The town lost a great man at the end of last year when Ken Johnson, the former Hartlepool United player, died. This week was Ken’s funeral at the beautiful church in Seaton Carew and, as I expected, the church was packed as many, many people wanted to pay their respects.

I’ve been proud to know Ken Johnson, and his wife Olwen, or Olly, all of my life. My nana, Joyce Harland, worked for many years in the launderette at the Fens Shops. The launderette was next to Ken and Olly Johnson’s fish shop, and as far back as I could remember and as soon as I could climb out of a pushchair, I recall running back and forth from the launderette to the fish shop, no doubt causing chaos and hassle to Ken, Olly and my nana as I did so. Ken stood at the back of the fish shop, frying the fish, and always had a kind word to say to me and to everybody else. In time, it dawned on me that this man was the same Kenny Johnson who was a Hartlepool United legend and who had played and scored against the likes of Manchester United. The demeanour of this kind and generous gentleman always seemed somewhat at odds with the egos and prima donnas that were even at that time starting to infect the beautiful game and were beginning to be seen on Match of the Day. I think many of today’s Premiership footballers could learn a lesson or two from Ken’s passion for the game combined with manners, modesty and decency.

Every time I saw Ken, I always said something like: “How do you think Pools are doing, Ken?”, or words to that effect. Of course, it wasn’t just me who said that – people who met Ken everyday said something about Pools, expecting a comment or some analysis about our prospects for promotion (or, in Pools’ case in years gone by, re-election to the Football League), or what Ken thought about our latest centre forward or who we should sign. It must have been draining, somewhat similar to a comedian constantly being asked by strangers to tell a joke. In every case, however, Ken commented not just with great grace, insight and humour, but took an interest in the person asking the question.

I speak as I find, and I will always remember Ken Johnson, in my conversations with him spanning over thirty years, with affection and respect. I particularly admire the fact that he treated everybody the same, regardless of age or status. He was as polite, courteous and interested in me when I was a ten year old kid, blocking the entrance of his shop with my bike and no doubt stopping customers getting fish and chips, as when I became Member of Parliament, bringing a Secretary of State to Pools to watch a game. There were no airs and graces or false sides to Ken and I really admired that.

Since Ken’s death, I’ve looked again at my copy of the official history of Hartlepool United, published a few years ago to celebrate the club’s centenary. There is a lovely picture (on page 166 – please go and have a look if you have the book) of the team on the front page of the New Year edition of the Soccer Star of 1960. Ken Johnson is the first person you see when you look at the picture – he dominates the shot in the same way he dominated a ball. This big lad sitting third from the left on the front row stares back at you with his back straight and pride oozes out of his body, some half a century after the photo was taken.

That pride and sense of service never left Ken Johnson. It is difficult to think of another individual who has served Hartlepool United so well for such a length of time. I’m sure Ritchie Humphries, who has just achieved a remarkable 500 appearances for Pools, won’t mind me saying that Ken’s 106 goals in 413 appearances, and then his commitment to the club for decades after his retirement, will never be bettered. Ken scored on his debut, 62 years almost to the day when 17 year-old Luke James scored a fantastic goal against Rochdale, which would have made Ken proud.

At the funeral, the Rev’d Captain Paul Allinson said that he would look to place a permanent memorial to Ken in the church. I think that is a touching gesture. But given the unparalleled level of service to Pools, I hope something will be done in Victoria Park. I think the club should formally re-name the Town End as the Kenny Johnson Stand. My love to Olly and the family.

I hope you have been able to have a peaceful and restful Christmas and wish you all the very best for the New Year. Looking back over the last twelve months across the world, it is amazing to think of the significant, even historic, events that took place in 2011. The world saw the Arab Spring, leading to the toppling of regimes in the likes of Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. We saw the killing of both Colonel Gadaffi and Osama Bin Laden. We saw the collapse, more or less, of the Eurozone and the virtual bankruptcy of countries like Greece and Italy. Just before Christmas we saw the unexpected death of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-Il, and given the nature of the regime and the fact it has nuclear weapons, we should really take notice as to how his successor deals with the transition of power. Closer to home, we saw vicious and violent riots on the streets of Britain. In the last moments of 2011, we even saw the unexpected return of Neale Cooper to Pools. Strange and unexpected things have indeed happened! 2011 certainly will be studied by historians, and the repercussions of the events of last year will be with us for many years to come.

