And don’t get me started on that summer where we went head to head. Not only scarred from that debacle as I was the recruitment policy, managerial hire and the season that then unfolded from that few months of pre season. That for me was the biggest gamble of our football league status as it ever could have been. We deserved to go down, based purely on the naivety, complacency and mishaps that was that pre season preparation.

grass isn't greener? - blimey, you could describe pools current situation as them being on a mud bath similar to pitches of the 70's and 80's. It'd be nice to have some grass, even if its not the lucious green stuff

If we hold Raj Singh to the same standards we expect of mangers and players, he must go.

No one deliberately intends to fail, but he has failed.

Almost everything ends up a mess

The renovation of mill house seating and the rail stand
We couldnt fulfill friendlies and our preseason trip to Portugal was a farce
Ticketing system
Tribunal issues with staff
Appointment of key staff, vast majority like Hobin, Rust etc didnt have previous experience of the role they were employed to do
His emotional outbursts
We ranked last out of 92 clubs for engagement and communication

Ive been a big fan of Raj previously because he does care.

We want to continue with him because he can pay the bills? There is now, evidently another option, its right to be cautious, but with the names rumoured or known, I think its time we move on.

? You’re mistaking a semi for the real thing. But you’ve probably heard that before…

Doesn't matter what you or I think, he's the sole owner of the club until he says he's not
Do you honestly think he's actually responsible for everything you blame him for? Why do you think he has team manager, coaches, backroom managers, hospitality manager, etc etc?
Similarly he's not responsible for making the beds, catering, nursing, etc of residents in his Care Homes.
There isn't an option right now is there because nothings been agreed, until or unless an agreement is reached we NEED Raj. Who knows he may even stay and work with others if he decides to keep a stake.

Aye, off the wife

But apart from that……?

Aye, from Mrs Hogans.

Whoooooa…hang about I thought I was being quoted there…..phew….I would like to point out my wife has never expected much of me therefore never disappointed

We deserved to go down on our first season back up?
The second yes, but the first?

Rewind to pre season relegation season.
JS preaching buy a ST we Goin for promotion to league One.
Please no more Hoodwinkleship n Bullshit.
How did relegation come into play and be deserved!!

We got the points to stay up and we beat teams from Leagues above us in great Cup runs so to say we deserved to be relegated is derranged!
Recruitment that summer was massively impacted by the shortened window available to us, the promotion was won towards the end of June. Other clubs had had since May as a head start, we couldn't attract players or negotiate when we didn't know what league we'd be in and therefore which players would come to us if we'd still been NL or the packages they could be offered. In fact the budget would also have been up in the air until after the play off final!
Shambolic yes but not all within the clubs control.
History now anyway, we got through that period and the downfall was the following close season from which we're still suffering.

So there was a part excuse for recruitment after promotion.
What happened the following season was repeated which was absolutely criminal. Especially after them cup runs n excellent support.
1 or 2 mite disagree.
That's Life.

As our history shows, generally we've been a club that has had limited and mainly short lived success. Our only sustained period of relative success was under IOR who provided the financial means to attract the likes of Humphreys and Watson etc, coupled with some good managerial appointments in Turner, Cooper, Wilson, etc
Where we are now is more dependent on managerial appointments and player recruitment with reduced financial capability. And imo if the consortium takeover happens I can't see that changing. So, going forward we need to survive this season and allow KP a summer recruitment campaign to pit is in a position to challenge next season.
Community / HUST & Consortium / RS owned doesn't matter imo we need to get lucky with the manager and squad - Sir Cyril, Murray, have done it let's hope KP can do so too.

Clearly meant the second season old boy!

100% this, he’s done his best and his heart is/was in the right place but we have failed, think chancers like Hobin and Hartley took advantage of him but the buck stops with him

He recruited Lee, Hartley, Curle, Hobin etc….mistake after mistake, he is trying his best but it’s failing,there’s a good chance we are going to
Be in National League North for Christ sake…..and yes if his care homes were shit people wouldn’t go to them and he’d go bust so he is ultimately responsible as the leader /owner that’s the way it goes

He's also responsible for keeping us in existence, and still trying by appointing a new manager and giving him licence to bring more players in.

Spot on facts are facts.

The problem is we know the facts surrounding Raj and if we don't someone is always willing to make a few up but we know very little about the consortium or where they will take us. We have no option but to wait and see and hope they are an improvement, and are in it for the long haul. A big factor will be how the fans react as they will expect a lot more communication, information and explanation. There is no group like a football club's fans capable of turning quickly.

Key questions

1. How much has Raj put in and how much of that does he think/want back?
2. How much is he subsidizing the club with going fwd if it’s anything, that’s what the consortium would need to do at a minimum

Without those answers we are all left
Guessing

1. He will want every penny he put back with interest.
2. I doubt very much he is subsidising Pools, if has any thoughts of staying he won’t subsidise Pools, he doesn’t have the funds to burn.

At the moment The Club is in debt to the Prestige group by way of a loan. Some of that original loan has been paid back. If Raj leaves the club he won't be in control of seeing the rest is paid back so maybe that is a big worry for him.
It would be a massive help to securing a deal if the consortium had the means to clear the debt. More of the club's revenue could be spent on the team and this big drain on funds would be gone.
If I was the owner I would need a lot of convincing that my money was safe with the consortium before I agreed to structured repayments instead of up front.
The other consideration is Sage. There would be another unknown entity
responsible for the repayment of their money so would they insist on another deal or even immediate debt clearance. So many unanswered questions. Drives one dizzy what?

Bet Mr Billy knows the answers... down to the last penny piece

Hartlepool - the home to so many economic gurus and self-made millionaires - reading many of the posts on here leaves me thinking, 'why haven't any of you bought the club?'

