Goalkeeper Ben Roberts played just 5 games for Pools in a spell on loan from Middlesbrough. It was while playing for Middlesbrough that he earned an unwanted place in football history. A strike by Chelsea`s Roberto di Matteo became the fastest ever FA Cup Final goal when it flew past him after only 42 seconds in 1997. Roberts never established himself at Middlesbrough and spent a lot of the early part of his career on loan at various clubs, before signing for Brighton in 2003.
Roberts stayed on the south coast for a couple of seasons before being forced to retire at the age of just 29 due to a persistent back injury. After four years out of the game he signed for Yeovil Town in the summer of 2009.