Hartlepool United chairman Raj Singh acknowledges 'loyal' club legend

Singh referenced Sweeney’s return to the first team picture in his match day programme notes ahead of Hartlepool’s goalless draw at Gillingham where he also suggested he accepts ‘full responsibility’ for the issues currently plaguing the club who sit bottom of the League Two table.

Singh was outspoken after axing manager Paul Hartley, the man who he appointed back in June.

And one of the decisions made by Hartley was with regards to Sweeney and his position within the first team structure.

Having been involved during pre-season, Sweeney was a notable absentee from the dugout for the opening day defeat at Walsall in July with the Pools fan favourite being transitioned into a full-time academy role as opposed to fluctuating between that and the first team.

And Singh believes that was a mistake by the former Hartlepool manager.

“A big welcome back to Tony Sweeney as he comes back into the first team coaching set-up again,” wrote Singh.

“To move Tony Sweeney sideways was something I strongly disagreed with, but I did not say anything because you do not want to interfere with the manager’s decision.

“I am grateful to him for staying loyal to the club when it would have been easy to walk away because at the time he clearly was not happy with his own position.”

And, following the appointment of Keith Curle as interim manager, one of the first moves made was to reinstall Sweeney to a first team role, including his own position as interim manager for the Papa Johns Trophy tie with Morecambe before Curle’s official unveiling.

After the goalless draw with the League One side Sweeney himself addressed his situation over the last few months alongside Hartley insisting there had been no falling out between the pair.

Sweeney said: “You could see it as a demotion or a negative if you like, but it wasn’t for me, it was a sideways step. It’s something that I quite enjoy doing so I took the positives from it.

“I’m not on social media as such but I am aware of it and I’ve seen a lot of things that have been said - some of it half true, some of it not. There was never any sort of falling out.

“Paul and Gordon, the previous managing duo, had always worked as a two so, in my opinion, if you’ve had success with that you’d be crazy to change the blueprint of that too much - I just fell the wrong side of it.

“There wasn’t much that was required from me so I’m thankful to the football club that they found a role where they knew I could still contribute.

“It won’t be a case of now just forgetting that four months and just solely focusing on the first-team because there should be cohesion between the youth development and the first-team and that will be my job to make sure we are as successful as we can be.”