Robbie Stelling and Rich Mennear take a look at the latest takeover news surrounding Hartlepool United on the latest episode of the Poolie Podcast.
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00:00How would you see the latest situation? Just a case of wait and see for the Pools fans?
00:04Yeah, I would think so. It felt like a bit of a mixed bag, the update on Friday, didn't it?
00:09I mean, I think the first thing to say is the interim board do deserve credit for trying to be as transparent as they can.
00:16Like everyone connected with Hartlepool United, it's probably a slightly uncertain time for them.
00:20I think the first update that they put out in the wake of Raj Singh's resignation was a really good one.
00:27It was really commendable. It was measured. It was realistic, but it was optimistic.
00:31It was sensibly worded. It was reassuring. And I think that that was exactly what Pools fans needed at that time.
00:38I think last week, probably they felt like they needed to communicate something, even though there wasn't necessarily that much.
00:44They were in a position to communicate. Obviously, the significant thing was that they'd said acceptable offers.
00:52Like you say, emphasis on the plural as well. But the admission that there have been offers that are deemed acceptable, I think, is very significant.
01:00Previously, Raj Singh has tended to label pretty much anyone who has an interest in the purchase of Hartlepool United as time wasters.
01:07So again, that suggests that he is probably more sincere in his desire to hand over control of the club than he has been at any other time in the last two years,
01:16since he first put the club up for sale in April 2023.
01:20Obviously, something that got a lot of Pools fans talking was the suggestion that proof of funds have not yet been deposited.
01:28Clearly, that is significant. Clearly, that's something that needs to happen if this takeover deal is going to progress.
01:35Yes, I can understand why it caused a degree of panic.
01:39What I would say is that providing proof of funds is obviously different to depositing proof of funds.
01:46I think the first step would be to provide the proof of funds.
01:49I'm confident that that has already happened.
01:52The next step is the deposit of funds.
01:55And obviously, there's a legal element that that has to progress through before that can happen.
01:59So just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean that it's not going to happen or imminent.
02:03So I wouldn't necessarily worry about that too much.
02:08I believe that there's every chance the takeover will be completed before the end of the season.
02:13That's clearly what everyone seems to be targeting.
02:16Raj Singh obviously says he will stop funding the club at the end of the campaign.
02:20Pools will obviously want to get a takeover completed sooner rather than later for a whole host of reasons,
02:27not least just to secure the future as quickly as possible.
02:30That's obviously first and foremost at the forefront of everyone's minds at the minute.
02:35But of course, if you want to take a longer term view, it's going to be significant in terms of next season.
02:42You want to have as long as you can, I think, to sort out the pitch.
02:44And you certainly want to have as long as you can to sort out the playing squad,
02:48because a number of really high profile players, Joe Gray, Manny Disarue, Gary Medin, Nathan Sharon,
02:55are all out of contract or are certainly not known to have signed new contracts.
03:00And I think you want to give yourself the best possible chance of trying to keep some of those players,
03:04as we've said before in this discussion.
03:07Pools do have a core group of players.
03:08I think those players have all played significant roles this season.
03:12You'd love to try and keep as many of them as you possibly can.
03:16And obviously, if you can get a deal completed before the end of the season,
03:19then that gives you time potentially to table a renewed contract offer.
03:24And that might sway their decision.
03:26Obviously, if you can't get it completed before the end of the season,
03:29which we're certainly hoping they will be able to do,
03:31then I think players could be forgiven for looking elsewhere as much as anything,
03:35because they want to support, they want to secure their futures.
03:38They've got families, they've got livelihoods that need to be taken care of as well.
03:43So I think it'd be difficult to begrudge them that if that were to be the case.
03:47But I believe that the ambition is that the takeover will be completed before the end of the season.
03:52At this stage, I see no reason why that can't happen.
03:55And obviously, that's going to be really exciting and positive for Pools fans.
04:00If it does happen, as we've discussed, Raj Singh certainly has had some achievements.
04:04But probably in a footballing sense, there's a feeling of stagnation over the last couple of years
04:11since relegation from the National League.
04:13There's certainly a division between the ownership and the fans.
04:16And I think that it's going to be really important to see if this is another team.
04:23And there's certainly einige players in the Hall of Fame.
04:24And there are definitely people who wanted to be this opportunity in being together for a chance.
04:26And for those guys, these are quite hard toої you and I'm getting in touch with one day if you and you're asking for this.
04:27But what do you think of this?
04:29And so I guess that this is a piece of practice,
04:34where you can also see some people who wanted to help you with theЗa or a���łem?
04:37You just don't know why it's always needed to help you,
04:39but if you don't know what I'm thinking,
04:41if you do have a change then.