Hartlepool United legend among the leading realistic candidates to take over from Dave Challinor at Victoria Park along with Halifax Town man and former Tranmere Rovers boss: part one
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After a turbulent few days Pools look set to lose Challinor, the man who guided them back to the Football League last season, to National League side Stockport County.
Challinor is just three days short of his two year anniversary since taking over at Victoria Park but following his joint-heaviest defeat as Pools manager against Leyton Orient at the weekend, the 46-year-old has since made his intentions clear that his future no longer remains in the North East despite signing a new three-year contract as little as five weeks ago.
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Hide AdChallinor has enjoyed almost unbridled success since his arrival in November 2019 and having fulfilled his dream of being able to manage in the Football League he looked set for a prolonged stay at Victoria Park with the club making an excellent start to life back in League Two.
Challinor has not only galvanised the club on the field but has been able to leave his mark off the field as well, with supporters uniting around his side’s resurgence over the last 12 months.
But Stockport, who Challinor captained as a player between the years 2002-04, stepped up their interest in the Pools boss over the weekend after dismissing Simon Rusk for a slow start to the season last week and now look to have gotten their man after Challinor made it known to the Pools board of his desire to leave and step back down for another National League project with the Hatters.
But while the why’s and wherefore’s surrounding Challinor’s decision to leave Victoria Park will rumble on, Pools must now turn their attention to who will fill the huge void being vacated in the Victoria Park dugout.
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Hide AdSupporters will have their own ideas on who Challinor’s replacement should be and, while bookies continue to throw a number of names into the mix, here at The Mail we consider who some of the realistic leading candidates could be for the Hartlepool role and look at the jobs they have done so far.
Antony Sweeney
The bookies favourite, and the man who will take over the hotseat on an interim basis, Antony Sweeney is a name most Pools supporters will hold in their conversations on this topic over the coming days and weeks.
Sweeney is no stranger to taking over managerial duties on a short term basis at Victoria Park having done so before Challinor’s appointment in 2019 following the sacking of Craig Hignett.
Sweeney performed admirably during his brief spell in charge and was given a welcome boost when it was recommended he should form part of Challinor’s backroom staff.
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Hide AdDuring his spell, Sweeney operated with a back four which may be something he would have to alter following on from Challinor’s success and the players who have grown so accustomed to his system.
But Sweeney spent almost the entirety of his playing career at Victoria Park and would certainly be a leading choice to represent the fans with their morale so high prior to Challinor’s decision to leave.
Question marks would however linger over his experience of taking full control over managerial duties on a long term basis. While Sweeney has had the benefit of shadowing Challinor for the last two years and buying into the team's philosophies, his outright managerial experience is limited.
But Pools could do much worse than hand over the reins to someone who knows the club inside out and could potentially transition into the hotseat seamlessly with the rest of the players and staff familiar with the 38-year-old’s presence around the place.
Keith Hill
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Hide AdThe second favourite on the bookies list is former Tranmere Rovers and Bolton Wanderers boss Keith Hill.
Hill certainly possesses the experience Pools fans may welcome having been in the dugout for over 15 years since finishing his playing days with Morecambe in 2003.
Hill guided Tranmere to the League Two play-offs and the Papa John’s Trophy final last season, losing narrowly to Sunderland, but was sacked at Prenton Park just days before their play-off semi-final following a reported incident in the changing room among his squad after a goalless draw with Colchester United.
That would mean Hill’s more traditional style of management could be of concern to the Pools hierarchy should he be the man to fill Challinor’s shoes.
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Hide AdBut Hill’s exploits go beyond his relative success with Tranmere, going down as the most successful manager in Rochdale’s history having earned the club two promotions during his spells in charge.
Hill knows the league and has experience at a higher level which could be valuable to Pools who look to consolidate their place in League Two.
Pete Wild
One name who would require Pools to part with a fee in order to land would be Halifax Town’s Pete Wild.
Wild has been in charge of the Shaymen for little over two years having joined from Oldham Athletic in 2019 where he enjoyed a spell in caretaker charge including a famous win over Premier League Fulham at Craven Cottage in the third round of the FA Cup.
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Hide AdWild had a successful first season in charge before the COVID-19 pandemic brought a halt to the campaign with the club sixth in the National League table before a disappointing second season finishing 10th.
Pools met Wild’s Halifax on three occasions last season and know just how difficult his side’s can be, winning just one of those at Victoria Park before a 3-3 draw and penalty shootout defeat in the FA Trophy and a 1-1 draw in the return league fixture.
Halifax are currently fourth in the National League table three points behind leaders Boreham Wood.