Hartlepool United’s new era: How Landon Smith restored hope and direction

Pools’ long-awaited new owner is reinstating optimism and belief for both supporters and journalists, but notable challenges remain after the turbulent past ownership of Raj Singh. 

(Hartlepool United’s Chairman Raj Singh during the Sky Bet League 2 match between Hartlepool United and Sutton United at Victoria Park, Hartlepool on Saturday 11th February 2023. Photo: Mark Fletcher /Alamy Live News)

Not long ago, the future looked bleak for Hartlepool United, and the prospect of hope seemed lost between fans.  

Had things been different, Raj Singh could have been remembered as a ‘saviour’ at Victoria Park, after he rescued the club from the threat of administration in 2018 and earned promotion back to the English Football League in 2021.  

Yet, this was evaporated in the latter years of his ownership, as Hartlepool United transitioned into what many supporters described as a “toxic environment,” from relegation back to the National League, to the banning of local press from the stadium- including club commentator Rob Law. 

Nick Loughlin is a journalist and lifelong Hartlepool supporter who covered over 1,000 matches at Victoria Park until he was banned in 2022, which he believes was due to his critiques of how the club was being ran.  

(Nick Loughlin prepares for interview. Photo by Luke Carr)

“It was alldone under one man’s whim,” he said.

 “One man dictated everything, how the club ran, how it was shaped, who was allowed in the ground, who was banned from the ground, which supporter’s groups were accepted and if the change didn’t happen when it did, the decline was just inevitable.” 

 Loughlin insisted that there was a growing disconnection between fans during this period.  

 “The fans couldn’t have been further apart. 

 “I knew die-hard supporters who had gone for years, and I mean years, my dad, one of them, one of my best friends, season ticket holders for 30, 40 years and this was the first season that they wouldn’t buy a ticket because they were sick and fed up with the way the club was being ran.” 

Singh’s relationship with Hartlepool supporters hit boiling point last summer, when the chairman alienated club legend Jeff Stelling after a proposed takeover fell through, banning him from boardrooms and asking other National League sides to do the same.  

 Ron Harnish, former chairman of the Supporters Trust, said: “I was one of four who got Jeff to come up to clinch the deal with Raj to buy the club. 

 “I felt he was treated very poorly by Raj, the boardroom ban was a joke, a childish response.”  

 However, on December 31st 2025, Hartlepool United entered a new chapter when Singh sold the club to American businessman Landon Smith.  

Hartlepool United owner Landon Smith acknowledges the fans during The Enterprise National League match between Hartlepool United and Altrincham at Victoria Park, Hartlepool on Saturday 17th January 2026. Photo: Mark Fletcher /Alamy Live News)

 Since Smith’s takeover, he has re-engaged Hartlepool fans with promises of a financially backed vision to get the club promoted back into the English Football League which has generated significant excitement in the fanbase.  

 “As soon as on New Year’s Eve at 4:00 when it was announced that he’d (Singh) gone, two days later, half the season tickets were being bought,” said Loughlin.  

 “It was just such a relief, that he was going, because like I said the club was heading nowhere.”  

 While it’s early days, “the messaging from Landon Smith has been positive, it’s been well structured and it’s been very welcomed by supporters aswell.  

 “I went back, the first game Landon Smith took over and saw faces I hadn’t seen for three, four, five years and they are still sat in the same seats.  

 “The game against Altrincham people were walking along Church Street at 10 o’clock in the morning, with stars and stripe banners, this doesn’t happen normally but there was just a good feel factor about the place,” he continued.  

 Looking ahead, Smith’s ownership faces significant challenges to get Hartlepool back to not only a stable financial position but to improve the squad on the pitch, if they are to achieve their goal of becoming an established club in the football league. 

 “Players have been signed on short term contracts or loans who have played minutes, complete waste of time, effort, money on everyone’s behalf, they need a proper real strong director of football, Head of Recruitment, someone who will make the right decisions, not just signing players on a whim,” advised Loughlin.  

 “They said that they’re going to implement data led recruitment like Brentford do, like Brighton do, which has worked for them but it’s going to take time to embed in,” he continued. 

 While Smith’s plan looks promising on paper, this marks Hartlepool United’s third ownership reset within the decade, so it brings the question of how the new chairman should approach the changes going forward?  

 “Engage in the town, get businesses on board, don’t keep them at arm’s length,” said Loughlin. 

 “Hartlepool is best when it’s part of the town, everybody in town will get behind Pools when Pools are doing well. 

 “Every supporter’s group should be included, not certain ones favoured and certain ones excluded, in a club like Pools, everyone knows everyone.  

 “We haven’t got 50 different supporters groups, there’s three or four just engage with everybody, get them all on side, all singing from the same hymn sheet, no arrogance, no egos, just get on with it and all come together. 

  “It’s supposed to be Hartlepool United, where united must be the key.”  

Raj Singh was contacted for comment.