reason he left was he prefers to play on the right and he heard that he would have to sit on the bench as the darlo number 11 was not going to give that position up without a fight and he thought that maybe it would be better to look else where , it's a bit like me coming to play for uncovered fc i hear they have a good right mid player and i dont fancy spending the season on the bench there , so there you have it ( please take that with a huge pinch of salt )
HurricaneFred
How do the players feel about the new stadium. Are they excited at the prospect (like Uncle George and me) or are they nervous of playing in what will initially be small attendances.
Do you also think that it is something that would potentially attract better players?
Thanks for your time at Darlo, and good luck with whatever else you go on to do.
Phil Hadland
hi fred . i personally would love to play in the new stadium, and im sure everyone is really looking forward to it just like you . i do believe it would attract better players. more fans and so on . i hope i get the chance to play there in a darlo shirt. thanks phil.
gettheguitar
now that your month is nearly up, do you hope to sign a deal at darlo or have you been given any indication to what might happen.
thanks for asking. i do really hope to stay . my contract is up on the 14th of this month so i have still some more time to convince the chairman that i am worth adding to the squad. i have been slightly unlucky in a sense. i signed for orient for two years ( by tommy taylor) and was looking forward to working with him as he does like to attack with two wide men. then he resigned and the new manager wanted to bring in his own players !!. i was lucky enough to sign for peter taylor( i like managers with the name taylor ) just before deadline day last season . played in the promotion run in with brighton and loved every minute of it . i was then offered a new contract , and low and behold peter taylor resigned. ( do you think i am a jinx ) so there i was once again . so to get to the point i would love to sign for darlo and do a brighton with them third to the first. thanks phil
GeordieQuaker
I appreciate that you haven't been here for long Phil, but as a winger I assume you prefer us to play with two men hugging the wings. Do you think there is anything to be said about employing a more direct approch in this division?
Oh, and by the way, Cat Deeley or J Lo?
hi ,i think it is horses for courses. the manager will always pick the best team to get a result on that day against that team , i know that if i drop to the bench it is for the best for the team and all the lads know that . this div is tough so you need to mix it up and change things , and that is what the manager does very well.
cat deeley or jay lo . if i had to choose it would be jay lo but i am more of a nell mcandrew man myself. thanks for asking . phill.
tcwonderland
I seem to remember you were on trial at York after you were released by Reading. Terry Dolan offered you a contract and the Press was told that a deal had been agreed. How come a few days later you ended up at Rochdale and do you regret not signing for York?
tc thanks for your question. when i left reading i was contacted by 6 clubs and i decided to spend time with 2 . so when i went to york they knew that i had given my word to rochdale that i would also spend a week with them. i had a great time at york and was delighted to be offered a contract. but i had given my word so i went to rochdale for three days fully expecting to sign for york city. i was playing wing back for york during pre season and i was not used to it and was not enjoying it to be honest, so when i played a trial for dale they said play wide and as an out and out winger and i really enjoyed it, so i then decided that even though it was not such a good deal as yorks i would play and sign for dale. terry dolan was excellent and someone i really enjoyed working with , him and adie shaw worked so very hard and i would have really enjoyed it there and even though i felt bad about not signing for york i felt i was better suited at dale. regrets no . thanks for asking. phill.
awhites
Phil
Whats the atmosphere like in the changing rooms ?
You've tasted success with Brighton....how does our current squad compare ??
hi thanks for your question. the dressing room is great. very good team spirit. in comparison to brighton i think they are very similar, and i think darlo could do a brighton third to the first. that would be just what the new stadium would love , full house against a top div one team.
DJ_No7
I just wanted to say that on the two performances I've seen, should you want to stay at Feethams, the club should be making every effort to ensure you do. Very well played, Phil.
Actually, there is one question:
If you were forced into making a choice of playing for Hartlepool United or having your right leg chopped off, would you want the amputation from the knee or the thigh?
dj. get the saw . (only kidding before i get in trouble). i have been watching a video of a pool game , i am hoping to make the squad for next week and thought i would prepare for that by watching a recent video. i have noticed quite a few things that if i get the chance i will take full advantage of . watch this psace. phil.
