Scott Fenwick reveals truth behind his Hartlepool United exit - and how he almost returned

Fenwick featured 49 times for Pools across an 18-month spell, going on to score 12 goals before he was released under Craig Hignett in May 2016 after turning down a contract that, according to Fenwick, some people might not know about.

From accidentally calling Hignett ‘mate’, seeing his Tranmere Rovers loan cut short and being refused his 50th appearance, the 30-year-old, currently a free agent after departing Blyth Spartans, explained how his final six months at Pools played out.

Speaking exclusively to the Mail, he said: “There are things that happen at football clubs that other people don’t see. I was actually in discussions about getting a new deal at Hartlepool in January 2016. There were teams that had tried to sign me under Ronnie (Moore) and then he got sacked.

“Craig Hignett arrived and I was unsure as to where things stood. I went to see Craig and said: ‘Gaffer, I was close to signing a new deal - what happens now? “Craig said: ‘New deals obviously do get put on hold when a new manager comes in as I need to assess my squad’.

“I think that just put a burner in my mind from day one. I remember I called Craig ‘mate’ by an accident. He had a little bit of a laugh and joke about it but I’m not sure if that did actually get on his nerves a little bit.

“Eventually I started talking about a new contract with him but the deal that he offered me wasn’t good enough really. He told me to go away and score some goals at Tranmere - they agreed to take me until the end of the season.

“I was there for three games and he recalled me. I was a bit annoyed as Tranmere were in play-off contention and I thought I was spending the remainder of the season there. I was confused as to why I called back after a month.

“I went up to watch the lads at Carlisle and we had a conversation in the tunnel. Craig told me to get back to training with a view to getting back into the squad for the next game. I trained well all week and there was a reserve game against Gateshead so I rang him and asked if he wanted me to play and he said: ‘Yeah you can do, get 90 minutes under your belt etc’.

“It then got to Friday and I wasn’t in the matchday squad. I’m not sure why I was recalled from Tranmere to not be put in the squad. ‘We had a good draw last week, we can’t change the team’ was his reasoning. Two or three weeks later, I still wasn’t in the squad.

“It was the week before the last game of the season against Plymouth. He said: ‘Here’s the last contract offer, you either sign that or I will release you’. It was no different to the previous contract offer I turned down a few months before.

“Pools announced I was getting released on the Friday - the night before the Plymouth game. He knew I needed one more appearance to make 50 for Hartlepool so I was desperate to get in the squad but he said no.”

Before moving abroad to spend a season in Malta, Fenwick opted for York City and while he tasted silverware by winning the FA Trophy, The Minstermen suffered their second successive relegation.

Regret might not be the right word to use, but the ‘what if’ scenario runs through Fenwick’s mind. What if he had extended his stay at Hartlepool into a third season?

“I wish I had spoken about things more openly at the time but you can’t sometimes out of respect and professionalism,” Fenwick added.

“Looking back, I probably should have just signed it. You learn pretty quickly that you should sign the first thing that is put in front of you. When you find yourself out-of-contract, it is a nervous and worrying time.

“I probably should have just signed it knowing I had another year at Hartlepool and backed myself to play even more. You never know, I might have still been there now or I might have moved higher up.

“I do think back about how good the club was, how local it was and the good relationship I had with the fans.”

But despite all the reminiscing, a Fenwick return to Victoria Park has almost materialised on more than one occasion.

Fenwick suffered horrible luck with injuries at Blyth Spartans. Perhaps a Pools homecoming would have been the perfect treatment.

Fenwick revealed: “I’ve been close to returning a few times. I was close to re-signing in February time. In football you never know, you just wait and see who rings your phone and go from there really.

“I am still a supporter now. They were the ones that gave me the chance to get back in the professional game - it changed my life at the time. I can’t speak highly enough about the people behind the scenes. The fans live and breathe football.

“The club still means so much to me. I’ve still got friends there and whenever I get the chance, I do pop down to watch them in midweek.”