On from 6-7 tonight.
Can listen to it on BBC Sounds after its broadcast(+2 hours) or rewind to start. VHS?

Typical Raj Singh really. There's stuff he says about the previous culture at the club, the financial situation and redeveloping the ground that would be grist to a lot of mills if there was nothing else going on.

As it is, with Pools getting to the sharp end of the first season in donkeys years that they might actually achieve something on the football pitch, the bits that I was interested in were -

He's going to back the manager to get 'one or two' players in before the deadline next week;

If Pools don't manage to go up this season he's going to go all out to back a promotion push next season;

He wants to extend Dave Challinor's contract beyond the end of next season, when his current deal is due to run out.

hope the words, new stadium, was a slip of the tongue where he really meant redeveloped stadium. one thing that would bring pools money in every day would be a plastic pitch. we all know if one was laid then pools would be guarenteed promotion and have to rip the thing up again.

We look as if we're going over the same old ground ( excuse the pun) that we did in the IOR era. Hodcroft got fed up with going round in circles over the re development of the ground and it's surrounding area and Raj sounds frustrated after a year and a half of "negotiations".
I don't think "new stadium" was a slip of the tongue. Raj has said that he wants income from the ground to increase, probably to decrease his liability. If he can't get that from the existing stadium it is a fair assumption that he will look at other possibilities and a new stadium will be one of them. I would hate to see that but I understand where Raj is coming from.

I'm curious as to what there is to negotiate with the council.

The ground is on a peppercorn rent and a long lease. Any redevelopment could happen with a simple planning permission application. The only negotiations I can guess at is ground ownership. In that case I'm with the council 100%. The ground should never be sold to any owners, irrespective of intentions.

There could be negotiations taking place as to who pays for the re development. Maybe Raj is looking at the council footing some of the bill and the council are baulking at that because they won't want to be seen to be chucking ratepayers money at a football club.
That's the only thing I can come up with.
I would never sell the ground to anybody either and if it is just that then I too am 100% behind the council.
I don't think Raj would do the dirty but he won't be here forever. We have vivid memory of those who would.

agree. in the present financial climate it would be hard to get council money for ground improvements. however councils across the country have a good record of wasting rate payers money on something only a handful want. at least at the vic its something 3,000plus want. only recently plymouth council payed about 750,000 for some anthony gormley metal statue that is regarded at its best as a rusty nail. mention a grant for an outdoor winter theatre for one legged trannys they,d be over it like a rash.

Not sure anything was said about anyone 'baulking' - he gave the impression he was hoping a deal was going to be agreed in the next couple of weeks. That's a bit surprising in itself as he knows the parties to any deal usually prefer to make a joint announcement - per his comments about a new sponsors later on in the interview.

I agree with you that sharing the costs of redeveloping the Vic is most likely to be what he was hinting at - I don't remember anything resembling the words 'buying the ground' or 'new build on a new site.' There's no reason why a plan to develop 24/7 facilities at the Vic couldn't include new revenue streams for the club alongside increased community access.

heard all this before at other clubs. what does it actually mean and what is it clubs want. it all just sounds good words for me with no meat on a single bone.

Is it really that hard to envisage? Suppose for the sake of argument there's a plastic pitch as part of the redevelopment and it's available for hire 40 hours a week on average. The club might take the hire income 20 hours a week, with the other 20 hours available free of charge to community services supported by the council. Don't forget HUFC already has a Community Sports Foundation led by Keith Nobbs.

Raj could have bought the arena for less than he has "loaned" HUFC, yet he wanted the owners to take half of what they were owed.
Whats the betting he wants the council to foot a huge lump of the cost of any redevelopment but he gets to keep most of, if not all the revenue, whilst the council only get increased rates payments in return.

It's today's hot topic on Darlo Uncovered too.

There's bugger all happening at their own club for the next 5 months, so I suppose it helps pass the time

And the other big difference is Raj knows Poolies can fill the Vic, whereas only Elton John could fill the Arena

I will believe it when I see it about redevelopment, this is the longest redevelopment in history. Pools ground is great as it is, we don’t want the atmosphere killing. The rink end they can bulldoze that if they want and redevelop if we have too.

Baulking was mentioned as a suggestion. The sentence starts with the word maybe.

Raj mentioned new stadium when he was discussing further options.
How do you interpret new stadium????
Both myself and Mr Accy picked that up. Neither of us want that but he did say it.

So is it unreasonable for ex-staff to sue for monies due? Who is the bad person in this situation?

So folk can't wonder about the loan security arrangements? Does having a memory which goes back to tales of the monies being gifted make you a bad person?

Can the town really support an expanded stadium with lots of revenue generating amenities? Darlington couldn't. Bolton couldn't. Northampton? A Pipedream?

He asked to be interviewed; why would he do that?

And why would anyone buy another season ticket when he is in charge? Sorry, I forget, the amazing shop discount voucher..............

Laugh all you want. Facts are facts and the man is going down the same route he did with us.

