Hartlepool United sort contract issues as young duo Joe Grey and Adam Campbell now registered with Football Association ahead of Maidenhead United match

A week later and Pools finally received FA clearance for two of their young talents.

Joe Grey and Adam Campbell both have professional contracts at Victoria Park were unable to play for the first team in their opening two matches due to their involvement with Hartlepool College – that’s according to Pools boss Dave Challinor.

And with his first team squad wearing thin, the 45-year-old was desperate to get the situation resolved.

“I’m disappointed that we’ve not been able to involve young Joe in any of our squads,” he told The Mail earlier this week.

“It’s to do with the fact he is doing a college course and is allegedly in full-time education.

"It’s an anomaly that we’re trying to get to the bottom of because he’s in college one day a week so if that’s classed as full-time education then I wish I had a full-time job that was one day a week!

"We’ll get to the bottom of it hopefully in time for Saturday because we are a little bit stretched for numbers at the moment particularly in those attacking areas and Joe has merited a place back in the squad.”

17-year-old forward Grey impressed during pre-season for Pools with a goal and two assists under his belt.

And despite it being almost two months since he agreed a professional deal with Pools, the club were unable to successfully register him until a week into the new season – much to the frustration of Challinor.

“I’m more disappointed for him than anything else and that's a situation that needs sorting out,” the Pools boss continued.

“It's really frustrating and I’ve got to be careful what I say but we had contracts going into the FA at the start of September yet on Friday night before the start of the season, I had just seven players registered with the FA because things hadn't been done.

“We were getting things sent back to us on Thursday evening two days before the season starts saying that things need correcting on contracts.

"We've got a skeleton staff at the moment and they were under immense stress to try and get things sorted which is not right or fair on them and it’s culminated in us having two younger players in Joe and Adam who can’t play.

"Hopefully the situation is resolved very soon and if the opportunity comes for them to be allowed to go and grab it.”

Pools’ youth team were in FA Youth Cup action against Hebburn Town on Wednesday at Victoria Park. But Grey and Campbell’s contract situation meant the team were without two of their key players.

“They would have definitely have been involved, but with the situation the way it is, it was questionable,” Challinor admitted.

“It’s a shame because at that level they would be a massive threat and the FA Youth Cup is a prestigious competition.”

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