- 13/05/2025
Join Robbie Stelling and Rich Mennear as they discuss all the latest news surrounding Hartlepool United and the latest on the takeover situation surrounding the club, plus all the latest contract and transfer news as Pools prepare for a crucial pre-season.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:30Good morning and welcome to the latest Puddy podcast with myself Richard Muneer and the Harkerpool Males Harker United writer, Robbie Sterling.
00:40Morning Robbie, how are you doing?
00:42Morning Rich, I'm very well, thank you.
00:44Had a couple of days back down south after the end of the season.
00:46You might be able to see my Great Escape shirt on the wall behind me,
00:51so it's been nice to spend a couple of days with friends and family,
00:55but we're all sort of eagerly awaiting what comes next at Harkerpool United, that's for sure.
01:00Yeah, we certainly are.
01:01We've had the white smoke in the Vatican, but we still wait for the white smoke at Puddy.
01:05So we'll touch on the latest takeover news in a little while,
01:11and then we'll move into the latest team transfer contract news,
01:16if there is much at the minute.
01:18And we'll reflect on, there's been quite a lot of former Puddy players in the news this week,
01:22in terms of retained lists from elsewhere in the National League and clubs around that level.
01:26So there's quite a few names of interest to Puddy fans, so we'll touch on that as well.
01:31But yeah, just to sort of dive into the end of the season first,
01:34and Robbie, I don't think we've spoke on the podcast since then.
01:38What did you make of the Forest Green game performance?
01:41And yeah, how did you see the end of the season for Puddy?
01:45Yeah, they did OK, didn't they?
01:47I mean, I think it was a bit of a nothing game, wasn't it, to be honest, Rich?
01:51It was probably a game that both sides could have done without.
01:53Obviously, Puddy's had nothing really to play for,
01:57and there is still this sort of looming cloud in the form of the ongoing takeover situation
02:02that I think is taking up a lot of everyone's attention.
02:05Forest Green, of course, were guaranteed to finish third,
02:08even prior to kickoff, and had at least one eye on the playoffs.
02:12They play their semifinal on the 21st, I think,
02:16so they've got a little bit of a break between the end of the season
02:18and when they begin their semifinal.
02:20But, of course, from their point of view, they'd rather be playing a home semifinal
02:24than having to play one of those quarterfinal eliminator games.
02:28So they made one or two changes.
02:30Puddy's were pretty much at full strength,
02:33which I think was probably a reflection of the fact that Anthony Lindbergh felt
02:37they needed a result, but certainly a performance after the debacle at Rochdale,
02:43probably their worst, or certainly one of their worst performances of the season,
02:47and without doubt one of the worst under Anthony Lindbergh.
02:51So it was important, I think, that Pools showed that they could respond.
02:55And actually, I thought they played pretty well, particularly in the first half.
02:59They managed to assert themselves on the game against a good, strong Forest Green side.
03:04I think Forest Green would have hoped to be challenging for the title,
03:08which they never quite were.
03:10Certainly after the turn of the year, York and Barnett ran away with it to an extent,
03:14but they're a good team, obviously, just come out of the Football League
03:17and had a big budget as well.
03:18I think they signed some really high-profile players in the summer.
03:22They obviously took Liam Serkham and Sean Long from Cheltenham.
03:26Those were real coups at the time.
03:27Ben Tozer, who had obviously had success with Wrexham too.
03:31And you look at the likes of Christian Doidge, Harry Cardwell.
03:33So they've got a strong squad.
03:35Pools weren't quite able to capitalise on what was a decent first-half performance.
03:40Manny Disarue missed a really good chance with about 20 minutes.
03:44To go, Reyes Cleary was forced off with an injury.
03:47He looked like he fell on his shoulder.
03:49Obviously, that was the final game of his really impressive load.
03:53Spell a slight shame that it ended in that way.
03:55But nonetheless, he had another pretty decent performance,
03:57was that the fans man of the match and had a significant hand in David Ferguson's goal.
04:03It's not a game that's going to live long in the memory, is it, Rich?
