Who are Bromby and Partners? The key firm behind Hartlepool United's new manager hunt
Hartlepool United are on the lookout for a new manager.
Hartlepool United are on the lookout for a new manager with Nicky Featherstone’s time in charge at Pools coming to an end.
Featherstone - who steps down as part of a club restructure - led the team for the final time away at Boston United on Saturday, the 3-1 defeat the final game of a National League campaign that saw Pools miss out on a play-off spot, finishing 9th on 68 points.
With just three members of the current Pools squad under contract ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, all eyes are on who will be leading the team next season - and the transfer business carried out. New owner Landon Smith, who bought the club from Raj Singh in December, is poised to make his first permanent appointment this summer in the dugout and all eyes will be on who gets the role and what it tells us about the vision and strategy for the club moving forward. In March it was confirmed the appointment of Bromby and Partners "to lead and support transition in the club's football department ahead of next season". They will play a key role in the appointment of the new manager, so what do we know?
Who are Bromby and Partners?
On their own website, Bromby and Partners describe themselves as a ‘premier football recruitment and advisory firm, founded by industry leaders with decades of experience at the highest levels of the game. Our team brings a unique blend of expertise, insight, and strategic vision, ensuring that every client benefits from our deep understanding of football’s evolving landscape.’
The firm was founded by Leigh Bromby and Stuart Webber "to support clubs in various strategic and football operation capacities". Following a playing career in the Premier League and Championship, Bromby went on to carve out a reputation as a well-respected football executive. During that time, the former Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United defender has held several high profile positions in sporting director and academy roles and "has supported clubs in key recruiting periods and developing high performance environments".
Webber, who never had a playing career, has held several distinguished positions, notably at Liverpool, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Norwich City, where in his role as sporting director he twice oversaw the Canaries winning promotion to the Premier League. Since September 2025, the Welshman has been working as head of sport at Japan's RB Omiya Ardija, part of the Red Bull Group.
Meanwhile, Darius Henderson is also named as a director on the company website, Henderson is a former Premier League footballer. The website describes his role as an ‘elite sports agent with over 25 years of experience in professional football. As a director of Bromby & Partners, Darius combines his extensive playing career with a global network of contacts to deliver exceptional recruitment services to clubs and individuals.’
As part of their work with Pools, Chris Maxwell, Bromby and Partners' head of football operations, has been working closely with the club and its staff day-to-day in recent months. Maxwell, a former Welsh under-21 international goalkeeper who enjoyed spells at the likes of Wrexham, Fleetwood Town and Blackpool, sits on the Professional Footballers Association players' board.
What have Bromby and Partners said about their role at Pools?
"Bromby and Partners have experience across all levels of the professional game and understand what is required to help clubs with ambition progress through the football pyramid. "Our role is to bring that experience and to work closely with the club and the football department as they continue to build and develop.
"We'll look to implement improvements and support over time, helping to create a more structured and effective football operation. "There is clear ambition here and real potential. We're looking forward to playing our part in helping to put the right structures and environment in place to support long-term success."
What has Landon Smith said about Bromby and Partners’ role?
Earlier this year, Pools owner Smith told the club's official website that the appointment of Bromby and Partners was the first of a series of steps being taken to "strengthen and progress".
"This appointment represents an important next step as we look to build the right foundations for long-term success," he said. "Since coming into the club, I've made it a priority to listen, understand how we operate and to speak directly with staff, supporters and some industry leaders.
"That has made it clear that there is an opportunity to strengthen and further develop our football operations in a structured way, building on the foundations that currently exist. "In Bromby and Partners, we have brought in a group with the experience and strategic understanding to support that work. "They have operated at the highest levels of the game but equally understand what is required to build and deliver progress in a sustainable way at this level.
"This is the beginning of a series of steps we will take to strengthen and progress components across the club and the wider infrastructure that supports it. "It will take some time to properly establish things and that will need patience, but I believe the end result will put the club on a strong footing to move forward sustainably."
What has Nicky Featherstone said about his future at Pools?
Speaking in the statement confirming Featherstone’s departure, Smith praised the Pools stalwart for the ‘professionalism, honesty and a deep sense of responsibility’ he had shown during his time as a player, coach, captain and manager of the club. There was also confirmation the American was hoping to persuade Featherstone to remain in situ at the Prestige Group Stadium in an as yet undefined and undecided role.
However, with a new manager now on the agenda ahead of next season, the former Pools midfielder is unsure whether his presence within the club would be wanted and stressed any decision taken would have to work for all parties involved.
Featherstone, speaking before the end of the season, said: “That’s a conversation we will have over the next couple of weeks probably. I don’t know, it’s got to work for me, it’s got to work for the football club. It’s not about me wanting right now. Like I said in an interview after the Forest Green game I think it was, if a new manager comes in, naturally he’s not going to trust me.
“Although he can trust me, he’s not going to trust me. That’s just natural, that’s not an issue on my part. He would be aware of me, they know I wanted the job moving forward but that might not work and probably wouldn’t work in that sense. The role has to work for me as well but we need to come together as a football club to see what that would be and then we will make a decision from there.”
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