Ahead of the next National League season, Hartlepool United manager Darren Sarll has sent out a rallying cry to the team’s supporters.

After being relegated back to the National League, the team’s disappointing 12th place performance in the previous season has made for a miserable few years for the beleaguered supporters.

But in recent weeks, the North East has seen a glimmer of hope thanks to four intriguing additions, including Adam Campbell, the winner of League Two promotion.

And as he works to assemble a team that can contend for promotion, Sarll, who has previously guided both Woking and Yeovil to the National League play-offs, is urging fans to have hope.

“I’d like to think that would be the definition of being a supporter – having optimism around their team,” he stated.

Like every season, the evidence will be in the eating, regardless of whether our supporters think we’ll have a successful campaign.

“It’s critical that we reciprocate in these early preseason games.

“People claim that they are simply preseason games, but that is untrue.

“They are there to practise winning, to get in shape, and to instill the ideas that will guide our success over the following ten months.

It’s critical that they recognise the team’s work ethic and resolve from the beginning.

“Blocks and shoots are what English supporters are hoping to see.

“I don’t know if they want to see tricks and nutmegs in Spain, but what they want to see is true effort.

“A trier is adored by all; it’s a very significant component.

We currently possess the building blocks of a really strong team.

“We’ve added some good athletes, some strong technical skill, and some nice character.

“Especially in terms of possession, we have expanded upon the previous group. We seem to have become much stronger without property.

“We’ve got a long, long way to go yet.”

Adam Campbell is the fourth player Hartlepool United has signed for the summer.

The forward’s contract expired at Crawley Town, therefore he moved to join.

Campbell made 45 league appearances and scored seven goals last season, helping Crawley earn promotion to Sky Bet League One through the play-offs.

The attacker, who was born in North Shields, began his career at Newcastle United, where he made three Premier League appearances in the 2012–13 campaign.

After spending two years on loan at Hartlepool from Newcastle, the 29-year-old played for Darlington, Gateshead, and other teams. With Gateshead, he won the National League North championship in 2022.

Campbell stated on the club’s official website:

“I’m so happy to be here. I’ve already met the gaffer and know a few of the players and staff here, so I’m eager to get started.

The move was largely motivated by the fact that I perform better on the football pitch when I’m content and at home.

“However, if the goal wasn’t to help this team return to the Football League, I wouldn’t have come here.”

The summer is the most crucial season for Hartlepool United, according to manager Darren Sarll.
Sarll, who took over a team that was deficient in several aspects and was appointed a week after the conclusion of a stormy National League season, has experienced something of a baptism of fire.

The emphasis is on the new manager to put together a team that can close the gap between his team and the top seven, which was five spots and eleven points at the end of the previous season, since fans are expecting Pools to at least contend for the play-offs.

Among his initial responsibilities was to enforce rules regarding the retained list. The 41-year-old showed no mercy, letting go of nine players and opening up transfers for both Joel Dixon and Manny Onariase.

Following a lacklustre summer in which fan dissatisfaction escalated due in part to the contentious decision to raise season ticket prices, Sarll appears to have turned the corner.

Adam Campbell, the League One promotion winner, is one of the four new faces that the new management has brought in.

The way Sarll has approached recruiting, concentrating on players who are in the peak of their careers, have ties to the area, have played in the National League, and are known for their durability and dependability, has won over supporters.

While Nathan Sheron has played a regular role in the midfield of National League foe Oldham for the past two seasons, the other three members of the new foursome are local boys, Luke Charman, Jack Hunter, and Adam Campbell.

Thankfully, Sarll has made an effort to pinpoint the areas that are most critical to his distinct, relentless style of football, which emphasises a press everywhere on the pitch. Hunter and Sheron have both arrived to improve a lacklustre midfield, while Charman and Campbell seem to have the skills to spearhead the press.

Like most managers, Sarll understands the value of the so-called off-season and is optimistic that he and chief scout Ronnie Moore, along with head of football Joe Monks, have launched their summer operations off to a great start.

Although Sarll’s recruitment strategy seems to have given supporters hope, Pools still need reinforcements in several key areas, most notably in goal, where the troubled Joel Dixon is still Sarll’s only option.

The new manager is also making every effort to make things right, saying on the club’s official website that he believes the summer will determine how his team plays.

“It’s been excellent,” he remarked.

“This is the most crucial and significant time of the year.

Maintaining equilibrium between meeting players in person and virtually is crucial at all times.

“Joe and I spend a lot of time working with agents and player representatives, as well as interviewing players when we meet them, but it’s a crucial aspect of how this season will unfold.