04:06I think, to be honest, it could have been 5-all and it probably wouldn't have lived long in the memory.
04:10But it was at least important in that it salvaged a bit of pride after the Rochdale game.
04:17But, of course, you can't really avoid the fact, can you, that all eyes, even before that,
04:22were on the takeover situation.
04:25Pretty much whenever we'd spoken to Anthony Lindbrick over the last couple of months,
04:28he'd stress the fact that himself and the playing staff were just focusing on the next game,
04:34taking it game by game.
04:36Of course, now it's impossible to avoid the fact that there are no more games to focus on.
04:40There is no more football to divert people's attention to.
04:44So, clearly all eyes are what's going to happen next with regards to the takeover.
04:48Yeah, just on Cleary, him and, I think it was Featherston, wasn't it, at the end, were signing.
04:54Yeah.
04:54Well, Cleary in particular, in the north-west corner, I think he must have signed hundreds of autographs
04:59and or took selfies with fans.
05:01So, he's had a huge impact during his loan spell.
05:05As you say, I don't like that he'll be back at the next season.
05:09But we wish him well.
05:10He seems like quite a good character as well.
05:12So, he's certainly had a good impact.
05:13And, yeah, Nicky Featherston at the end there as well took an age to get off the pitch,
05:18given the demands from the fans to get autographs and stuff.
05:21So, yeah, it was a decent enough end to the season, I suppose, on that front.
05:24Yeah, takeover news.
05:25Obviously, Pulse fans eagerly awaiting any kind of news positive from the club.
05:30We still wait on that side.
05:32No sort of set timescales in place.
05:34But, as you say, the clock is very much ticking with, obviously, Raj and Singh sitting down as chairman.
05:40I feel like a couple of weeks ago now.
05:44And, obviously, confirmed that he wouldn't be coming to the club post the end of the season,
05:48which we've now reached.
05:49So, any rays of hope for fans, Rob, your next couple of weeks that will be a resolution?
05:55Well, I think there's certainly hope.
05:58But, at the moment, that's probably all it is, isn't it, Rich?
06:00There hasn't been much communication over the last couple of months.
06:05Obviously, the board put out a couple of statements in the immediate aftermath of Singh's resignation,
06:11which I think off the top of my head was on March the 4th.
06:13So, there is an unavoidable sense that it is beginning to drag on slightly.
06:19As the board themselves have said, they are limited in what they can do and say in terms of communication.
06:25I think, certainly, fans would benefit if there was a possibility to put out some sort of communicate,
06:32some sort of update.
06:34I think that would certainly help to calm the nerves, if you like,
06:38because I think most fans would have liked the takeover to have happened by now.
06:43Obviously, as you said, Singh in his initial resignation statement suggested that he was going to stop funding the club
06:50at the end of the season.
06:51So, inevitably, the hope was that a deal was going to be completed before then
06:56to allow new owners to begin to settle in and embed themselves and plan for the summer
07:01and plan for next season.
07:03Because, as we've said a few times, it's important, I think, to supporters
07:06that Hartlepool United is able to thrive, not just survive.
07:11That's probably one of the frustrations among fans.
07:13The fact that it's felt a bit like the club is going through the motions over the last couple of seasons.
07:19This is a football league club.
07:20It's been a football league club for almost its entire history.
07:24But has the ambition and the vision been there to take it back to the football league
07:30since they were relegated in 2023?
07:32I think some fans would have some question marks over that.
07:37In truth, there's not a lot of news, though, Rich.
07:40It's possible to read between the lines to an extent.
07:44I think if you look at the most recent updates, it's clear that Mr. Singh still seems to be sincere in his desire to sell the club.
07:54And it still seems to be that there are offers on the table.
07:58Obviously, the sooner things get sorted, the better for everyone involved.
08:02Obviously, for the fans, it's hugely significant that the football club is so inextricably linked to the town.
08:12There are people that have been going for years.
08:14There are generations of supporters that have been going to support the club.
08:17And, of course, all the people that are connected to and work at Hartlepool United, the playing staff and the management included,
08:25they want to be able to secure their futures.
