Hartlepool United Supporters Trust could look to buy club

As reported in yesterday’s Mail, Hartlepool United is up for sale six months after a change of ownership.

Current owner John Blackledge, of Sage Investments, has decided he has taken the club as far as he can and a number of financial problems left over from the previous owners JPNG have since been uncovered by chief executive Pam Duxbury.

In a statement, Hartlepool United Supporters Trust said while it is concerned about the financial situation a change of ownership “presents an opportunity for supporters, and everyone who cares about the club, to assess what type of club they want going forward.”

It went on: “If a buyer cannot be found we need to explore the possibility of a Trust-owned club. This would involve high-level discussions around what working capital would be required to turn the club around from the current loss making business model.

“We would also need to explore whether the current owners would genuinely want to sell to The Trust.

“If the Trust ends up in a position where it has to step in we would host an immediate Public Meeting to discuss whether there is a genuine will within the fan base for this to become a reality, and what we would need to do to make it happen.”

Following the announcement by Pools, the trust says it will carry out a survey of supporters to understand fans really want.

“We want to unite fans of the club and understand what level of fan involvement that they want moving forward,” said the trust.

The trust board is due to meet informally after today’s home match against Maidenhead.

Pools said the club became aware of a number of “legacy issues” that have consumed huge financial and human resources since the last takeover.

It says it needs new investment to progress and get back in the football league following relegation last season.