It's A Different Kind Of Reality TV For Pools Icon Magnay

At the height of the football reality TV boom, the now Hartlepool United defender earned a contract at Chelsea after winning the second series of Sky One’s Football Icon show.

Drawing comparisons with Blues legend John Terry, this wasn’t a production purely for the cameras and the entertainment of those at home. It was television talent spotting, with 16 to 18 year olds given a genuine chance of stardom.

They say it’s lonely at the top, but spare a thought for those down at the bottom.

Magnay didn't make it at Stamford Bridge and fell down the leagues. A shock to the system, he never saw Hartlepool’s problems coming, either.

Signing in 2015 with the club a Football League mainstay, Pools are now fighting for their lives on the pitch and off it as well.

The club’s next game, Wednesday night’s live BT Sport clash at fellow strugglers Barrow, takes on extra significance.

By the time they kick-off, Hartlepool could find themselves in the National League relegation zone. They have won just one game in 18 and quite simply if that run isn’t put right soon they will be relegated in back-to-back seasons.

But who does believe in game changing moments? Pools may have had one of those special seconds where things just totally change on Saturday.

Magnay said: “The mood in the dressing room after the AFC Fylde game on Saturday was like a side who just one a game.

“We were 3-1 down away to a team who have just smashed Aldershot and Macclesfield to pieces but we found something. We worked and we got our rewards. Seconds before Devante (Rodney) scored an unbelievable equaliser in the last minute, we should have had a clear penalty. Clear.

“When you are down the wrong end, sometimes you get angry and can’t get over things like that but he did. He carried on, ignored the protests, and smashed it into the top corner. I think the celebrations told the whole story.

“Since Matthew (Bates) came in you can see there has been a little switch gone on and now have a bit more about us and we’re going into games knowing we’ve got every chance.

“Barrow will be a big test. They’ve just won at Maidenhead but seem to have issues at home and we’ve got to try and exploit that.”

The 29-year-old knows there’s improvement, but the bitter irony is that just as Pools are getting their act together, they may slip into the bottom four.

Magnay said: “I think everyone is aware of the threat of relegation - and not just relegation, but the size of the league that the National League North now is.

“People keep saying ‘York City’ and I respect why they would. Like us they came down from League Two and have struggled. They didn’t expect to go straight down and neither did we, but they did and we have got to be wary of it.

“York are a big club and unlike us didn’t have the big off-field issues. We do, so we aren’t fooling ourselves.

“Nobody wants to go down, there’s nobody sitting here saying ‘well with the financial problems if could be the best thing’. We need to stay up.

“There are so many big clubs in the North, the likes of Stockport and Kidderminster, Darlington, Boston and so on - all were in the Football League not so long ago remember.

“We can’t have Hartlepool United’s name added to that. We’ve got a massive final six weeks ahead of us.”