Graeme Lee opens up on Hartlepool United tenure, his surprise sacking and club frustrations

Lee spent just five months in charge of the club he made over 250 appearances for as a player after taking over in what was always likely to be a difficult transition for the club following the shock exit of promotion winning boss Dave Challinor.

Lee was making his first step into management having enjoyed a successful time with Middlesbrough’s academy and was able to achieve the objective of maintaining Hartlepool’s League Two status fairly comfortably, as well as taking Pools to the fourth round of the FA Cup and the semi-final of the EFL Trophy.

The end of the 2021-22 campaign did, however, fizzle out quite drastically in the final weeks with Hartlepool going nine without a win to close the season and finish 17th in the table.

Although Lee had some critics due to that drop off in form, his sacking, which came just days before the final game of the season against Colchester United, still came as a surprise – none more so than to the man himself, who opened up in a candid interview with the Switch of Play podcast recently.

“I wasn’t expecting it,” Lee said of his sacking.

"I went for a meeting, I thought it was a recruitment meeting and it wasn’t.

"He [chairman Raj Singh] said: ‘Right, it’s time for change.’ I was trying to justify why and he said something like ‘the players aren’t playing for you.’

"These players were strapping themselves up to get on the training field and then to get on the pitch so to say something like that I thought he must have someone lined up.

"In my head, we’d got ourselves in a great position. I was excited to get new players in and build on what we’d achieved, but it didn’t happen.

"I thought he must have someone ready and waiting to go in because why would you do it?

Lee added: “My objective was to stay in the league. That was the main aim.

"Part of my downfall was we probably got the points quicker than I thought we were going to get them.

"We went to Scunthorpe away [at the end of the season] and I had 2,500 Poolies singing my name after the game.

"To have that moment with the fans and then three days later get sacked, it just didn’t add up in my head.

"I knew I had a great relationship with the fans. I wasn’t going to please every fan, no-one ever will, but seeing what I had after that game, I was excited for next season.

"I looked at that league and thought we won’t be a million miles off where we wanted to be next season.”

Lee would also go into detail over a number of frustrations during his time with the club including being limited to training on 3G pitches at the club’s training base as well as a failure to tie down a number of key players to new contracts as the likes of Luke Molyneux and Timi Odusina would leave the club later that summer.

And Lee pointed the finger at senior advisor Lee Rust as to why some of those negotiations may have broken down.

“He should not be near a football club. That’s what my opinion is,” Lee said of Rust.

"I don’t know if it’s his fault or if it goes back to the chairman, but I had a meeting at the end of January; I had Joe Grey, Tom Crawford, Mols, Timi and Fergie all in early to get new contracts signed, but nothing happened.

"By which point we have this February where we’ve had a fantastic run and all of a sudden these players become players with interest. Teams are starting to sniff around them because they’re out of contract.

"It comes to March and they’re still not even near [signing new deals].

"I’m trying to manage these players and tell them to go back to their agents but the players just said no, ‘if that’s what you’re offering me straight away then there’s no point even negotiating.’

He continued: “Mols’ wage demands went from where we could have got him if we’d done it early, to then all of a sudden going to another level because his agent knew he’d get a wage here, there or anywhere. He was scoring goals and doing well.

"If they’d done it early, like I wanted them to, you sign your players up and it might cost you a little bit extra for a couple of months, but then it saves you a hell of a lot of money in the long run.

"But it was a constant battle. They didn’t understand.

"As soon as those players think they’re leaving, their mindset goes in a different direction on the pitch. It was hard.

"We signed the players in January and I was thinking to myself if we can get these six or seven tied down now what a boost it would give for everyone. That would kick us on and the basis of our squad for the next season would be strong.

"All of a sudden you’re dealing with upset players because of the low-balling [offers] we’re doing.

"If we’d re-signed the players we had, and added to it, we’d have been alright because we were holding our own, apart from the back end of the season.”

Lee’s exit was met with a prolonged wait until Paul Hartley would be appointed over a month later, with the rest history as to what would transpire over the course of last season with Pools relegated back to the National League.

Chairman Raj Singh has since acknowledged his mistakes for last season whilst also recently suggesting Lee's appointment was a panic decision after the club had lost five games in a row following Challinor’s exit.

"If the chairman panicked into it then that’s his comment to make,” said Lee.

"I think it’s a ridiculous comment to make because we went through an interview and a presentation process, but that’s up to him to make that comment.”

It’s been over a year since Lee left the Suit Direct Stadium, the 45-year-old now in charge of non-league side Marske United.

But the former defender admits his disappointment at where Hartlepool now find themselves after he suggests ‘what could have been.’

"I was watching last season and it was more frustrating because I knew what it could have been,” he said.

"If they’d kicked on I could hold my hands up and say alright, it was the right decision, but they didn’t.

"I’ve reflected on it and looked at it every which way. I’ve had sleepless nights thinking about what I could have done differently because it hurts you, especially with what happened last season and where they’ve ended up.

"That should never have been the case after all the hard work previously, and the job Dave Challinor had done, and me coming in and trying to move it on and the cup runs.

"All these positive memories for the fans and the players and then bam. Done. And in one season it’s almost back to square one.

“Hopefully they can bounce straight back."

You can watch Graeme Lee’s full interview with the Switch of Play podcast HERE