Dave Challinor on the changes at Hartlepool United, adapting to the National League and promotion ambitions

Dave Challinor believes Hartlepool United is doing everything the club can to help ensure it is in a strong position for when the football does return as Pools target promotion back to the football league at the fourth attempt.
Hartlepool United's Victoria Park ground.Hartlepool United's Victoria Park ground.
Hartlepool United's Victoria Park ground.

The coronavirus pandemic has led to all football being suspended and an early finish to the National League campaign, with no clarity yet over when next season will be able to start with fears it could be several months before the 2020-21 campaign gets underway.

Pools, who yesterday revealed initial plans for a new share issue scheme for fans, fan groups and local businesses in a bid to raise £200,000 in the first year, have been in the fifth tier for three seasons now following relegation from the EFL for the first time in their history.

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Challinor believes it was always going to take time for the club to adapt to the fifth tier, both on and off the pitch, but he hopes the work that has gone into making the club more sustainable will help ensure it is on a solid foundation moving forward, with the former defender tasked with getting it right on the pitch.

Challinor told the Mail: “It’s always going to be difficult for the club to accept itself as a National League club, especially from a supporter perspective because they’ve been supporters for life and this club was a League One football club in the not too distant past and was on the cusp of getting into the Championship and had never been out of the Football League.

“It can be difficult to accept from a supporters perspective because you’ll look back and think well ‘we used to be there’.

“From a player’s and manager’s point of view, it’s pretty easy to accept where you are because, in my opinion, it doesn’t make much difference what league you’re in, you have to adapt to it in order to try and be successful and you have a philosophy that you’re going to stand by and you’ve got to adapt that to try and best fit your players, your surroundings, your supporters and ultimately the league you’re in to try and get out of it.

“That would be the same regardless of the league we’re in.”

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Pools owner Raj Singh has pumped in around £2million since taking charge two years ago and there are now plans for an Equity Participation Scheme, which aims to raise up to £200,000 in its first year in return for a share of the business.

Singh met with fans last Thursday, with supporters updated on how the club was tackling the coronavirus pandemic crisis following the suspension of football and no clear indication yet of when next season will start.

Challinor added: “I think it’s off the field where the chairman and directors are coming from in terms of looking at it and thinking, when you’re a League One club, you’re going to be paying League One wages with a League One infrastructure.

“Whether the requirements with where we are now still need to be that and that’s what the chairman is talking about.

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“When he came in to the club, there still was that infrastructure in place which ultimately resulted in the club losing a lot of money.

“I think, although small changes have been made, those changes need to be continually made.

“That’s resulted in changes that are massively unfortunate, some really good people have left the club. As best as possible now, this pandemic that we’re facing has just really highlighted an ever changing perspective and football will be on a different landscape after it and it’s just forced things along.

“What we’re trying to do as best as possible is preserve and make sure come the end of it, the club has got a strong infrastructure to be able to build and move forward, that’s where the chairman is that. If that’s the case, then you’ve potentially got an attractive proposition to get other people involved and wanting to invest.

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“If the chairman feels he needs that to move the club forward, for him as much as it’s about making things efficient, it’s about trying to get out of the league and giving us the best possible chance of doing that.

“That is the one single way where you can solve any problems you’ve got in terms of being sustainable because the funding that you get has been, it may change but last year it was close to a million pounds just for being in League Two which would take care of a lot of problems in terms of club finances.”