Timeline of decline for troubled Hartlepool United

The immediate financial future of the club hangs in the balance and Pools needs to raise cash by January 25, as the club’s players and staff are due to be paid and a number of other bills are also due.

But how did the club get to this point, here is a timeline of how the ‘never say die’ club found itself in hot water:

December 16, 2014 - IOR announce their intention to sell their shareholding at Hartlepool United, with view to bringing to an end their relationship with the club which stretched back to September 1997.

Pools look set to be bought by a company named TMH 2014.

February 5, 2015 - The sale of Pools by IOR to TMH 2014 collapses.

IOR and club officials had become increasingly concerned about the proposed new owner’s plans for Pools and pulled the plug.

That is despite TMH (The Monkey Hangers) 2014 gaining Football League approval, which includes passing an owners’ and directors’ test and providing proof of funds, subject to some further provisions.

Stephen Murrall and Peter Harris, who headed TMH 2014, were found guilty of fraud in October last year.

The convictions relate in part to the taking of Pools’ gate receipts, and were sentenced to eight years and 30 months respectively.

June 19, 2015 - Ken Hodcroft steps down as Pools chairman.

June 22, 2015 - Recruitment firm JPNG, headed by Gary Coxall, complete the takeover of Hartlepool United.

IOR walk away from the Vic after 18 years at the helm.

In a statement, outgoing Chairman Ken Hodcroft said: “I believe the club is on an excellent footing to do well in the upcoming campaign. The Club has financial stability and we welcome JPNG to the world of football.”

July, 2016 - Winding up order petition issued to Pools by the HMRC for an unpaid tax bill.

That petition was dismissed by the judge after the court heard the club had already paid the money owed, which it blamed on an accounting software error.

At the time Coxall said: “It wasn’t due to a lack of funds. It was purely our records showed differently to their records.”

October 14, 2016 - SECOND winding up order petition is filed against the club for an unpaid bill to the HMRC.

This was again later resolved despite the bill remaining unpaid for around 10 days.

January 17, 2017 - Club issued with THIRD winding up order petition in relation to unpaid tax bills. Again the issue is later resolved.

In relation to this latest embarrassment, Coxall released a statement. He said: “This third winding-up order is totally different, as we agreed a payment plan with HMRC by which we would settle the amount in two separate payments and, as of today, we have now cleared £100,000 of that bill.

“As part of the payment plan we agreed that if the second payment wasn’t met then a winding up-petition could be back-dated but this has been resolved. In short, it was only a notice of a winding-up, which has been effectively resolved before issue.”

May 2, 2017 - In a week where Pools’ league status hangs in the balance Coxall resigns as chairman of the football club. Pam Duxbury in her role of chief executive takes the reins.

Coxall, on his resignation, said: “It is with huge sadness that I announce that I have decided to resign. I am not oblivious to my surroundings and the feeling towards my tenure as chairman and I feel that, should I continue, it would divide the club at a time when it needs to come together as one. I will happily step aside for the good of the club. The club is more important.

“There has been some criticism of me over the previous few months, some justified and some completely untrue and so wide of the mark it’s incredible. However, now is not the time to address those points, but I am confident that over the coming months it will be clear the Club has always come first, even before my own family in some cases.”

May 4, 2017 - Pam Duxbury speaks publicly for the first time after succeeding Coxall. She addresses ownership issues in a statement. It read: “The current owners of Hartlepool United FC are JPNG Ltd. JPNG is owned 50% by Gary Coxall, 25% by Mark Fisher, who is the former Financial Controller of HUFC, 12.5% by Sage Investments Ltd and 12.5% by myself. There is debt within the Club that is owed to Sage Investments Ltd and there is security over the shareholding so that the shares cannot be sold without approval by Sage Investments Ltd.”

In the same statement she floats the idea of fan ownership at Pools.

May 6, 2017 - Hartlepool United 2 Doncaster Rovers 1. Despite the win, Pools are relegated from the Football League for the first time in their 109-year history.

June 28, 2017 - JPNG’s time at Pools is up with HUFC Holdings Ltd acquiring the club from the old owners for a nominal fee.

On the changes, Ms Duxbury said: “I would like to assure fans of Hartlepool United Football Club that no payment was made to Gary Coxall. A nominal amount was paid for his shareholding by HUFC Holdings Ltd, funded by Sage Investments Ltd.

“HUFC Holdings Ltd is 100% owned by myself and Sage Investments.”

At this point Pam Duxbury became the sole director HUFC and HUFC Holdings.

December 22, 2017 - Hartlepool United was put up for sale by Sage Investments and owner John Blackledge, who Duxbury revealed said he has taken the club as far as he could. Announcing the news, she said: “It’s been hugely difficult, with a lot or legacy issues with the previous regime. There’s a lot of plans and developments ready to go, but we just need that new investor to help push it along.”

This was also the day Pools players and staff received their Christmas pay packet, despite weeks of rumours that they may never see the cash.

January 3, 2018 - We broke the news that SIX potential investors and consortia had signed non-disclosure agreements and provided proof of funds to club solicitors. This allowed those interested the opportunity to pour over a number of confidential documents at the club and assess whether to make an offer for HUFC.

January 6, 2018 - As a cost cutting measure Pools squad travel to their National League clash at Dagenham by train, forgoing the need for an overnight stay and coach travel. They are forced to wear their change grey kit in East London and borrow some items of training kit from the hosts due to the fact the laundrette withheld their items two days earlier over a disputed bill for more than 2 1/2 years of work, which the club is still yet to pay.

January 9, 2018 - The true plight of the Pools situation is revealed, with the club needed to find around £200,000 to ensure financial commitments for the month are met. It is also revealed that four of the six potential investors have dropped out of the running to purchase, in full or part, the club.

January 25, 2018 - This is the day Pools players are staff are due to be paid and a significant tax bill is due to be settled.