One or two likely West suspects feel the Tippet challenge is "a bit of a gimmick" and have taken a step back.
But as Board member Phil Webber says: "The Brierton Lane clubhouse used to be packed every Sunday for Tippit competitions so we shouldn't find it too hard to find three players."
The prize at stake is a home game on Boxing Day .. the return of the traditional Christmas fixture which used to be a major feature of the Hartlepool social and sporting calendar.
The best of three game is likely to attract interest outside of Hartlepool. The North's leading news agency has already been commissioned to take photographs and provide a report for several national newspapers.