How could he possibly afford to build a new stadium? It would be impossible for him to raise this much cash and he would never get it back. It's served Hull well to ditch Boothferry Park and rent, York have chosen this route too. What's wrong with having a cheap rent arrangement with the council? No big outlay, no big unexpected bills, no big mortgage or loans secured to service.

I hope it is never possible to build a new stadium, simply because I want us to stay at the Vic.

He did say it. I was agreeing with Mr. Accy when he said: "hope the words, new stadium, was a slip of the tongue where he really meant redeveloped stadium."

Apologies, I thought it was you that had said that. As it turns out I wasn't agreeing with you about anything.[/quote]

No problem. I don't look for your agreement or anybody else's. All I ask for on here is that people feel free to voice their opinions and accept that other people may have a different point of view. That way we get a broad view of proceedings. I would be devastated to leave the Vic but would accept the decision if the people who are prepared to put their personal wealth on the line to keep the club going decided that was the way forward, simply because I have not got the resources to alter that decision. The future of Hartlepool United is the purpose most uppermost in my mind.

thats always been my take on renting rather than owning property. just because you rent something does not mean you cannot improve anything. over the years people have fallen for all this ownership lark where everything must be owned . as for the vic i do not want it owned by any single group or individual who owns the club. we are in total reliance on how good they will be for the future of pools in the short or long terms. the vic itself as a football ground does not need much throwing at it. a better and bigger rink end to bring the capacity up to 10,000 would be totally adequate. even back in division 2 and doing well we,d have to rely on oppositions fans to even make that a sell out.

to make that really work then the club has to remain non league. no promotion as the thing will have to be ripped up. sell that to the majority of fans if you can.

I also want us to stay at the Vic and see absolutely no reason why we should move.

We rarely (if ever) sell out, we have routinely had a very low number of away fans especially in the last couple of years. The parking isn't great but is levels above some other teams even in the EFL, and finally the stadium is still fairly modern. Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure Pools could get to the championship and make minimal changes?

The people who claim the Vic is some decrepit junkyard should really give Workington a try!

Spot on Mr Accy.

It's fair to say Raj never mentioned increasing ground capacity, he wanted to develop other revenue streams and use of the ground beyond a matchday once a fortnight. There'd nothing new in that - back in the 80s there was talk of putting squash courts under the Millhouse Stand. There's been loads of plans and nothing came of any of them. Maybe the current chairman's ideas will go the same way, maybe they won't.

I don't think there's many Poolies who would disagree that the pitch at the Vic is fantastic but the ground facilities are poor.

I suppose they could demolish the car park and make a tiny 4g pitch for kids and five a side?

There must be several grounds in the EFL with worse facilities than the Vic. Harrogate and Barrow immediately spring to mind.

the best standing spot, millhouse, is the one where you are most likely to get wet. apart from that the vic is fine and far better than a lot for parking. harrogate comes quickly to mind on that. even arriving 2 hours prior to kick off and you still have a few minutes walk. a few minutes too long after you,d took your dog for a walk for 90 minutes to kill time.

I wouldn't even look at increasing the gate until we got back to Div 1, if ever we do. I would look at ways to protect against the weather though.

Boro just announced an annual loss of £35 million, just shows how much Steve Gibson has had to dip into the reserves.

Most clubs have a 3,5 or 10 year plan mr derwent..you'll have to be more specific.

What a time to be a football club chairman,eh ? .Just how deep are their pockets?,it does make you think Mr Flying Hogans..

Quite a lot of agents/so called centre forwards have mugged him these last few years getting long contracts on 30 k plus a week.

As for the Redevelopment of the Vic talk is cheap.
Best way to create revenue. Up the win ratio.

exactly. extra turn up to watch a winning team not because the chips are better or the water cold. saw more games under challinor last season than i have done for years.

The town currently has 4g pitches at...

West Rugby Club
West View
Brinkburn
Dyke House
Sports Domes
Greyfields
Martys

Does the town need another one?

Not at all, just saying the only thing they could realistically do with the space they get after redeveloping the Vic

I keep seeing a hotel mentioned, i'm not sure the demand is there for a hotel facing milner grove.

Conf facilities - is it the right climate when companies are loving zoom meetings and cutting back?

I'm sure a hotel in Hartlepool would be great, after all the Stockton Hilton is all the rage with the popular rats, spiders and dust particles.

even 5 years ago i,d call it all pie in the sky. others have tried and have failed in even getting planning consent for hotels and conference facilities never hardly used apart from matchdays. if hartlepool was a big bustling city it could work but it aint.

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport ... lan-pools/

9 years ago

What about stock car racing one week then Greyhounds the alternate week?

That might be a good idea in th short term, especially since the DCMS have allowed motor racing to have unlimited spectators which would bring in much needed funds for the club

That, or Hartlepool United can rename themselves Dominic Cummings Spanish Holiday Hastings Hokey Cokey Eat Out Help Out Pub Speedway Club.

and a mid week summer donkey derby.

People I know in Stockton say the hotel was doing good business in the few months it was able to trade normally between lockdowns.

The Clarence Road Trump Towers will have lovely views of the Marina, and is dead handy for Pizza Hut and Mecca Bingo.