Michael Pook
Encyclopedia
Michael David Pook is a footballer who is a product of the Swindon Town
youth system. He is currently at Southern Premier Division
side Brackley Town
after being released by League Two
club Cheltenham Town
.
, Pook was originally a Swindon Town
youth team player. He made his debut for the first team in October 2003, playing seventy minutes of a Football League Trophy
match at Boston in October 2003 that the Town lost 2-1. Though he regularly appeared on the bench later in the season, he didn't make it onto the pitch until the following September, in somewhat different surroundings - coming on as an injury-time substitute in a Carling Cup match at Elland Road
, Leeds
.
He made his league debut in December 2004, again as a substitute, this time at Bournemouth - but was not used again until April - in the meantime, he was an integral part of the youth team that won the Youth Alliance South West Conference title. Without having started a match in the first team, manager Andy King offered him a professional contract, and he finally made his first start on 23 April - with the Town out of the promotion race, King began to experiment with youth players, and Pook was the first to benefit when he started the match against Tranmere, and went on to appear in the next two . During this period, he also helped the youths to an Alliance Cup victory - and though first team duties meant that he was only a substitute in the final at Burnley, he came on to play the majority of the second half plus extra time.
By the time the squad reported for pre-season training, Pook had signed his one year deal, and with a small squad, manager Andy King declared that he wouldn't be scared to utilise any of the youngsters that were making up the first team squad. Pook started the season in an unusual role on the left side of midfield at Barnsley, but slotted back into the centre for the next match, where he remained until mid-November - the only player ever-present to this point of the season. During this period, King regularly praised Pook on his progress, and he bagged his first senior goal for the club, scoring with a shot from the edge of the area in a Carling Cup defeat against Wycombe at the County Ground.
Unfortunately, Pook soon made headlines for the wrong reasons - after missing his first game, sitting out the 1-1 draw at Port Vale
on the bench, early the next morning he was arrested for drink driving after being stopped by a police patrol. Eventually banned from driving for nineteen months and fined £300, Pook was also dropped from the first team the following week, with new manager Iffy Onuora
stating that he didn't feel it was right to play him, with everything going on behind the scenes. Pook returned to action in December, helping the Town to a 1-0 victory over Rotherham in a vital bottom-of-the-table clash.
After signings of Paul Smith
and Andy Gurney
, Pook's appearances became more limited in the second half of the season - Onuora stating that with the experienced players coming in, Pook should try to learn from them. He made just two appearances in January and February, before being put straight back into the starting line-up after the Town were defeated 7-1 at Nottingham Forest - and after making four starts in March, he signed another year's contract at the end of the month. Perhaps surprisingly, he made just one more start, in the last match of the season, by which time the Town's relegation to League Two had been confirmed.
Pook marked his 50th senior appearance for the club with a goal in Swindon's 3-0 home victory against Grimsby Town. Pook continued to play his role in Swindon's promotion season of 2006/2007, scoring an impressive strike away at Boston. Pooks slow and steady progression earned him a contract extension for the 2007/2008 season, although he has fierce competition for a place in the centre of midfield.
and was given the no. 7 shirt.
Though not known for his goalscoring and with only five league goals in his career up to that point, Pook scored his first hat-trick in a remarkable 5-6 win over Burton Albion
on 13 March 2010. All his goals were scored from outside the penalty area with his right foot (one free-kick, one deflected shot and one volleyed winner), and all three goals were, remarkably, in the last ten minutes of the match. Cheltenham had found themselves 5-3 down with only three minutes of normal time remaining, but Pook's second and third - either side of an effort from Justin Richards
- clinched an amazing victory.
On 9 May 2011 Pook was made available for a free transfer by manager Mark Yates and on 24 August 2011 he was released by the club.
Pook then joined Conference National
side Forest Green Rovers
on trial in September 2011. He trained with Forest Green to keep fit until the start of November when he left the club to link up with Brackley Town
.
side Brackley Town
.
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
youth system. He is currently at Southern Premier Division
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
side Brackley Town
Brackley Town F.C.
Brackley Town Football Club are a football club based in Brackley, England, who play their home games at St. James Park. They were established in 1890. They have won the Hellenic League twice in their history...
after being released by League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
club Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...
.
Swindon Town
Born in SwindonSwindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
, Pook was originally a Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
youth team player. He made his debut for the first team in October 2003, playing seventy minutes of a Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
match at Boston in October 2003 that the Town lost 2-1. Though he regularly appeared on the bench later in the season, he didn't make it onto the pitch until the following September, in somewhat different surroundings - coming on as an injury-time substitute in a Carling Cup match at Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
.