Can we just leave to the folk who have put their money/ reputation on the line - and just shut the eff up and wait?

And no, I'm not a Singh apologist. I'm not on the Trust. But I do try to save distressed businesses for a living! And no, I'm not on the consortium either!

Loan shark apparently

I wake to the opening chords of 'Baby Shark Dance' and return to slumber to the tune of 'We were the Champions'....

Can I ask you a question or two and please be honest Mr Brian...
Do you lend money to businesses with a poor credit rating who may be at risk of insolvency?
If so do you charge higher rates of interest on these loans than would normally be available through a bank?
In other words are you a moneylender to companies who deals in "distressed debt"?
Please don't be shy or embarrassed Mr Brian...we all have to earn a crust one way or another do we not?

Mr BHLF isn't the one that needs to feel embarrassed.

[/quote]

The problem is we know the facts surrounding Raj and if we don't someone is always willing to make a few up but we know very little about the consortium or where they will take us. We have no option but to wait and see and hope they are an improvement, and are in it for the long haul. A big factor will be how the fans react as they will expect a lot more communication, information and explanation. There is no group like a football club's fans capable of turning quickly.[/quote]

Exactly, all we know of the consortium really is about one member of it and yes ok seems decent and has said some good things about the club/town/future. We dont know anything else and here is another point the one we do know doesn't live in the area anymore. Until we know more about the consortium then one thing we have learned is that Raj isn't about to drop us into administration as if he was he would have accepted any offer to get out let alone one that actually gives him money. He loses everything if he walks away. Unless the other members of the consortium are a really good fit then i dont know if we get an upgrade from them. Raj has made mistakes and is apparently soemtimes hard to work with but he did get us promoted once and maybe has learned a lot from that.

It’s TIME TO GO.

https://youtu.be/8Z3zMkGqcNE?feature=shared

So ‘clearly’ I had to query your post old boy what, what?

Yep

We deserved to go down in our second season back in the FL, what’s so hard to understand…

Clearly meant the second season old boy![/quote]
So ‘clearly’ I had to query your post old boy what, what?[/quote]

We deserved to go down in our second season back in the FL, what’s so hard to understand… [/quote]
Yes we did deserve to go down in our second season back
But you said…’We deserved to go down in our first season back up’ which is why I queried it in the first place.
Not being pedantic or fussy, just querying what you meant.
A simple Oops would have sufficed.

So ‘clearly’ I had to query your post old boy what, what?[/quote]

We deserved to go down in our second season back in the FL, what’s so hard to understand… [/quote]
Yes we did deserve to go down in our second season back
But you said…’We deserved to go down in our first season back up’ which is why I queried it in the first place.
Not being pedantic or fussy, just querying what you meant.
A simple Oops would have sufficed.[/quote]

You’re better than that.

I know one thing them scottish players you raved on about where an utter disaster.

The problem is we know the facts surrounding Raj and if we don't someone is always willing to make a few up but we know very little about the consortium or where they will take us. We have no option but to wait and see and hope they are an improvement, and are in it for the long haul. A big factor will be how the fans react as they will expect a lot more communication, information and explanation. There is no group like a football club's fans capable of turning quickly.[/quote]

Exactly, all we know of the consortium really is about one member of it and yes ok seems decent and has said some good things about the club/town/future. We dont know anything else and here is another point the one we do know doesn't live in the area anymore. Until we know more about the consortium then one thing we have learned is that Raj isn't about to drop us into administration as if he was he would have accepted any offer to get out let alone one that actually gives him money. He loses everything if he walks away. Unless the other members of the consortium are a really good fit then i dont know if we get an upgrade from them. Raj has made mistakes and is apparently soemtimes hard to work with but he did get us promoted once and maybe has learned a lot from that.[/quote]

Raj has said he is leaving though so if no one buys he will have to put the club into admin, some say he wants out by end of march, some say end of season. Some say he has had a change of heart, if he hasnt though the club will end up in admin.

So in reality it doesnt matter whos in the consortium, if they are the only ones wanting to buy the club thats the chance you always take. They could be billionaires doesnt mean to say they will be any good, they could have Gary Coxall involved and gary coxalls dad, but if they all have connections to pools, its very unlikely they are going to rip the club off.

For the last 2 years fans have said its none of our business what the budget is, etc etc, rajs club we cant affect things, but now the same fans want to know, whos in the consortium, whether they have the money etc etc Raj has said he will make sure the club is left in safe hands, so why is everyone panicking about whos in the consortium? We are going to be left in safe hands. Raj has said.

Just to add to what is said above. Do you not think that the trust would’ve checked out who was in the consortium they put together? I feel like if I’m on the board and putting together a group to buy pools id make sure every person I’m dealing with has the right intentions and funds to back it up. Imagine if HUST helped a Coxall type into owning the club, they’d be working against what they stand for. For these reasons I highly doubt anyone within the consortium is going to come in and strip the club.

The advice ive been given over the last 2 years if i dont like who owns the club buy it myself, Maybe a counter offer will go in by fans now questioning whos in the the consortium.

I don't think anyone is coming in to strip the club, there is nothing really of value, other than maybe a couple of players to strip. Unfortunately we are in this mess because Coxall and Co got there first.

Spot on. I made the comment due to people on this thread and elsewhere on social media saying they wanted to know who was in the consortium in case there’s another Coxall

We deserved to go down in our second season back in the FL, what’s so hard to understand… [/quote]
Yes we did deserve to go down in our second season back
But you said…’We deserved to go down in our first season back up’ which is why I queried it in the first place.
Not being pedantic or fussy, just querying what you meant.
A simple Oops would have sufficed.[/quote]

You’re better than that.[/quote]
I know……