Supporters' trust launches fundraising drive to help secure Pools' future

The fans group, which has around 900 members, has launched an online donations page with a £100,000 target.

It says it is in response to a large amount of people contacting the trust wanting to make donations and Hartlepool-born businessman Chris Musgrave pulling out of talks to invest in the club.

The trust said in a statement: “Essentially the money will sit in a secure ring-fenced bank account until it is needed.

“We have been told that the club are still in talks with at least one interested party, and while they are hopeful of selling the club, there are no guarantees this will happen given the current financial situation.

“For that reason we felt we needed to continue building the Fighting Fund, to protect us against all eventualities, which would include becoming a partner with potential investors.”

Trust members voted last month to start raising money towards the long-term survival of the club.

On the fundraising page, the trust says: “It could help sustain the club until the end of the season, buying us time to pave the way for a community share offer and/or to find partners who are willing to invest with us.

“It could provide us with the money we need to take the club out of administration, or even worse reform the club.

“We won’t commit this money until we have confidence that its use will result in a sustainable future for our club with direct fan involvement.”

People can donate to the website at https://supportersdirect.sharein.com/invest/901

A separate online fundraising appeal was started by Pools fan Rachel Cartwright about two weeks ago as part of efforts to raise £200,000 to rescue Pools from the immediate threat of administration by paying wages and bills.

It has now raised more than £75,000.