Ian_Clark_DFC
first of all id like to contratulate you on your fine performances for us this season.
in the game against oxford you must of put more crosses in than the whole darlo team did last season are you going for the world record of most crosses being put in in a game?
thanks for your comments. regarding getting the ball in the box thats one of my jobs and if the manager tells me to keep putting it in i shall ,left foot or right i will always try to get it in there if i can . thanks for asking .phil
katymarie
hello phil . if you are offerd a longer contract as i firmly believe you will be what would be your reasons for hopefully saying yes and commiting yourself to the quakers .
hello katy marie,thanks for your comments and question. i hope the chairman has as much faith as you do. my reasons for staying are quite simple really. i really enjoy it at the club. i believe that the club could be in a higher div soon and with a new stadium we could really have a great team. also and this is very important , tommy taylor is a manager who likes to attack and i believe he will do really well . i get on well with him and enjoy the way he lets you get wide and go at teams . so katy marie i hope that i get the chance to be part of it all . thanks for asking. phill.
Stu_1
First of all i would like to thank you and the rest of the first team players that turned up at abbey road the other Thursday for doing so! I am 1 of the coaches that work at Football In The Community and was there (albeit a hour and a half late due to problems with my GCSE results being released from school).
I was just wondering how well you thought the course was set up for the kids and whether there were any areas we could improve on?
This would be great input for the scheme, Thank You and good luck in the future, whether it be at Darlo or not. Come on George, sign Phil up.
stu, i spoke to some of the lads regarding this question and everyone agreed how impressed they were with the set up. when we worked with the lads we were all really delighted at how well it is run and how much talent there was . we all agree that everyone conected with the youth devolpment runs it very very well and doing a great job. and i hope you put the great expereince to some good use. well done. phil
LoidLucan
1 We fans seem to moan more and more about the standard of the refs and how they apply the rules. What's your view? Sorry if I land you with a disrepute charge on that one.
2 We have all read reports about a lot of players being unable to find clubs in the current financial climate. Is it a difficult market out there for pro players now in terms of finding clubs, getting some kind of longer-term security and getting a living wage? Do you personally know talented players who've chucked it in and looked elsewhere for a career?
3 What are your ambitions in the game and what would be your dream move (apart from starring for Darlo, of course).
4 Tricky one for you now. What do players really think about supporters and what do they say about them when you're talking among yourselves? We at Darlo are obviously articulate and knowledgeable!!!! but some do barrack individual players, the team, management and even the chairman! Is it ever justified for the paying customers to hand out the stick in this way? And is it commonplace for players to read message boards like this one to find out what fans are saying about them and maybe even reply on occasions?
5 Who is the best player you have played alongside or against so far and (come on name names) who is the toughest you've been pitted against (maybe he has even left his own mark on you)?
6 From the players' point of view, how would you like to see football changed to improve things? Is there an argument for part-time, regionalisation?
7 Did Bosman make things better for individual players or worse?
8 Would you advise a kid of your own to try to become a pro footballer or tell them to run 100 miles in the opposite direction?
9 What are your impressions of this Darlo team? Good enough for promotion, top seven or not? What's the spirit like? Does it need strengthening with the addition of a fast, accurate, skilful winger on a long, lucrative contract!!!!!
10 What do you think about the influx of foreign players into the game in this country? Is there sometimes ill-feeling among home-grown players that they are doing Brit players out of a job, especially with the way things are at the moment?
11 Is playing on the wing the worst job in football? If you just stand out wide waiting for the ball, the fans scream 'Tackle back you lazy git' and if you spend too much time helping out at the back the fans shout 'Get out wide and serve the strikers'... And what about those defenders who just lump it up the line and expect you to be Linford Christie? A fair summary?
Anyway, I'll shut up now. Good luck with whatever route your career takes you, hopefully in a Quakers shirt!
loid lucan , thanks for the questions. i hope i can answer them all .
refs. believe it or not i think they do a good and sometimes great job. they have the bottle to go out there and do it and if they see it they call it and 9 times out of ten they get it right. i got booked last week and that was a wrong decision !!!!!!!!!!!. but i accept they can only call what they see. they have many things to contend with , and usually it is the players who make it difficult for the refs but that is due to the passion that runs through every player in every game. so refs for me are the good guys . linos on the other hand are usually week easily intimidated and not as good as the refs .
i know loads of players who have left the game for the reasons you mentioned, and some who were playing div one last season are in the rymans this season.
ambitions to play as high as i can ( in the champions league with darlo )( how good an answer was that )and dream move would be liverpool who i played for as a youth.
supporters, there is one thing i know without them there would be no clubs and even though they can get upset at times , that is nothing compared to having no support, you pay your money and you say what you like , as long as it,s fair then im all for it. i would rather play infront of tweny thousand who were giving me grief than two men and a dog on a park. and being a winger i get more than most. i dont know of any players who read the message board , but im sure they all do .
