'Last year is forgotten about' - Dave Challinor has warning to Hartlepool United players

Pools face Crawley Town at Victoria Park on Saturday (3pm KO) with Challinor & Co desperate to build on the momentum gained from the incredibly dramatic promotion in the National League play-off final penalty shootout win.

It has been a busy summer at The Vic with more business needing to be done, while results on the pitch must also improve after a disappointing string of pre-season friendly results.

However, the focus is now firmly on this weekend and the visit of Crawley as Pools get ready for life back in the Football League.

Ahead of the game, however, the players have been warned that past performances and reputations no longer count for much, with it up to the players to keep performing to keep their place in the squad.

Challinor said: “Whether players have been here two months or two years, I’m sorry but you’re not going to be judged on what you’ve done in the past two years.

"Last year is forgotten about and football moves on quickly so it’s pointless us putting ourselves in a position where we get ourselves in the Football League to then not take advantage of that.

"It’s our job as a management group to make sure that happens and we hope we can do it with the players we’ve got but we’re not stupid and naive enough where if things aren’t going how we want them to go that we’re going to persevere with that group of players.

"They’re in control of our decisions based on their performances and based on what we’ve seen they need to improve.”

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