Question for Pools fans...

[Chief Rocka]

Club's twitter feed posted this in an attempt to not give much away about where we're heading

https://twitter.com/Official_HUFC/status/957548728847564802

It's like the ultimate cock tease, why put up such an emotive video like that, especially the morning after another shitty defeat, they must have some positive news for us this week, you set yourself up for a massive fall if not. If we were going pop a five minute video for 110 years of history is pretty fucking high in the tinpot stakes like, I know we've won nowt in that time but bugger me that would be a pathetic way to showcase our progression from inception to our current state of death by a thousand cuts.

Haway you Swedish bastards pull your fingers out and takeover or let us die already.

 

[iesty wfc]

Hartlepool hit with another winding up order by HMRC

 

[DarkSithLord]

New Statement from Pools - Confirms there is an ongoing Police investigation - https://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/...mrc-bill-and-financial-irregularities-report/

 

[Chief Rocka]

 

[Soup Ladle]

Tax bill paid by the fundraising of over 80k, police investigations started on the people who ran/are running the club.

 

[Soup Ladle]

Quick update on at least the fourth biggest club in the division (™ natural order)..

If my facts are all correct, we have a consortium together of Jeff Stelling and a local businessman, widely believed to be Raj Singh, the one who pulled the plug on our beloved neighbours, Darlow. They collectively are putting up 1.2m. We need 1.8m to pull off a deal. The trust are looking to stump up the extra 600k, in return for a sizeable stake in the club. There's talk about how to get this but a lot of fans are suspicious as they don't trust Raj Singh (unconfirmed, 'mystery' local businessman) so are holding off until they know more, but they can't because of confidentiality agreements. The clock is ticking, we haven't got long and if we leave it the club will die and we'll end up playing in the equivalent of the Nou Camp in the Northern League. If the club gets bought, we'll still have to pay the present owners what they want, but over a long period of time, meaning our annual budget will be 5 pound more than Woking's.

So two scenarios -

1) we continue in our current guise. We are almost certain to go down (no matter what any of you say) as the squad is threadbare in numbers, heart, attitude, fitness and skill. But we'll have avoided admin and be playing in the NLN next season.

2) we go into admin, get liquidated and form a phoenix club. If we're lucky, we'll get Evo Stik North. There'd be no debts to pay and we'd keep our ground, but the club will be a new, part time one, with our prior trophy-laden existence ground into the dust and suffer taunts from B2TF that we're not a real club.

Tricky one. I'd favour the first option but not totally convinced. Yes, we'd still be paying off Blackledge and co. but we'll be playing at a respectable level in the NLN (god how we've fallen - ask me if I'd say that a year ago I'd have laughed at ya). The second option could persuade me too but it'd never be the same club. It might be in time but the thought now is no. However, the leeches would be sucking off another thing and not us. Hard to know what to do, I work in education so I'm not a rich bloke but I'd plough some of my savings into the right cause.

 

[PuB]

Start again mate, don't pay off the people who put you in this mess. And good luck!

 

[Chief Rocka]

The Trust are asking a lot from people without giving them any important information, I get that there's NDA's they need to contend with but they're looking for £250k in the next three weeks for a 20% stake in the consortium, that's a lot of dough for such a minor voice at the table.

I don't wanna give up Pools and it's 110 year history despite it being mostly shite in my lifetime and at the same time I don't wanna see us pay off any more of the leeches we still have bleeding us dry.

I think I err on the side of starting over, gotta admire Jeff for trying to get something together and unless another rich bloke or lady turns up out of the blue with £600k poking out of their pocket just scrap it all, kick us down the leagues and start a community, trust run club.

 

[Raymondo316]

Getting into bed with someone who played a big part in fucking over Darlington sounds like a terrible idea.
Surely starting a fresh would be better than letting another sketchy character take over your club

 

[Soup Ladle]

The Trust are asking a lot from people without giving them any important information, I get that there's NDA's they need to contend with but they're looking for £250k in the next three weeks for a 20% stake in the consortium, that's a lot of dough for such a minor voice at the table.

I don't wanna give up Pools and it's 110 year history despite it being mostly shite in my lifetime and at the same time I don't wanna see us pay off any more of the leeches we still have bleeding us dry.

I think I err on the side of starting over, gotta admire Jeff for trying to get something together and unless another rich bloke or lady turns up out of the blue with £600k poking out of their pocket just scrap it all, kick us down the leagues and start a community, trust run club.

Get what you're saying (and the other two posters above) and it's a tough choice. Stelling's been saying he's meet Singh and believes he's genuine, maybe he wants to do better here than at Darlo, maybe there's other intentions. Who knows. I'd rather us exist in the current form and if the payback instalments are when/if we get back to L2 (as apparently agreed) and a bigger chunk if we ever get back to L1, we can survive that and live another day. It's far from the best scenario like, but if that's what it takes.

The deal will probably come down to the last minute on March 21st and I'll donate the final 20 quid to the trust to push the takeover over that line.

 

[Chief Rocka]

Get what you're saying (and the other two posters above) and it's a tough choice. Stelling's been saying he's meet Singh and believes he's genuine, maybe he wants to do better here than at Darlo, maybe there's other intentions. Who knows. I'd rather us exist in the current form and if the payback instalments are when/if we get back to L2 (as apparently agreed) and a bigger chunk if we ever get back to L1, we can survive that and live another day. It's far from the best scenario like, but if that's what it takes.

The deal will probably come down to the last minute on March 21st and I'll donate the final 20 quid to the trust to push the takeover over that line.

