Hartlepool United legend emerges as surprise bookies' favourite to become next permanent Pools manager
Hartlepool United legend Antony Sweeney has emerged as the surprise favourite to land the permanent Pools manager's job, according to the bookmakers.
BettingLounge make the 42-year-old, who spent more than two decades at Victoria Park and made 444 appearances for Pools, the 3/1 favourite to be named as Simon Grayson's permanent successor, ahead of the likes of Phil Parkinson (5/1), Graham Coughlan (13/2), Lee Cattermole (8/1) and current interim boss Nicky Featherstone (10/1).
Certainly, Sweeney would be a popular appointment among Pools fans having won two promotions during a long and distinguished spell as a player before working in various coaching roles at Victoria Park, winning the National League play-offs alongside Dave Challinor in 2021 and stepping up as caretaker boss on four separate occasions.
Since leaving Victoria Park in the summer of 2024, Sweeney has coached at the likes of Gateshead and Crawley, while he reunited with promotion-winning former Pools boss Challinor in August, taking on a new role as first team coach at Stockport.
With that in mind, it's hard to see Sweeney being too keen on a return to the North East at this stage despite his long-standing connection to the club, especially in light of the various off-field issues which continue to plague Pools.