By Jon Couch
Never-say-die is Hartlepool United‘s club slogan – never has that rally cry been quite so apt.
Forced to raise £200,000 in 15 days to pay bills and save their proud club from administration, the northeast outfit have put up a united front, desperate to protect the heartbeat of their community.
And they’ve got the backing of their most high-profile fan, club president and Sky Sports anchorman Jeff Stelling, who has thrown his weight behind an online appeal to get behind the stricken club and help pay the wages of players and staff, plus various bills, all due on January 25.
Pools’ rapid financial demise came to the fore three weeks ago when the club’s owner Jack Blackledge put the club up for sale after just six months at the helm, having decided he has taken them as far as he could.
Blackledge – under the banner of Sage Investments – is believed to have put £1.8m of his own money into the National League club since taking over from JPNG and Gary Coxall in June after the club had been relegated from the Football League for the first time in their history.
Unless Blackledge is prepared to cover the costs, or supporters can rally round to raise the money, the club’s future could be in serious doubt.
Community
Step up then concerned fan Rachel Cartwright, who set up a crowdfunding page on the justgiving.com website – and the football community responded.
In the space of two days, the appeal raised more than £20,000 with fans of Middlesbrough, Leyton Orient, Gateshead, Brighton, Portsmouth, Oxford United and Plymouth Argyle all chipping in with donations, while Blackburn Rovers striker Danny Graham has added a further £2,500.
At the same time, club mascot H’Angus tweeted for a ‘Save Pools Day’ for the home game against Wrexham on Saturday with fans urged to pack out Victoria Park to help boost club coffers.
Naturally, Stelling will be there in spirit and spreading the word from the Soccer Saturday studios, while urging the town to get behind the club in their hour of need.
“It’s great that the supporters, both of Hartlepool and other clubs, are rallying around,” Stelling told The NLP. “The game is expected to be a sell-out and there are over 1,000 Middlesbrough fans also coming along to show their support.
“A football club is the glue which binds the community together – it’s the heartbeat of the town and the one place where three to four thousand people come together under one roof in support of the town in which they live.
“People have an affinity to it. Last season, when we had to beat Doncaster to stay up, we had over 7,000 at Victoria Park come and support the club. That’s what we need again, generate that same kind of atmosphere.
“It’s also refreshing to see fans of other clubs donating to the cause. People associated with Leyton Orient, Portsmouth, Bury – fans right across the spectrum.
“They see a club suffering and think ‘that could be us’. Well now it is us – and fans can relate to that. They have an affinity with a club, even if it’s not theirs. It’s the strength of the football community.”
As a fan of the club since the Sixties, Stelling is no stranger to a crisis at Victoria Park – but he is under no illusions as to the uphill battle the club faces right now – both on and off the field.
While £200,000 is the target before the end of the month, it only pays January’s bills and with the playing budget needing to be cut accordingly, the threat of a second straight relegation still looms large.
Around a quarter of the total was raised by selling 17-year-old starlet Connor Simpson to Championship club Preston North End, while top scorer Jonathan Franks is also on the radar of Football League suitors.
Either way, Pools boss Craig Harrison will have to see out what started as a transitional season on a shoestring budget and with seven points separating Pools from the relegation places before yesterday, Stelling accepts that tough times may lie ahead.
“We have to be realistic, it’s not just about the £200,000, that’s just the start,” added Stelling, who lays no blame on Blackledge and his troubled reign. “It’s essential we need to raise this money for the long term as well. Ultimately, we will need a sugar daddy or a supporter-owned base, but that’s a discussion for further down the line.
Concern
“It’s vital also that the club survive in the National League too. We need points to guarantee we stay in this league, avoiding relegation is no foregone conclusion. Players will be leaving to cut costs so Craig Harrison will have a threadbare squad to work with. I have sympathy for Craig. He’s a young manager, used to working with winning teams. He’s not been in situations like this before, so it’s a real test for him as well.”
So, what would Stelling’s message be to those football fans looking to play their part?
“Never-say-die is the club’s slogan – and we won’t!” he rallied. “Anyone who loves football, please, come and help us; if there’s anyone who I have made smile on a Saturday afternoon, on the telly, come and help us; or maybe anyone I’ve infuriated and can’t tolerate me, come and help us!
Clubs like Hartlepool are the fabric of football. Like Hereford, Leyton Orient or the several others who can relate to our situation.”
“I know people will ask about my money and that’s when I will come forward. I can’t afford to run the football club on my own, but will certainly put money into the football club if the supporters trust are running it, that’s for sure.” he added to BBC Tees.
To donate to the Hartlepool appeal, go to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/savehartlepoolunitedfootballclub
*This article originally featured in The @NonLeaguePaper, which is available every Sunday and Monday