best player ive played with , there have been a few . probably steven gerrard when we were in the same liverpool youth team together. and paul ( rivelino) jackson. played against ; micheal owen .toughest ; nobody springs to mind but dave bayliss was tough when i was at the dale , and he was on my team !!.
part time , regionalisation . not sure ,i like travelling to some places but exeter to carlisle is tough on the fans , i like it as it is.its nice getting hammered by fans in various accents.
bosman has shifted the power to the players but its now being slowly shifted back to the clubs , and they have all learned a few harsh lessons.
end of part one .phill
question 9
question 9 ;teams good i believe that we will be thereabout come the end of the season , where abouts im not sure but top 7. it is clear that you have noticed we need a new addition to the squad , the type of player you suggest leads me to believe you have a total understanding of whats required for the benifit of the club , so much so that you should be our director of football , and even if you dont get the job you should at least change your name on here to that . i know some directors of football and managers who know less than you.
the influx has added quality at the top end but for every di canio/ ole gunner / henry ect ect, there are many more who are no more than ordinary , and when you look further down the leagues it is even worst. it is a easy option for a manager to bring in an non uk player because if he turns out to be rubbish, then he can blame it on the player who by this time has left the country never to be seen again. for every overseas player playing in this country , there are three better ones here.
playing on the wing is the best job in the country, i know that you must do both jobs and with equal effort , i prefer a 4 33 systemn where i can be the spare man up front with two strikers , who can just attack but that is quite rare so i accept it as part of my job that even when things are not going well i must still work even harder to help defend. with regards to long ball ect we must react to what ever they do at the back , and i have no problem with that, what i hate ( and this is not darlo related) is when i am in space and wide , and ready to attack again , some players would rather hit a world cup pass to look better than they are , rather than give a simple ball wide to a winger to attack , strange but true.
thank you for taking the time and effort to ask me these questions. i have really enjoyed answering them all with everyone else . i hope you have enjoyed the answers . thank you very much .PHILL HADLAND DARLINGTON FC.
Hapag_Loid
1...has the lads' utterly woeful taste in music put you off signing for the club? I mean, for the love of God, Porter's favourite group are girly Irish folkmeisters the Corrs.
2.Are the players excited at the prospect of moving to the new ground, or would remaining at Feethams be preferable to potentially playing n a potentially 3/4 empty stadium. Do you think the new ground will attract new players?
3.And finally, is it just me, or do Clark Keltie, Matt Clarke and David "TY" McGurk all have ginormous heads?
yes it has , the music is even worse than you can imagine.
ive not asked the lads but they all comment on how wonderful the new stadium is , it will atract better players but better contracts must go with it as we all saw with the tino episode last week. however i know where i would rather play .
because i must take the fifth amendment on you next question i shall quckly move on.
he (tt) is very very calm but . you know when he demands more he only needs to look to get it , he does not shout or scream he is better than that. but very good at what he does as time will tell. thanks phil.
Breedon
have you enjoyed your time at Darlo and do you want a longer spell with the club because i would like to see you on our team for a lot longer personally.
breedon, ive not enjoyed my time at darlo.!! i have loved every second of it. as i have already said i will stay for as long as the club want one month or three years , i am just delighted to be a darlo player . i have one week left so i,m sure we will know something soon . thanks phill.
Blue & White 4 Ever
As a Hartlepool fan!
How do you the players view derby games?---do you understand the tension building up before them or does it only transmit itself to you when you are on the pitch?
press play !.
Number One
Just a thankyou and good luck, your performances, so far, have been excellent with flair, pace and usually and end product going forward and also hard work tracking back I will be very disappointed if you are not offered a contract.
Oh Stella or Kronenberg? and your more than welcome to join the boys on a session round dirty stockton..as long as you get your round in of course
number _ one thanks for your comments and question. im not much off a drinker and im not old enough to drink stella im only 21 !1 so kronenberg for me thanks for the invite to stockton but your reputation is ledgendary so i will pass for now till im older , say 47 . thanks phil.
BishopQuaker
If given the chance would you stay at Darlo or move on to pastures new.
2. What has been your best moment at Darlo.
(I hope no-one has asked those previously!)
P.S. My Darlo site, although nothing compared to the mighty Darlo Uncovered has been up for some time and I'd apreciate it if you had a look.
Thanks,Chris "Bishop Quaker" Swinton.
bishopquaker, thanks for the question , if it was my chioce !! i wouls stay for as long as the club wanted me to. one month or three years . i would be delighted to be a darlo player and get to a higher division with them . chris i shall be having a look at your site over the weekend and i will send you my comments then if that is ok . thanks chris. phill.