Hartlepool United pre-season return pushed back with club set to move from East Durham College Base

Players and staff were set to return for pre-season training on Monday but this has now been pushed back to Thursday, July 8.

It’s been over two weeks since Dave Challinor’s side secured a dramatic penalty shoot-out promotion to the Football League against Torquay United at Ashton Gate.

But since then, things have been fairly quiet with no new arrivals or contracts confirmed since the publishing of the club’s retained list last month.

As it stands, Ryan Johnson is the only player Pools have lost from their promotion winning squad. The defender swiftly joined Port Vale following a contract offer that Hartlepool weren’t willing to match.

Gavan Holohan, David Ferguson, Mark Shelton, Timi Odusina, Tom Crawford, Joe Grey, Brad Young and Josh MacDonald are contracted for the 2021-22 campaign while a further six players have been offered new deals which are yet to be accepted.

Jamie Sterry, Gary Liddle, Nicky Featherstone, Rhys Oates, Ben Killip and Luke Molyneux remain in talks but have all been subject to serious interest from elsewhere.

The delayed return to training will allow Challinor a few more days to assemble a squad, padded out with trialists, for the opening day of pre-season.

The Mail understands that Pools are set to move from their usual training base at East Durham College in Peterlee ahead of the new League Two season. Maiden Castle, Newcastle United’s former County Durham training ground, is believed to be the club’s new training venue.

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