Hartlepool United are moving in the right direction on and off the field with chief operating officer Stephen Hobin praising cup successes

Appointed in the summer, Hobin has already overseen a huge shift in the club’s off field operations as Pools continue to secure their footing back within the Football League following last year’s promotion.

Hobin, formerly of Norwich City and Preston North End, has already played a significant role in landing a number of commercial and sponsorship deals during his time to help influence the club’s stance and provide solid financial support.

Perhaps the most significant deal Hobin has been able to strike is the agreement with Suit Direct who now sponsor the club’s home ground and training wear, with players and staff also suited and booted ahead of each game.

But for Pools to be moving in the right direction it has taken a concerted effort both on and off the field.

Last night Pools competed in the semi-final of the Papa John’s Trophy against Rotherham United in front of a sell-out Suit Direct Stadium and broadcast on live television on Sky Sports.

But beyond that, it is a competition which, heading into the semi-final, had yielded the club £150,000 in prize money alongside a similar sum of money for their efforts in reaching the fourth round of the FA Cup against Crystal Palace.

And Hobin believes these budget boosts are huge for clubs like Hartlepool in order to plan for the future.

“These are unbudgeted competitions that you want to progress in but you can never budget for that, so everything we get above the earlier rounds when you’re a League Two club is a real bonus,” explained Hobin ahead of the Rotherham game.

“It’s a big help financially and we need to make sure, as a board, we reinvest that wisely and help the club get stronger and grow.

“It’s not short-term thinking like it potentially was in the past. We need to stop covering over the cracks with short-term solutions and the added finances can help us be strategic and look to the next two or three years of the plan.”

Hobin, speaking recently ahead of the Palace cup tie, said: “Five or six months ago it was not looking great underneath the bonnet, but now we’ve turned that around and both on and off the field we’re progressing in the right direction whereas I think probably six to 12 months ago, certainly off the field, we were some way behind.

“Success breeds success and I think when you bring one or two of the bigger brands in, others start thinking ‘what’s going on here’ and people want to get involved.

“We’ve got some really good local partners and obviously Suit Direct are one of those. But sponsorship is a massive part of my remit in terms of trying to turn the club around to make it self-sustainable.

“It’s been a struggle and League Two football clubs, yes we get our solidarity payments from the Premier League that filter down but we’ve still got revenue, we’ve still got wages to pay and we’ve still got lights to turn on.

“We’re not the only League Two club that’s struggled but thankfully both cup runs have really helped us.”

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