Hartlepool United attacker hoping Landon Smith's takeover will be 'a very exciting time for the club'

The American businessman and investor, who is the co-founder of real estate company Tailwind Group, completed a surprise takeover of Pools on New Year's Eve, bringing to an end controversial former owner Raj Singh's turbulent eight years in charge. While Pools had officially been up for sale since the club were relegated back to the National League in April 2023, fans had started to give up hope of a takeover following a succession of false dawns when Smith's purchase of the club was announced.

Given the sense of disillusionment many fans harboured towards Singh - indeed, growing numbers of supporters had been boycotting matches in silent protest at his contentious leadership, leading to a sharp decline in home attendances - it felt inevitable that the club would feel an immediate renewal of hope and optimism in the wake of Smith's takeover. Indeed, Smith was welcomed onto the pitch with fireworks ahead of his first home game since taking charge, a 1-0 win over relegation-threatened Altrincham, while Pools players have been donning red and blue tracksuits ahead of matches in a nod to their new American owner.

The challenge for Smith will be turning that hope into genuine belief and recent weeks have served as a reminder that there is still plenty of work to be done, both on and off the pitch. Pools have won just two of their six matches since Smith's takeover and even narrow victories over Altrincham and Gateshead had more than an element of fortune about them, while Nicky Featerstone's side have been on the wrong end of heavy defeats at the hands of Woking and Aldershot.

While the club have been working hard to strengthen their squad, welcoming goalkeeper Nick Hayes, midfielder Gavan Holohan and winger Tyrese Sinclair to Victoria Park last month, most fans - and, indeed, Featherstone himself - had been hoping for more new additions as Pools bid to keep in touch with the National League's top seven. With Pools working to implement a more data-led approach to recruitment that the club hopes will give them a better chance of achieving more sustained success, supporters might need to be patient before their side reaps the full rewards of the new, more measured strategy.

Indeed, it looks like Pools fans will need plenty of patience over the next few months as the new regime gets used to life at Hartlepool United, with Smith likely to be judged on what happens over the summer and into next season rather than over the coming weeks. Even so, it feels important that Pools do all they can to finish the current campaign with, at the very least, some optimism and momentum to take into a potentially pivotal summer.

Certainly, Smith will have a whole host of big decisions to make - over Featherstone, the staff behind the scenes and the playing squad. Campbell, who has found the net four times in 19 games during an up-and-down season so far, is one of a whole host of players set to be out of contract at the end of the campaign and the diminutive forward is determined to prove his worth to the new regime.

"It's hard not to listen to all the noise surrounding the takeover," he said.

"It's a new chapter for the club and it's an exciting time to be a part of the club as well.

"Everyone's playing to prove that they deserve to be here next year and be a part of that project, it's massively important to play well and put on performances and show that you're good enough to be a part of, hopefully, a very exciting time for the club."

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