Hartlepool United manager calls for 'hard work' as Pools gear up for potentially momentous Altrincham clash

Pools are looking to put last week's 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Woking, which Featherstone said was the most embarrassing moment of his life, behind them ahead of what many fans hope will be a momentous occasion against the Robins.

Excitement and expectation are already beginning to reach fever pitch as Pools prepare for their first home game since American businessman and investor Landon Smith completed his takeover of the club from controversial former owner Raj Singh on New Year's Eve.

While Singh's legacy, which will doubtless be hotly-debated over the coming weeks and months, is complicated, there were many fans who had stopped coming to Victoria Park in silent protest against the 61-year-old's divisive leadership.

On the one hand, Singh's decision to step in and, in effect, stave off the threat of looming administration by committing around £1.2 million in 2018 ranks as one of the most significant and consequential in the club's entire history.

What's more, Singh's intervention paved the way for the memorable promotion back to League Two in 2021 via a heart-stopping National League play-off final under Dave Challinor as well as subsequent runs to the fourth round of the FA Cup, setting up a lucrative trip to Premier League Crystal Palace, and the semi-finals of the Football League Trophy.

Yet a lot of the goodwill that Singh worked so hard to accrue had evaporated in the wake of a series of ill-judged decisions and managerial appointments that culminated in relegation back to the National League in 2023.

Since then, Singh's tenure has been defined by discontent and division among an increasingly fractured fanbase as well as a series of crushing disappointments, both on and off the pitch.

For many fans, the final straw was Singh's handling of takeover negotiations with Herd International Group, led by Hartlepool-born businesswoman Shelley Hammond, towards the end of last season. Having thrown the club into disarray following his sudden and unexpected resignation from his position as chairman in March, negotiations collapsed in dramatic circumstances two months later before Singh returned to his former role after a hugely contested vote among season ticket holders, one of the most controversial and, to be frank, bizarre, episodes in the entire history of Hartlepool United.

While even the most ardent critic of Singh would struggle to dispute the fact that he leaves with Pools on much firmer financial footing than when he first took charge almost eight years ago, even his staunchest supporters would find it difficult to argue that there have been tangible improvements on the pitch.

The news of Smith's takeover, therefore, appears to have breathed new life into the club and a bumper crowd is expected for this weekend's visit of Altrincham, which the American is set to attend.

In amongst all the fanfare and newfound optimism, however, Pools were on the wrong end of a thumping 4-0 defeat last time out and Featherstone, who is already under pressure to convince Smith he is the right man to lead the club beyond this season, will be well-aware that his side can ill-afford another embarrassing slip-up on Saturday.

"It's a boring answer, but all we can do is go to the training ground and work harder, try to find solutions, see if we can bring some players in to help the group - and then we'll go from there," the Pools boss told the official club website.

"Hard work is all we can do. We've got a really important week this week, the owner's in town for the first time and we play a good team in Altrincham. We'll go back to the drawing board, work hard and hopefully we can have a positive week.

"Hopefully we'll have a bumper crowd (against Altrincham), I know we've sold a lot more tickets for this one. The new owner's in town and there's loads of positivity; well, there was before today (against Woking).

"Although today is a setback in terms of the play-offs, in terms of this season and in terms of the new ownership, the club is moving in the right direction and there's loads of positivity around the place.

"Be disappointed with this week, I am - I'm angry, disappointed, gutted and embarrassed - but there will be good times to come at this football club."

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