08:28And for pools to be able to be competitive, you would think they would like to retain a core of the current squad.
08:33Obviously, there are a number of high-profile players we've spoken a lot about, Joe Gray, Manny Disarue and Nathan Sharon,
08:40three of the outstanding performers.
08:42There are obviously three that you would really like to keep hold of.
08:45But I think there are a number of others as well in terms of retaining that core that pools would really like to keep,
08:53but that they might not be able to the longer the situation drags on.
08:57I think everyone would like to see a resolution as soon as possible,
09:00be that this week or next week.
09:03I think certainly supporters will not want it to drag on much longer than that.
09:07But it's difficult to know quite when it's going to happen, what's going to happen, if it's going to happen.
09:13Of course, I think a lot of fans will be keenly hoping that it still will happen.
09:16I believe that there is still optimism from both sides, but quite when and how it's going to happen,
09:24I don't think anybody really knows at the minute.
09:25Yeah, and then obviously that then spirals into various different issues around obviously the states of the squad,
09:35those players that are still under contract, those players that are no longer under contract as of, I guess,
09:41the end of this month.
09:42Forward planning in terms of getting players in and what kind of talks you can have with those players ahead of the new season.
09:49So, yeah, the clock's ticking on a variety of levels, isn't there?
09:52Because, you know, obviously season one starts for another two and a half, three months.
09:56But a lot of the work in order to build the squad is usually taking place now at clubs up and down the land.
10:03So pools are in danger at the minute of falling behind on that front.
10:07So the last thing fans and the new owners, if it were to go through, would want is to start on the back foot.
10:13But it needs to be done sooner rather than later, doesn't it?
10:14Yeah, I mean, without a doubt, I think any new owners, their immediate priorities will be, as you say,
10:22tying down players to new deals, recruitment, and probably also they'll be keen to address,
10:28I think, the condition of the pitch, which has been a real talking point throughout the season.
10:34And for all three of those things, the more time you have at your disposal, the better.
10:38I mean, just look at a couple of teams in the National League this season.
10:45Barnett, I think they'd signed seven or eight players pretty much in the first week to 10 days after the end of the campaign.
10:53Clearly, they'd been able to do that because they'd been able to implement some forward planning.
10:58Dean Brennan and his staff had had a clear idea of who and where they wanted to recruit.
11:03And they were able to do that really, really quickly.
11:06And look where they've ended up. They're champions. They've had 102 points.
11:09They've had a superb season.
11:12And then look at a club like Southend, who have just managed to sneak into the playoffs at the end of the campaign.
11:18They were in a similar situation to Pools in many ways, albeit I think Southend were in a far more precarious situation in terms of the future and fate of the club.
11:27But they had a takeover deal that started to drag its feet.
11:31It went on into the summer and it meant that Kevin Mayer and his staff would play and catch up to a greater or lesser extent.
11:39They ended up having a really slow start to the season and they were only able to begin to build some momentum pretty much after the turn of the year,
11:46when things were able to settle down and when things were able to establish and embed.
11:51So clearly, it's important that things happen sooner rather than later.
11:56I mean, obviously, the first priority is to secure the future of the club.
12:00I think there's a number of players that most fans would be bitterly disappointed to see in leave.
12:04But players inevitably will come and go.
12:06That's part and part of football.
12:09If new owners do come in, there's no guarantee that Joe Gray or Manny Disarue or Nathan Sharon are certain to stay,
12:16although you would think it would certainly increase the possibility of Pools keeping them.
12:21I don't know, but I would imagine at this stage, there's not really anything the club can do in terms of contract negotiations.
12:26I think that players did meet with the management and staff in a couple of days after the end of the season.
12:34I imagine that that was just a conversation in terms of what perhaps they would like to do.
12:40But obviously, whether they're going to be able to do that or not still remains to be seen.
12:45But whoever does come in, if someone does come in, then they're going to have to work pretty quickly.
12:50And the more time they have to get their feet under the table and implement their own ideas and implement their own plan,
12:57then obviously the better for the club.
12:59Yeah, and that obviously goes to the head coach as well, Anthony Lindbrick, who is under contract for next season.
