Joe Ramage: Tom Crawford contract extension hopefully the first of many for Hartlepool United as Graeme Lee builds for second season in League Two

It was a pleasant surprise when arriving in Gloucestershire ahead of Pools’ meeting with Forest Green Rovers that, finally, Pools had secured one of their key players for the next two years.

For weeks now Graeme Lee has insisted discussions have been ongoing with players after highlighting a handful of his squad early in February to sit down with and try and agree new deals with before progressing through the rest of his squad; the hope being he could have the majority of his team in place by the end of the season in order to enjoy a somewhat more relaxed summer with the nucleus of his squad in tact.

But this is football, and this is Hartlepool United, and things don’t always go as planned with what has transpired is Lee growing frustrated at the length of time it has taken to get even one of his players to sign on the dotted line.

Lee admitted last week he was nearing a positive outcome on ‘one or two’ of his players while the demands of others were ‘unrealistic.’

But as we reach the final throes of the campaign, Pools will both need a definitive answer from players as well as making up their own mind on those who are deemed to be digging their heels in. And hopefully Crawford’s signing will set the ball rolling in that aspect.

There’s no doubting Crawford merits his new deal. Since the appointment of Lee back in December, Crawford has been one of the players to benefit with a prolonged run in the side and a number of pleasing performances.

At 22, Crawford has plenty of time on his side to develop further with Pools, the midfielder himself suggesting he is keen to boost his goals and assists output over the next two years at the Suit Direct Stadium.

Crawford has been a key part in securing Pools’ safety in League Two for another season along with the likes of Luke Molyneux who is one of the other players still to agree terms on a new contract.

Molyneux’s performances this season have warranted the significant interest he has acclaimed and he will be one Pools fans are perhaps most keen to see the club tie down over the coming weeks.

And you never know, with the first one signed in Crawford, it may help to create a domino effect for players who still see their future at the Suit Direct Stadium.

Elsewhere, it would be remiss of me not to comment on Pools’ successful case against Fulham over defender Luca Murphy earlier this week with the club to receive a six-figure sum in compensation.

What particularly drew my attention was senior advisor Lee Rust’s comments about the Professional Football Compensation Committee protecting the values and efforts clubs like Hartlepool put into academy systems.

With Pools set to reintroduce their academy once again this summer, this compensation victory harbours hope for the club with potential players coming through their ranks they will not be at the mercy of so called ‘bigger clubs’ in poaching their players by any means necessary.