John Askey's relationship with ex-Newport County director after latest Hartlepool United staff addition

Askey became Hartlepool’s third permanent manager of the season when taking over from Keith Curle last month and he was joined by the arrival of Kelly who takes on a new sporting director role at the Suit Direct Stadium having occupied a similar position at Newport County.

Both Askey and Kelly are the latest staff additions in what has been a season of significant and continued change at the Suit Direct Stadium with both playing and non-playing staff turning over at a significantly amplified rate.

Kelly, it’s said, will bridge the gap between the football department and the board by overseeing and supporting Askey with football staff appointments, player scouting and recruitment, contract negotiations, loan club relations, medical and sport science, academy development and facility use.

And Askey believes clubs need personnel like Kelly in modern-day football.

“I think football has changed now,” said Askey.

“Where the manager used to do everything; recruitment and so on. You need someone like Darren now to help with recruitment and the general running of the football club on the football side of it.

“It should be a big help for me. I’ve not really had that before - I did a little bit at Port Vale with John Rudge, but I think it will work well.

“Darren has got a lot of knowledge of the game. He played and has a lot of contacts so in the summer he’ll be invaluable.

“It happened really quick,” Askey said of Kelly’s appointment.

“It was the same sort of time that I found out I was offered the job.

“I know Darren. I haven’t worked with him before but I was aware of the work that he did at Newport and I’m looking forward to it.”

Kelly’s arrival comes following head of recruitment Chris Trotter leaving his role with the club in what has been one of many changes at boardroom level, backroom staff and playing staff this season.

And that is something Askey has admitted will need to change if Hartlepool are to be successful moving forward.

“I think so [it’ll have to stop]. You need continuity,” Askey told The Mail.

“You need people at the club who care about the club and if they’re doing a good job, why change?

“From what I can see, the ones that are there at the moment are doing a good job on the playing side of it. So I think you need continuity and with that comes success.

He added: “I think you see that very often with clubs who are down there, whether that’s the case with Crawley and Rochdale I don’t know, but when you’re winning leagues or getting promoted like the club did a couple of years ago, the team didn’t change very much at all.

“Obviously when you’re not doing well on the pitch that’s when you get the changes, so it’s a bit of a catch-22. But I’d like to think we can keep the staff and build something.”