Ken H - good job

By Charlie Summerbell
July 28 2010

If Hartlepool United really are going to be taken over by rich new owners from the Middle East, let's hope they do it quickly so some money can be spent on improving a squad which is hardly building up a lot of pre-season confidence in friendly games. The latest defeat, albeit for a largely reserves-based team, does nothing to slow down that trend.

Pools lost 2-1 at Garforth Town on Tuesday night, and coming just days after the 5-0 home hammering against Leeds and with the new season just a week and a half away, confidence is hardly sky-high.
So the non-stop talk about an alleged takeover and a huge cash injection needs to either bear fruit sharpish, or go away before it unsettles things even more in the build-up to the big kick-off.
As usual, Pools are saying nothing about the situation, which is par for the course for them. But they aren't denying the rumours, either, and the grapevine suggests that behind the scenes there is a lot of feverish activity sorting out the departure of owners IOR after a dozen years of ownership at the Vic.
In these days of financial restraint, when even big clubs are having to watch their budgets, news of a possible cash injection at a club like Pools has to be welcomed.
The story is that the takeover interest is coming from one of the concerns IOR have contacts with in the world of oil exploration and development.
Ken Hodcroft and IOR have literally saved Pools from going bust over the last few years, pumping in the sort of money many other clubs in the lowers two divisions can only dream about.
If some new owners who are even richer come in keen on developing the club, let's thank IOR for what they have done and roll out the red carpet.
But let's do it quick so everybody can get their eyes back on the new season, because if there is a big-money takeover followed by new players, there's every chance there might also be a new manager.