Here are nine days that defined Hartlepool United’s season:
1. August 26th, 2023
Pools rose to the top of the National League after a comfortable 3-1 win over AFC Fylde in front of the television cameras. It was John Askey's side's fourth successive victory but it was blighted by an injury to Dan Dodds, who had started all of the first five games of the season on the right of a back three. The following week, it was confirmed that Dodds had sustained a season-ending ACL injury, from which the right side of the Pools defence never really recovered. Photo: FRANK REID NATIONALWORLD 2022
2. August 28th, 2023
Pools, who had kicked off at 5:30 on Saturday after their game against Fylde was selected for television, had less than 48 hours to recover before a trip to title favourites Chesterfield, which was billed as a real test of their promotion credentials. John Askey's side showed few signs of weary legs in the opening exchanges and raced into a two goal lead after just seven minutes as Mani Dieseruvwe continued his impressive start to life with his new team, scoring his fifth goal in five matches, before mercurial Frenchman Anthony Mancini made it 2-0 in the seventh minute. Mancini in particular was proving too good for the Spirites, who pulled one back after a quarter-of-an-hour, but went down midway through the first half and was forced off with a serious hamstring tear. The talented midfielder's departure changed the game, with the home side scoring twice more and winning it at the death, and drastically altered the direction of Hartlepool's season. Mancini would not be seen for another four months, by which time Pools were closer to the relegation zone than the promotion places. Photo: Frank Reid
3. December 30th, 2023
John Askey's 11-month spell as Hartlepool United manager ended after Pools parted company with their embattled boss following a 2-0 defeat to Oldham. It was the sixth game in a row that Pools had failed to win, while Askey's side had managed just three victories from the last 19. The former National League promotion-winning manager had made a flying start to life in the North East and almost kept Pools in the Football League against the odds. However, despite a strong start to the new season, Askey became increasingly disillusioned and disheartened with every passing week, chopping and changing his side but proving unable to inspire a turnaround in their fortunes. Askey's assistant, Mark Goodlad, also departed. Photo: FRANK REID
4. January 3rd, 2024
Lennie Lawrence, who led Middlesbrough to the Premier League in 1992 and was one of a select few managers to have taken charge of more than 1,000 games in his career, was appointed caretaker manager. Lawrence had been a non-executive director at the Suit Direct Stadium since November 2022 but hadn't been in the managerial hotseat since 2005. The 76-year-old steadied the ship, returning the captain's armband to Nicky Featherstone and steering Pools to their first league win since the end of November when they beat strugglers Oxford City 2-1. His five games at the helm saw Pools win twice and lose three times, including a penalty shootout defeat to National League South outfit Hampton and Richmond Borough in the FA Trophy. Photo: Mark Fletcher