Hartlepool United manager Dave Challinor signs new three year deal at Pools

Hartlepool United’s biggest and most drawn out contract saga of the summer has finally been resolved – Dave Challinor has signed a new deal at Victoria Park until the summer of 2024.

Was it ever in doubt? Well...sort of.

Challinor had been the subject of interest from a number of clubs across League Two and the National League after guiding Pools to a promotion charge during his first full season at Pools.

The fact his original deal at United was set to expire in the summer of 2022 had clubs sniffing around one of the lower league’s most promising and successful managers of the past decade.

Challinor has known little other than success since stepping into management, something he has ironed into the fabric of Hartlepool since first arriving at the club back in November 2019.

Bringing Challinor to Pools is the best piece of business chairman Raj Singh has done since acquiring the club – tying him down to a new deal could prove to be an even shrewder move.

Ideally, it would have been all sorted before the season even started in order to quash any speculation or uncertainty over the future of the club’s most valuable asset.

Discussions haven’t been straightforward with a disagreement between the two parties made public following the opening day win over Crawley Town.

But the Pools boss has consistently signalled his intentions to stay at the club and he has proven he is up to the challenge of managing in the Football League, if it was ever in doubt.

And signing a new deal just makes sense on all fronts. Pools have the future of their most successful manager in recent years secured and will benefit financially should another club wish to make a move for him while Challinor and his family have personal and professional security, allowing them to settle and plan a future in the north east.

In 18 months, the manager has united the club and its fan base in a way that felt impossible just a few short years ago. The Vic is no longer a place fans dread coming to – instead they embrace the feel good atmosphere, competitive side, post match fist pumps and ‘cheers, thank yous’.

And hopefully they will for years to come.

A message from the Football Clubs Editor

Our aim is to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative Hartlepool United coverage 365 days a year.

This depth of coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to, please consider taking out a subscription to our new sports-only package here.

Your support is much appreciated. Richard Mennear, Football Clubs Editor