Hartlepool United manager calls for character, consistency and a change in culture as he bids to lead Pools back to the big time
Hartlepool United manager Nicky Featherstone has called for character, consistency and a change in culture as he looks to lead Pools back to the Football League.
Featherstone, who is the club's third highest appearance-maker of all-time, was an integral part of the Pools side that won a memorable promotion to League Two via a heart-stopping National League play-off campaign in 2021, featuring 41 times.
Having worked so hard to haul themselves back into the Football League, Pools appeared to be riding the crest of a wave when promotion-winning boss Dave Challinor, who had only recently penned a new contract, left to take charge of Stockport County, then of the National League.
Even so, the good times continued under new manager Graeme Lee, who helped Pools reach the fourth round of the FA Cup, setting up a lucrative trip to Premier League Crystal Palace, as well as the semi-finals of the Football League Trophy.
Despite that, Lee was sacked following a lacklustre end to the season and controversial former owner Raj Singh's subsequent decision to appoint little-known Scotsman Paul Hartley set in motion a chain of events that led to Pools being relegated back to the National League after just two seasons.
Since then, Pools have shown few signs of returning to their former glory, limping to successive mid-table finishes and burning through a whole host of different managers at an alarming rate.
Indeed, some fans had grown so disillusioned at Singh's divisive leadership that they'd stopped attending home games in silent protest at his running of the club; for others, apathy had set in and it was hard to avoid the sense of division, demise and discontent towards the latter part of Singh's tenure.
Yet Pools are now on the cusp of a new era after American businessman Landon Smith completed his takeover of the club from Singh on New Year's Eve, with Featherstone's side gearing up for their first home game under the new regime as they prepare to entertain strugglers Altrincham on Saturday.
All of a sudden, seemingly forgotten hopes and dreams of success and, crucially, promotion back to the Football League have come flooding back and there is a renewed sense of optimism and positivity at Victoria Park ahead of Saturday's match, which Smith is set to attend.
While Pools will have it all to do if they're to overhaul Southend - not to mention fend off competition from the likes of Halifax and Solihull Moors - and sneak into the National League play-off places this season, the ultimate aim is clear - a return to the Football League.
Yet for that to happen, a lot will need to change at Victoria Park and last weekend's drubbing at the hands of Woking was a stark reminder of how much work the new owner has to do.
While lots needs to change off the pitch - Pools are crying out for some stability, structure, vision and a clear footballing identity - Featherstone will be under pressure to deliver progress on it.
As he bids to prove to Smith that he is the right man to lead the club beyond this season, the 37-year-old has called for a change in the culture at Victoria Park ahead of this weekend's momentous visit of Altrincham.
"You've got to have a character that can deal with the expectations and the pressure of this football club," Featherstone said.
"Very much like every North East club, there's expectation and pressure from the fans and it's about how you manage that and turn it to your advantage.
"The best teams I've been involved in - and I sound like a broken record here - are the best between Monday and Friday. When that's the case, the Saturdays take care of themselves.
"We need to change the culture slightly from Monday to Friday, I think we're implementing that at the minute but, again, there's no quick-fix.
"It's about standards around the place, being able to deal with the expectations and then getting the right people in."