13:04I think he spoke about that himself, hasn't he?
13:06But obviously, new owners would have a decision to make on the head coach position as to whether they want to keep Anthony Lindbrick
13:14or go with their own person in charge.
13:18So, yeah, I know we've spoken quite, it lends to be fair about Anthony Lindbrick and the job he's done in a very challenging circumstance,
13:25I think it's fair to say.
13:26Yeah, just overall, how has he impressed you, Robbie?
13:32And I guess more the way he's handled the situation.
13:35Yeah, he's really impressed me, Rich.
13:36I know that he's divided opinion among fans.
13:40I mean, I think there are very few managers or coaches that are able to sort of garner universal approval.
13:46But as you say, it's been an incredibly challenging time for Anthony Lindbrick,
13:52which I think he's navigated really, really well.
13:55I mean, he probably didn't expect to get the job when he did, in truth.
13:58I think the resignation of Lenny Lawrence came as a bit of a surprise.
14:01We were probably expecting that to happen in the summer.
14:05I'm sure he relished the opportunity.
14:07He clearly came to Hartlepool United with the intention of getting the top job,
14:12be that as a head coach or a manager.
14:14But he was certainly thrown in at the deep end pools,
14:17were in the midst of a bit of a difficult run.
14:19They'd obviously lost Joe Gray and Anthony Mancini as well.
14:22And at the time, that forward line was looking a little bit lighter than it had done
14:26for large parts of the season, albeit the arrival of Reyes Cleary massively helped
14:31and he was just beginning to get going at that stage.
14:35But he has navigated a really difficult situation about as well as I think could be expected.
14:40Yes, there have been some disappointing performances.
14:43And obviously that 5-1 defeat at Rochdale was a bit of a black mark against his name.
14:48Of course, even with that game, I think there were some extenuating circumstances.
14:52Rochdale needed to win to secure their place in the playoffs.
14:56Pools really didn't have anything to play for.
14:59And of course, although Anthony Limbrick has tried to avoid using the issue of the takeover as an excuse,
15:07I think it's hard to imagine that it hasn't had an impact on a number of the players,
15:10particularly those who are out of contract, particularly those with young families looking to secure their futures.
15:16So it's probably not a massive surprise that the performances tailed off ever so slightly.
15:23Nonetheless, I think there have also been some good moments.
15:27That win over Boston, I think, was a real highlight.
15:30Obviously, off the back of a run of six games without a win, when things were beginning to look a little bit,
15:37or eight games without a win, sorry, when things were beginning to look a little bit uncertain.
15:41But they produced a really good performance there.
15:44Obviously, they produced a really strong performance against Gateshead as well towards the end of the season.
15:49So I think there have been signs of what Anthony Limbrick is trying to do, what he wants to do.
15:53It's worth remembering, of course, that for the second season in a row, Pools have used three different managers.
15:57That means that Anthony Limbrick has inherited a squad that is not his own.
16:02It was assembled by Darren Sahl, who had obviously vastly different ideas about football.
16:07And ever since March, Enraa Singh's resignation, Pools have been pretty hamstrung in terms of what they can do recruitment-wise.
16:15Obviously, towards the end of the season, you don't tend to do a massive amount of recruitment, but Pools did.
16:21They were fairly active towards the end of the campaign when Kevin Phillips was in charge.
16:26They brought in a number of loan signings, albeit with pretty mixed success.
16:30Limbrick, of course, wasn't in a position to do that.
16:33I think results-wise and performance-wise, it has been somewhat mixed, but I think that pretty much anyone would have struggled to get much more of a tune out of this playing squad, given the incredibly difficult circumstances.
16:46I think he is genuinely really sincere.
16:49I think the players do respect him.
16:51I think fans respect him as well, even if there has been some frustration at some of the results and performances.
16:57And I think he really deserves an opportunity.
17:01I think he's led the team through a difficult period, and clearly there might still be more challenges to come.
17:08But as I've said plenty of times, I think this high-and-fire culture that has really dominated Hartlepool United over the last decade or so is not sustainable.
