Rival boss Cooper expects touchline antics (From This Is Swindon Town FC)

Rival boss Cooper expects touchline antics

6:00am Friday 17th August 2012 in Sport

HARTLEPOOL manager Neale Cooper believes the entertainment in the dugouts could be worth the admission price alone when his side host Paolo Di Canio’s Swindon on Saturday.

Cooper has watched from afar as Di Canio quickly developed a reputation for his crazy antics on the touchline last term and, after viewing the Robins’ 3-0 defeat of Brighton on TV on Tuesday, the Pools boss cannot wait to see the Italian in action first-hand this weekend.

“I watched him on the telly the other night and he was going a bit mad,” he said.

“It should be a good confrontation tomorrow – buy tickets for the dugout this weekend, there could be a better fight on the sideline.

“He’s a passionate guy. I remember watching him up at Celtic and he was like that.

“But he’s passionate about his club and there’s nothing wrong with that. He is a tremendous character and was a tremendous player.

“He’s done a great job at Swindon as well and I’m looking forward to seeing him.”

Cooper has been impressed by Di Canio’s purchases since his arrival in Wiltshire, and he is preparing for a stern test as Hartlepool take to the Victoria Park pitch for the first time this season.

“They are a strong side,” he said.

“They’ll expect to be up there this season and they will be pushing.

“They have brought in a lot of good players - Tommy Miller and Andy Williams from Yeovil, who I liked.

“They have Paul Benson up front and Alan Navarro in the middle who scored two the other night, they’ve got good players all over the park.

“But I’m more concerned with what we do and it’s up to us, at home, to take the game to them.”