Chris Turner - in charge

By Clarence Rode
February 11 2009

Director of Sport Chris Turner is to remain as Hartlepool United’s caretaker manager until the end of the season, and his former No.2 at Victoria Park, Colin West, is returning to the club. West has left his job as reserve team coach at Southend, and will be with the Pools squad at MK Dons on Saturday.

The club website says West has been made assistant coach and will help with first team and reserve matters, but we can only guess this means he will do what Ian Butterfield did before he left to join Norwich – run the reserves and coach the first team, alongside Turner.
West was a popular figure with players and fans at Pools when he was Turner’s No.2 between 1999 and 2002, before leaving with him to take charge at Sheffield Wednesday.
In three seasons they reached three play-offs, though it easnlt until after they had left that Pools won promotion to what is now League One.
Meanwhile, chairman Ken Hodcroft has issued a statement (there’s a novelty) saying that Turner will remain in charge until the end of the season, when the club will decide what to do next.
“This is a critical time of the season for the club and with Chris now having some help, we’ve made the decision that he will remain in charge.
“At the end of the season we’ll all sit down and discuss what the best way forward is for the first team and reserve team managerial positions."
Turner appears to be enjoying his return to football management, and the chances are that if he continues to do so he and West will still be in charge at the start of next season, both they and the fans hoping to enjoy the same level of success they did the first time round.