By Mill House
June 26 2015

We have to thank Ken Hodcroft for many things but the new owners have already stolen a march on him with their PR this week. Reducing ticket prices, wearing Pools scarves on red hot days getting back in with the Council and promising to communicate more via social media. Oh - and they're doing a  long term deal with Sir Ronnie and Big Sam....

The only faux pas that fresh faced Chairman Gary Coxall has made is that he thinks Hartlepool is in Siberia. No it's not. The weather here is benign by  UK standards - not too hot in summer nor too cold in winter and, while the sea breeze may make itself a nuisance at times, Hartlepool is neither wet nor windy.

He seems genuinely enthusiastic for a chap who will have to spend a lot of time on the road as he commutes from his home in Essex, but the one biq questions still lingers.

Gary has partly answered it by saying that JPNG Global has contracts which it fullfils by employing a lot of skilled labour from the North East. We all know lots of lads who work abroad so that makes some sense, but why owning Hartlepool United would interest skilled blokes from up or down the A19 is debatable. They go where they get top wages.

The main reason is still likely to do with the finacne of the company. Pools were an IOR Group company and now they are a JPNG Global Group company - nothing wrong that as far as the taxman is concerned and if the directors can have a bit of sport with their business then that's great for them too.

And if they do agree a price with the Council which satisfies the District Valuer and then improve the ground as they promise that will be a very good sign indeed.