17:18Even when you get a fleeting taste of success, as Pools did after winning promotion in 2021, it's very difficult to maintain that if you don't have a set of clear principles, a clearer ideology.
17:30And I think if they can stick with someone like Anthony Limbrick, the club can begin to establish and build that footballing philosophy, which has been so distinctly lacking in recent years.
17:40I mean, you look at the managers who have come through the door.
17:43You look at the players who have come through the door.
17:45They've all been so different.
17:46At times, it feels like there's no rhyme nor reason, really, to recruitment of players or appointment of managers.
17:52So I'd like to see Pools stick with Limbrick.
17:54I think he's done a decent job on the pitch, and I think he's done a really impressive job off it.
18:00Is that almost as important, do you think, in terms of getting the – a lot of clubs may be higher up the food chain, to be fair,
18:07but a lot of clubs would have a sporting philosophy and a sporting director with a very clear vision.
18:11And Sunderland, for example, in the Championship, you know, they recruit head coaches, but they – those head coaches know exactly the way Sunderland play,
18:19exactly the type of players they'll be recruiting.
18:21And that probably gives you a bit more stability as a club, do you think, rather than, as you say, the ad hoc.
18:27Every six to eight months, change the manager, they bring their own players in, and then you get the problems that Pools have encountered over the last couple of years.
18:35Yeah, completely, Richard.
18:36And stability, I think, is so underrated.
18:39I mean, to go back to Barnett again, Dean Brennan's been in charge since 2021, actually had a slightly difficult start to his tenure,
18:46but by sticking with him, they've been rewarded.
18:50And I think it all starts from the top, doesn't it?
18:52I think if you can have that plan, that philosophy, that identity, whatever you want to call it,
18:57then it's going to help you in the long term.
19:00Look, players will come and go, managers as well will come and go.
19:03It may be that there comes a time when a club does want to make a change in the dugout.
19:08It may, of course, be that teams lose managers who are successful.
19:13And that's one of the reasons, I think, where Pools struggled after Dave Challen had departed.
19:17You look at the appointments that followed in terms of Graham Lee, Paul Hartley, Keith Curl, John Askey.
19:25They were all incredibly different managers.
19:27If they'd had a clear philosophy, I think things might have been different.
19:31They might have been able to build on that success.
19:34And, of course, it works in terms of recruitment as well.
19:38And when you do have a change in the dugout, it makes things a lot more settled for players.
19:42Look, there's always going to be an element of a new manager coming in and wanting to put his own stamp on things,
19:47wanting to make his own mark.
19:49But it must have been, even though a lot of the players have been reluctant to use it as an excuse,
19:53it must have been difficult, I think, for them to have to adapt to such different managers, both in terms of style and approach.
20:02One thing that stood out to me, actually, listening back to a couple of the interviews after the Forest Green match,
20:07I think it was David Ferguson and Joe Gray,
20:10they both said it really doesn't surprise them that they've had to play under three managers yet again.
20:15And that's not a good thing.
20:17I think there is generally a sense that this is a capable squad that have underperformed.
20:23Now, of course, there are loads of reasons for that.
20:26And the playing squad can't afford just to point the finger of blame to decisions made over their head.
20:31I think there have been some really disappointing performances.
20:33There have been some underwhelming signings who haven't managed to live up to expectation.
20:37But nonetheless, all the changes, the fact that it's been so unsettled, so turbulent, so tumultuous can't have helped.
20:45So I think if pools are able in the future to implement a clearer plan and a clearer vision and identity,
20:51then that is going to be significant for success in the short and long term.
20:55I guess the awesome takeover news a little further up the road at Gateshead.
21:00I think it was last week, wasn't it, the aftermath of the final game of the season?
21:04And they're moving to takeover, which I don't think the actual group had been identified.
21:09But Victor Anicci, the former Sunderland striker, were certainly involved in it.
21:14And, you know, by the sounds of it, they've been quite active and involved in some of the transfer dealings in the previous few months.
21:20But that deal is no longer going ahead.