Although 2012 has a difficult act to follow, I think it will prove to be a significant year. There will be a presidential election in the United States this year, and that event always has an impact on the world. The eyes of the world will be on Britain as a result of London hosting the Olympics, as well as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The main focus of 2012 is and should be the economic performance of our country. I don’t want to be the harbinger of doom, but I think 2012 will be even more difficult for the economy, particularly for towns like Hartlepool, than it was in 2011. The economy is weak and is getting weaker. All the evidence suggests that we are already in recession and I fear that unemployment, which is already far too high, will rise still further in 2012. People will cut back what they spend in shops, either because they simply do not have the money as a result of falling wages and standards of living and rising prices, or because they are concerned about the future. This will mean that more shops will close and more jobs in the retail industry will be lost.

In these difficult times, the Government should be doing all it can to promote economic growth and increases in employment. I think most people would recognise the need to reduce public debt, but to rush headlong into this in the fastest possible way is the wrong choice. In fact such a policy is counterproductive, not only because, as we start from a much lower base, it weakens still further the long term potential of the country’s economy, but also results in social problems, like long term unemployment, which are very expensive to deal with over many years. You only have to look at the experiences of Hartlepool in the 1980s, when a deep recession, caused in part by reductions in public investment and expenditure, helped to result in a much reduced economic base for the town and subsequent unemployment or low paid work for many people.


It seems far more sensible for the Government to concentrate on having as many people as possible in work in a growing economy. That approach would mean that the Government will take in more tax and therefore would be able to pay down the debt, as well as paying out less in unemployment benefits.

However, I am a positive sort of person. I think Hartlepool has remarkable determination and resilience, and some parts of our economy really do point to a prosperous future. There is the possibility of being a centre of excellence for energy, incorporating not only oil and gas but also nuclear and renewable. We have leading manufacturing firms that can, with appropriate support, help to pull Hartlepool and the wider country out of recession. I’m so confident and positive about the future, I even think I’ll soon see a home win for Hartlepool United. I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012.

I hope that you’ve had a good and relaxing Christmas and that you have been able to spend some time with your loved ones. I also hope that for those of who haven’t been able to see your loved ones, for whatever reason – whether it is illness, distance, work commitments or the weather – you have been able to have at least speak or communicate in some way.

At this time of year, I also want to pay particular tribute to those servicemen and women, who are serving in hostile and dangerous conditions on behalf of our country. There are many families in Hartlepool who are apart from sons, husbands, boyfriends and fathers who are serving in the Armed Forces. Christmas and New Year must inevitably feel empty without them. The bravery and dedication are recognised by the whole country, and I hope that will provide some comfort, as well as enormous pride to those families.

It’s now the time of year when people assess the year that’s gone and look forward to the year that’s only a few days away. I think that 2010 has been a significant year: this country has seen a general election which brought in the first peacetime coalition government for 90 years. We are still suffering from the impact of the deepest global recession that the world has seen since the 1930s, and the negative connotations that this has in terms of collapsing businesses and job losses. Some countries’ economies – I’m thinking particularly of Ireland, although Spain, Italy and Portugal are not too far behind - are still dangerously teetering on the edge that will have an impact on our own country. On a more trivial nature, we saw England humiliated in the World Cup and Pools having to deal with the three-point deduction that almost saw us relegated. So, England’s football team was disappointed bitterly and it’s been a difficult year to be a Pools fan. Some things never change. For Hartlepool, we have seen the eyes of the world on us through the Tall Ships, with the town putting a smile on the world’s face for all the right reasons, thanks to the warmth of the welcome provided by you lot.

2011 will be difficult. As a town we have seen more than our fair share of job losses, and I fear that the coming year will see even more. I particularly worry that the imminent rise in VAT will hurt people. Not only will people see bills go up, they will probably have less disposable income to spend, which I think will have an impact on the retail industry. Less money spent in shops will mean more unemployment for shopworkers, more shop closures, and more gloom. The cuts in public spending will hit towns like Hartlepool the hardest, meaning that we will see a sharp contraction in the town’s economy without any corresponding rise in an alternative economic model.

However, the New Year should be a time for a fresh start and resolutions to try harder. I don’t want to start 2011 as a doom monger. Hartlepool has faced difficult times before and we have pulled through. We will do so again. The future economic prosperity for the town – based on modern manufacturing and the different strands of the energy industry – are tantalisingly within grasp. Most of all, the spirit of the Hartlepool people, founded on adversity and generosity, and with a healthy dash of cheekiness and irreverence, will overcome the difficulties of the next year and hopefully mean that 2011 will be better than this year. I hope you can raise a glass to the future, and wish for health, happiness, prosperity, and Pools being promoted. Happy New Year!