Prospective new Hartlepool United owner takes to social media to respond to latest club takeover update

In a statement published on the official website on Saturday afternoon, the club said that "one party" had "not been able to meet an agreed deadline for full deposit of funds". The group is believed to be led by Hartlepool-born Hammond, who has long retained an interest in the purchase of her hometown club.

Hammond took to social media to respond to the statement, suggesting on Instagram that due diligence was ongoing and that the process was "really close" to a conclusion.

There were positives and negatives for fans to take from the club's latest official update, which comes three weeks after the previous one. On the one hand, it is a concern that a deadline for the full deposition of funds has passed, although quite who set the date and how binding or otherwise it is remains unclear. Even so, the sooner a deal can be completed, the better for everyone involved; outgoing owner Raj Singh seems sincere in his desire to wash his hands of the club and will doubtless be eager to avoid being lumbered with any further bills and costs over the next few weeks, while a swift completion of the deal will give new buyers the best chance of success next season.

Deposition of funds has been a sticking point for Singh in the past, although Hammond's social media statement suggests there is less to be concerned about this time around. Rather than an unforeseen delay to the deposition of funds, Hammond hinted it was due to ongoing due diligence. "DD (due diligence) takes time, but that time is invaluable," she wrote.

There were also some positives to take from the latest club update. The club revealed they were "hopeful" an agreement would be reached in "due course", while also confirming that some level of planning was underway ahead of next season. It also said that "Mr Singh has agreed to additionally fund certain critical items that are imminently essential to preparations for next season", including a much-needed pitch refurbishment. Finally, the statement reiterated that money from season ticket sales had been "ringfenced" for "club operations only".

It would appear it has been a long and challenging road for Hammond, who was first linked with the purchase of Pools last year. Hammond has an interesting and diverse background, primarily in the film and entertainment business. She has spent more than a decade working as an international broker for Kyodo Tokyo Inc, an entertainment company, and is the chief content officer of PNN as well as the founder and CEO of Herd International Group. At last, according to her latest Instagram post, a deal seems to be nearing a conclusion.

It has been - and, indeed, remains - an uncertain and daunting time for Pools fans. Although Singh, who took over with the club in chaos and teetering on the edge of oblivion in 2018, has divided opinion almost from the moment of his arrival, he has at least managed to keep Pools on a more or less stable financial footing. Yet there have been times since his sudden and unexpected resignation, announced in a bullish statement at the beginning of March, when it has felt like the club are about to have the rug pulled from underneath them.

Having announced his decision to leave after what he termed "personal abuse and the misrepresentation of information" made his position "untenable", Singh declared his intention to stop funding the club at the end of the season. That left Pools in a race against time to complete a takeover deal before the end of the season, which concluded on May 5. There was some initial optimism, particularly after The Club HUFC Ltd, which was linked to Hammond, was established on Companies House; after all, it took Singh just three weeks to take charge of the club after setting up Clarence 18 in similar fashion. However, a deal has dragged on, with more than two weeks having passed since the initial deadline.

In the immediate term, Pools are now running a serious risk of losing many of their high profile players this summer, with the likes of Mani Dieseruvwe, Joe Grey and Nathan Sheron all out of contract. Bills - not least May's wage bill - are beginning to loom large on the horizon, while Pools are in no position to negotiate new contracts until a takeover deal goes through. Pools are required to announce their retained list by Saturday, May 24, although given the current state of limbo it's hard to envisage quite how that will work. The longer a deal has dragged on, the more serious the situation has become; if Pools were unable to attract a buyer, which in light of the latest developments now seems less of a concern, then the club could be faced with the threat of potential administration and even footballing oblivion. Fans certainly won't breathe a sigh of relief until the ink is dry and the white smoke emerges from Victoria Park.

However, it now seems as though there is light at the end of the tunnel. While Singh has always been keen to keep a lid on negotiations, operating as privately and discreetly as possible and only occasionally emerging from the woodwork to brandish bidders and interested parties as "timewasters", Hammond has now broken ranks with several social media posts. That she feels confident enough to do that, coupled with the fact that it does not seem to have impacted Singh, would suggest a deal is close.

Most supporters would agree that time is now of the essence. In due course, Singh's stewardship of the club will likely be looked back on with mixed emotions; while there have been some memorable moments, not least promotion back to the Football League in 2021, the enigmatic owner's divisive way of doing things has alienated large parts of the fanbase, especially since the club's return to the National League in 2023. For now at least, fans want the chance to look forward to a new era, a new dawn and, importantly, a new sense of hope and optimism.

In full, Hammond's statement on Instagram reads: "DD (due diligence) takes time, but that time is invaluable.

"It gives us crucial insight into what's broken, what needs fixing, where the risks and opportunities lie... and most importantly, how we hit those all-important milestones (promotions!) faster.

"Due diligence isn't just a box to check, it's the foundation for genuine long-term stability and success. And that's what we all want!

"And there's no better feeling than getting close to the end of that process...really close."

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