Ritchie Humphreys returns to Hartlepool United ... with Chesterfield

The League One outfit will travel to play Pools on Saturday, August 1 (3pm KO) as part of both clubs’ final preparations for the new campaign which begins a week later.

As revealed by SportMail, manager Ronnie Moore wants his Pools side to play eight friendlies against a mix of league and non-league sides.

And the first confirmed fixture is the match against Dean Saunders’ Chesterfield.

The Welshman took over after the departure of Paul Cook and Chesterfield will prove tough opposition, ahead of the League Two season starting on August 8, after they were defeated in the League One play-offs last season.

The Spireites have former Pools star Humphreys, who made a record 542 games and 37 goals for the club, on their books and Turner – one of Pools’ greatest managers – is chief executive at The Proact Stadium.

Turner, backed by owners Increased Oil Recovery, transformed Pools from also-rans to a promotion force, building the side which Mike Newell took up in 2003.

The Sheffield man also returned to Pools as director of sport in 2006 before quitting in 2010 after a spell in charge of the first team.