21:22So two clubs now within the space of half an hour of each other in the National League and in the North East,
21:27both still facing uncertain short-term future.
21:31So it's a situation to keep an eye on as well.
21:32And then, yeah, a few of the former pools players in the news this week.
21:37Robbie, obviously, time of year when retained lists are getting announced.
21:41The likes of Harry Chapman on a free.
21:43I think Shelton's staying at Barnett, isn't he?
21:46I saw Mahfout has also been released on a free.
21:49Some interesting names kicking about.
21:51Do you think Harry Chapman might have a chance of being at pools next season?
21:54Yeah, it's always an interesting time to see who's staying and who's going.
21:57I mean, Chapman seems to be sort of perennially linked, doesn't he?
22:01Obviously, born in the town.
22:04Clearly, he's a really talented and capable footballer.
22:07I think scored four goals in 22 games for Barnett this season.
22:11Had a serious injury that kept him out for about four months.
22:14So I think that that certainly curtailed his progress somewhat.
22:17And obviously, by the time he got back fit, Barnett were going so well.
22:22And they had a really settled side.
22:24And obviously, that midfield with Mark Shelton and Hartigan and Brunt was one of their strongest points.
22:30So it's not a huge surprise, necessarily, that he wasn't able to break back into it.
22:36But he's always been a supremely talented footballer, hasn't he?
22:39He is incredibly capable with the ball at his feet.
22:43The one slight concern would be he does have a slightly checkered record with injuries.
22:50And obviously, with pools already having a player like Anthony Mancini on their books,
22:54that sort of number 10 who does have a bit of a pass with injuries,
22:59there would potentially be a slight concern there.
23:02But I think he'd be a player that fans would love to see come to the club.
23:07I think he would certainly be worth taking a risk on.
23:10I think in terms of quality-wise, he's capable of playing at a higher level.
23:15I think he is a football league player.
23:16So if pools could pull off a signing of someone like him,
23:19I think it would represent a real coup for the club.
23:23And obviously, recruitment is so important.
23:27We say that all the time.
23:29I think if pools can keep the core of the current squad
23:31and just add one or two dustings of quality where perhaps they've been lacking at times,
23:36I think it's been a squad that's full of endeavour.
23:38There's plenty of experience.
23:39There's no lack of effort.
23:41They have managed to beef up the midfield a little bit.
23:44But at times, you just think that they lack a little bit of that quality,
23:48especially the link between the midfield and the attack.
23:50I think Anthony Mancini is obviously the one capable of doing that.
23:54But he's only played three games since the turn of the year.
23:56That clearly isn't enough.
23:58So someone like Chapman to fill that kind of role, I think, would be a super signing.
24:01Yeah, plenty to keep tabs on then from a Pulitzer point of view.
24:08I guess the news last week was the Academy.
24:10We'll just touch briefly on that.
24:12Confirmation that the club have linked up with the Hartlepool Sixth Home College.
24:16Obviously, there's a fair bit of public fallout with the Hartlepool College of FE
24:22after moving away from that agreement.
24:23But news last week of that, which is a five-year partnership.
24:26So just to kind of go full circle at the start of the pod, at least fans can take some comfort
24:32from the fact that Pools are planning, medium and long term, in terms of the club
24:37with a five-year academy partnership.
24:39Obviously, the kit as well, manufacture, has been announced.
24:43And season tickets are on sale.
24:45Although, clearly, you can understand why some fans will be reluctant to commit their money
24:49whilst they don't know what's happening with the club.
24:50But, you know, as the trust, I think, themselves said, there isn't a, you know, a desperate plea
24:56for cash at the moment.
24:57So just a few weeks ahead.
24:59We'll probably end it there, Robbie, unless you've got any other Pools-related news you're
25:02desperate to get out.
25:04That's great, Rich.
25:05And then hopefully we'll have a further pod in the next week or so with a more significant
25:10takeover update.
25:11But thanks for your time, Robbie.
25:13Head to hartlepoolmail.co.uk for the latest Pools news.
25:16And the printed version of the mail is out every Thursday.
25:20See you next week.
Recommended
5:52
|
Up next
2:21