We just have no idea what's best, it's a shitty situation, Singh's past history with the loids is incredibly worrying, having played his part in two administrations with them, it's well reported the guy has skin as thin as paper and doesn't take criticism at all well, soon as things are looking peaky will he change his tune?

But on the other hand he's the only show in town and has brought £1.2m to the table, has a deal in principle agreed with the current owners and a business plan over three years to get us sustainable, Jeff is lumping his reputation on him, blind faith perhaps? or something we don't know.

My head's battered.

 

[Soup Ladle]

Best keep him off the bunker then as he'd put us in admin 2 mins after any takeover.

Jeff has gone all in with this and if the deal does go through and we get fucked he'd never be able to do his poolie thing on Sky any more. He knows that and we all know that. A massive part of his TV appeal is him supporting us. I'm inclined to trust him but is it blind faith?

I'm getting behind the takeover even if like you and virtually everyone else, them nagging doubts are there. It's the only option by the looks of it.

 

[Darlo On Tour]

I'll be shocked if this works out for you guys, but at the end of the day if he's willing to put his money where his mouth is, simply just take it, and just hope you can keep the faith and hopefully trust this guy. He might start to act or behave in a better or more responsible way.

Personally i voted not to let him back in the club, that was only based on trusting Raj Singh.
He doesn't take too well to criticism on the basis of perceived faults or mistakes.
Obviously he won't wanna hang his dirty washing out in public, that a man like Singh who has been involved in two administrations in football already.

Raj Singh's involvement with these two Insolvency occasions with DFC
(1) March 2009
(2) January 2012

Our situation isn't perfect by all means, but we couldn't let him muscle his way back in with us after we had worked so hard to clear up the shambles that he had left us in. So obviously he was shown the door.

Time will tell he could be the real deal, he might want the club to succeed plus you have your own ground. And perhaps he wants to show his doubters (Darlo) that he can be still a success in football.

It's a difficult one when he keeps his cards close to his chest, he needs to speak to the fans and come out with his plan of action on what the future holds for you guys? Only trouble is he doesn't take too kindly anyone questioning his motives, integrity or honesty.

Good luck for the future, could be one hell of a ride.

 

[David Curries Mullet]

Dont go near him. Start again. It's not the hell you think it is. With your own ground, and sizeable support, you'd soon climb back, the feelgood factor of supporting a successful club and with destiny in your own hands is worth it.

 

[Master D]

Listening to that Pam Duxbury on the BT Sport show, it is my immediate suspicion that she is full of shite and a bullshit merchant.

 

[Sestonpoolie]

This with bells on.

 

[PoolieTom]

Listening to that Pam Duxbury on the BT Sport show, it is my immediate suspicion that she is full of shite and a bullshit merchant.

What did she say? Missed that

 

[Chief Rocka]

Raj Singh’s consortium taking over within the next few days according to Jeff, Craig Hignett to take over again as manager, both at Fylde today in the crowd.

 

[Luke Imp]

There's being desperate and then desperate enough to allow Singh anywhere near the Club. The lesser of two evils?

 

[Chief Rocka]

There's being desperate and then desperate enough to allow Singh anywhere near the Club. The lesser of two evils?

It's the only show in town, I've flip flopped on this loads of times and still not sure what's best, starting a new club should be the absolute last resort, we're just going to have to go with it, little bit assured that Jeff is a minor player and there is (I think) Trust involvement.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Takeover expected to be completed in the next few days - https://www.thenonleaguefootballpap...ver-to-be-completed-within-the-next-few-days/

 

[Soup Ladle]

This morning it was off but apparently back on again. Only got a couple of days to push it through before the admin deadline kicks in.

 

[Chief Rocka]

This morning it was off but apparently back on again. Only got a couple of days to push it through before the admin deadline kicks in.

The word going round was they were hoping to get it pushed through tonight in order to try and get some bodies through the door before the deadline for player signings passes.

 

[DarkSithLord]

@bbcteessport
The takeover of @Official_HUFC has moved a step closer. Contracts have finally been exchanged between the Teesside businessman Raj Singh and current owner John Blackledge. The takeover now needs to be approved by the National League and the FA, which may take up to seven days

 

[Gassy]

I just saw the article on BBC Sport - I initially came on here to congratulate Pools fans. Reading this thread i'm not sure I should?

Either way - for now, Hartlepool lives to fight another day. That must be a relief for the short term at least?

 

[Chief Rocka]

I just saw the article on BBC Sport - I initially came on here to congratulate Pools fans. Reading this thread i'm not sure I should?

Either way - for now, Hartlepool lives to fight another day. That must be a relief for the short term at least?

We've no other choice, it was him or start over again playing against village teams.

One things for certain though, there will be major changes to the way the club is run, forget £1m playing budgets, I'd imagine we're gonna be ran on a shoestring with fine margins, we simply can't afford to get in this position again.

 

[Gassy]

Yeah fair enough. It's a real shame this has happened.

It's a strange one, being 26 Rovers have been playing Hartlepool pretty much as long as I remember in the league. Hoping we can meet again soon (in the FL though).

All the best for the meantime, i'll keep a friendly eye hoping for some positive results for ya!

 

[Soup Ladle]

Yeah as Chief said, no other option .We need to press the reset button basically, run the club sensibly with sustainable plans and hopefully make progress. Sad thing is a good bunch of the losers in the squad are here next year so it’s going to take some time before we can challenge to get in the league again. Off the pitch just want stability and build gradually from there.

 

[Luke Imp]

You're better off paying that little bit extra for a decent manager as well, even if you have to sacrifice a player or two and work with a smaller squad.

 

[E10rifle]

Cannit see ahm nut lookin’ forwad ta heerin’ from tha brand new Directah o’Football on here, like.