Hartlepool United interim boss Nicky Featherstone unsure on chances of becoming next permanent Pools manager
Hartlepool United's interim manager Nicky Featherstone admits he is uncertain about his chances of becoming the next permanent Pools boss.
The 37-year-old has now been in temporary charge for more than six weeks since the sacking of Simon Grayson, who told The Non-League Paper he was "disappointed" but not "too surprised" by his sudden dismissal after just 15 games at the helm.
Although Featherstone, who has spent more than a decade at Victoria Park, endured a nightmarish start to life in the dugout as Pools were dumped out of the FA Cup at the fourth qualifying round stage by Northern Premier League Premier Division side Gainsborough Trinity, things have taken a significant turn for the better of late.
Pools are now unbeaten in six National League matches under Featherstone and, while draws against strugglers Sutton and Morecambe as well as part-time Wealdstone might have left something to be desired, wins over a resurgent Solihull Moors, play-off chasing Halifax as well as Saturday's commanding victory over Eastleigh have been hugely impressive.
Indeed, Pools have closed the gap between themselves and the play-off places to just five points, albeit seventh placed Southend and Scunthorpe, who are sixth, both have a game in hand.
Even so, winnable matches at home to bottom side Truro, who have lost eight and drawn two of their 10 games on the road so far this term, as well as Yeovil, who have themselves endured a difficult campaign to date, means Pools have a real chance of edging even closer to the top seven before Christmas.
Yet there are growing fears that ongoing uncertainty surrounding the next permanent appointment of controversial chairman and owner Raj Singh's divisive tenure could derail some of the progress made under Featherstone, who remains among the favourites to land the job on a longer term basis.
While Featherstone, who is the club's third highest appearance-maker of all-time, is still well-fancied to be named as Grayson's permanent successor, an official update last week that said the search for a new manager "remains ongoing" despite applications from some "excellent candidates" hardly read like a vote of confidence in the interim boss, while the Hartlepool Mail revealed on Monday that Phil Parkinson and Chris Beech had also held talks over the vacancy.
Although many fans appear to favour the more experienced Parkinson, who led Altrincham from the Northern Premier League to the National League during a successful eight-year stay in Greater Manchester, both striker Alex Reid, who revealed he was "rooting for" Featherstone to get the job, as well as vice-captain Nathan Sheron, who said the squad "really believe in" the interim boss, have thrown their support behind the man currently in the hotseat.
"It's been very good, it's been a brilliant experience for me," Featherstone told the official Pools club website.
"It's something that I want to do - whether this becomes a longer term thing or not, it's a great experience for me moving forward.
"I'm loving the role, the help I've had from the staff is absolutely unbelievable.
"We're all pulling in the same direction, and I think you're starting to see little glimpses of what a Nicky Featherstone team looks like."