Hartlepool United part company with manager Simon Grayson
Hartlepool United have parted company with manager Simon Grayson, the club have confirmed.
The news, which will surely come as a surprise to many Pools fans, follows a disappointing run of just one win in their last 11 matches, with Saturday's 1-1 FA Cup fourth qualifying round draw with Northern Premier League Premier Division side Gainsborough Trinity proving to be Grayson's final game in charge.
Grayson, who leaves after just 15 games at the helm, winning four, drawing seven and losing four of those matches, becomes the ninth permanent manager to leave Pools since the departure of promotion-winning boss Dave Challinor in November 2021 - of those, eight have been sacked while veteran Lennie Lawrence opted to stand down last season. Of the last five permanent managers or head coaches, none has lasted more than 17 games in the role.
Having replaced head coach Anthony Limbrick in June, Grayson set about on a complete overhaul of the Pools squad over the summer, welcoming 14 new signings. While there were numerous challenges to navigate in the opening weeks of his tenure, not least ongoing off-field issues as well as the departures of Mani Dieseruvwe and Joe Grey, two of the club's star performers, there was a renewed sense of optimism heading into the new campaign following what felt like a strong summer of recruitment. Pools made a fast start to the new season, picking up 10 points from the first 12 available, but their miserable recent run has seen them slide out of the play-off places and down to 12th in the National League table. While a number of recent performances have been bitterly disappointing, Grayson wasn't helped by injuries to a handful of key players including the likes of Jay Benn, Reiss McNally and Alex Reid.
In a statement, the club said "following discussions yesterday evening and a board meeting this morning, it became clear that expectations with performances and results have not been met. Obtaining one win in the last 11 games falls short of the required standard; therefore, the board of directors have collectively made the extremely difficult decision to relieve Simon of his duties."
Nicky Featherstone, with support from Elliot Dickman, who was only appointed to the club's coaching staff last week following the sudden departure of assistant manager Neil McDonald, and Adam Smith are set to lead the team for an "interim period", beginning with Tuesday's FA Cup replay against Gainsborough at Victoria Park.