Dramatic season rumbles on even after final kick

Another long, hard, challenging and disappointing season is finally over for Hartlepool United — and yet, there are fears that the worst could still be around the corner.

- Robbie Stelling

Despite an unremarkable 11th placed finish, it was a campaign which had pretty much everything. Pools, for the second season in a row, made three different managerial appointments, all with contrasting styles and approaches.

The arrival of the straight-talking Darren Sarll, who replaced popular former boss Kevin Phillips a week after the end of the season, was a strange decision which turned out to have long lasting and profound consequences.

In spite of what felt like a decent summer of recruitment and a strong start to the season, with Pools taking seven points from their first three matches, it didn't take long before the wheels started to fall off for Sarll.

An eclectic mix of characters have graced the Prestige Group Stadium over the last decade or so, from Dave Jones and his sausage sandwiches to Keith Curle and his raging libido, but Sarll's tenure has to rank among the most divisive and tumultuous.

The former Stevenage, Yeovil and Woking boss arrived with a reputation for a brazen and outspoken approach and was soon causing chaos and controversy, brandishing fans as "clever Dicks" following September's defeat to Forest Green Rovers, the fourth time Pools had lost without scoring in succession.

When Pools made the decision to make a change in October, it felt inevitable even though Sarll had only been given 15 games in the job.

There were concerns he had lost the dressing room, and there was no doubt he had lost the fanbase thanks to both his bullish approach to interviews and one-dimensional brand of football.