He made his league debut in December 2004, again as a substitute, this time at Bournemouth - but was not used again until April - in the meantime, he was an integral part of the youth team that won the Youth Alliance South West Conference title. Without having started a match in the first team, manager Andy King offered him a professional contract, and he finally made his first start on 23 April - with the Town out of the promotion race, King began to experiment with youth players, and Pook was the first to benefit when he started the match against Tranmere, and went on to appear in the next two . During this period, he also helped the youths to an Alliance Cup victory - and though first team duties meant that he was only a substitute in the final at Burnley, he came on to play the majority of the second half plus extra time.
By the time the squad reported for pre-season training, Pook had signed his one year deal, and with a small squad, manager Andy King declared that he wouldn't be scared to utilise any of the youngsters that were making up the first team squad. Pook started the season in an unusual role on the left side of midfield at Barnsley, but slotted back into the centre for the next match, where he remained until mid-November - the only player ever-present to this point of the season. During this period, King regularly praised Pook on his progress, and he bagged his first senior goal for the club, scoring with a shot from the edge of the area in a Carling Cup defeat against Wycombe at the County Ground.
Unfortunately, Pook soon made headlines for the wrong reasons - after missing his first game, sitting out the 1-1 draw at Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
on the bench, early the next morning he was arrested for drink driving after being stopped by a police patrol. Eventually banned from driving for nineteen months and fined £300, Pook was also dropped from the first team the following week, with new manager Iffy Onuora
Iffy Onuora
Ifem "Iffy" Onuora is a coach a former professional footballer born in Scotland of Nigerian descent.He was recently the head coach of the Ethiopia national team...
stating that he didn't feel it was right to play him, with everything going on behind the scenes. Pook returned to action in December, helping the Town to a 1-0 victory over Rotherham in a vital bottom-of-the-table clash.
After signings of Paul Smith
Paul Smith (footballer born 1971)
Paul William Smith is an English professional footballer.Smith was born in East Ham, London and began his career as a trainee with Southend United, turning professional in 1990...
and Andy Gurney
Andy Gurney
Andrew Gurney is an English footballer. He can play at right back as well as in the centre of defence, central midfield or as a sweeper. He currently plays for and manages of Weston-super-Mare....
, Pook's appearances became more limited in the second half of the season - Onuora stating that with the experienced players coming in, Pook should try to learn from them. He made just two appearances in January and February, before being put straight back into the starting line-up after the Town were defeated 7-1 at Nottingham Forest - and after making four starts in March, he signed another year's contract at the end of the month. Perhaps surprisingly, he made just one more start, in the last match of the season, by which time the Town's relegation to League Two had been confirmed.
Pook marked his 50th senior appearance for the club with a goal in Swindon's 3-0 home victory against Grimsby Town. Pook continued to play his role in Swindon's promotion season of 2006/2007, scoring an impressive strike away at Boston. Pooks slow and steady progression earned him a contract extension for the 2007/2008 season, although he has fierce competition for a place in the centre of midfield.
Cheltenham Town
In the summer of 2009, Pook signed for League Two club Cheltenham TownCheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...
and was given the no. 7 shirt.
Though not known for his goalscoring and with only five league goals in his career up to that point, Pook scored his first hat-trick in a remarkable 5-6 win over Burton Albion
Burton Albion F.C.
Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...
on 13 March 2010. All his goals were scored from outside the penalty area with his right foot (one free-kick, one deflected shot and one volleyed winner), and all three goals were, remarkably, in the last ten minutes of the match. Cheltenham had found themselves 5-3 down with only three minutes of normal time remaining, but Pook's second and third - either side of an effort from Justin Richards
Justin Richards (footballer)
Justin Donovan Richards is an English footballer who plays for League Two side Burton Albion. A striker, he has a tally of around one goal every three games, playing in the Conference and lower reaches of the Football League...
- clinched an amazing victory.
On 9 May 2011 Pook was made available for a free transfer by manager Mark Yates and on 24 August 2011 he was released by the club.
Pook then joined Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
side Forest Green Rovers
Forest Green Rovers F.C.
Forest Green Rovers Football Club is an English football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, currently the longest-serving members of the Conference National. The club is affiliated to the Gloucestershire County FA.-Early years:...
on trial in September 2011. He trained with Forest Green to keep fit until the start of November when he left the club to link up with Brackley Town
Brackley Town F.C.
Brackley Town Football Club are a football club based in Brackley, England, who play their home games at St. James Park. They were established in 1890. They have won the Hellenic League twice in their history...
.
Brackley Town
In November 2011, Pook signed for Southern Premier DivisionSouthern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
side Brackley Town
Brackley Town F.C.
Brackley Town Football Club are a football club based in Brackley, England, who play their home games at St. James Park. They were established in 1890. They have won the Hellenic League twice in their history...
.