JPNG take over at Hartlepool

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The club’s former majority shareholders, Increased Oil Recovery, announced last week that a takeover of Pools had been agreed.

Gary Coxall has been named as the club’s new chairman, with Peter Goldberg joining the board of directors alongside Russ Green, who remains as chief executive.

IOR, who bought the club in 1997, will relinquish control with JPNG taking over with immediate effect.

“I am delighted and extremely excited to be able to help lead Hartlepool United forward,” Coxall told the club’s official website.

“It’s a deal that we have been working on for the past three months and we’re really pleased that it all completed on Friday and we can start to implement our plans.

“This is a very well-run football club and we aim to build on the positive momentum created by the finish to last season and the great work done on the transfer front so far during the summer.”

‘Brilliant support’

Coxall added that the change at boardroom level would not affect manager Ronnie Moore’s transfer strategy before the new season.

He said: “JPNG will not be coming in here to make wholesale changes; the players that Ronnie Moore targeted before we arrived are still the players he’ll be targeting going forward.

“We’re in a great position to progress the club now and Ronnie and Sam Collins can look forward to our full support as they continue to improve the squad ahead of the new campaign.

“The fans were a huge part of what the club achieved at the end of last season and we’re keen for them to continue that brilliant support as we enter this exciting new era together. Never Say Die!”

JPNG Global, who recruit mainly for the construction and IT industries and have offices in Dubai and London, had been in talks with the Sky Bet League Two club for several weeks.

Manager Moore, appointed in December, led Pools to an unlikely relegation escape in May after they had turned around a 10-point gap to preserve their Football League status.

Outgoing chairman Ken Hodcroft also told the club website: “I believe the club is on an excellent footing to do well in the upcoming campaign.

“The club has financial stability and we welcome JPNG to the world of football – we wish them and the club every success going forward.”