Pools favourite Darrell Clarke popped in to Victoria Park for a catch-up this week as he prepares for one of the biggest games of his burgeoning managerial career.
The former Victoria Park midfielder has been in charge at Salisbury City since August 2010 and this weekend they are set for a glamour FA Cup tie away at League One promotion-chasers Sheffield United.
The game has captured the imagination of the Wiltshire city and despite averaging just 800 at regular home games they are expecting to take three times that amount to Bramall Lane.
"As a Manager I am really pleased for everyone involved," he told us.
"For a club of our size and stature to be the lowest ranked team in the FA Cup is a fantastic achievement for the players and my coaching staff.
The city is really buzzing and we're all really looking forward to it. We'll probably take about 2000 fans up there as well - I know we've sold over 1000 already which is brilliant.
"Hopefully Sheffield United fans will get behind their team as well because we get 50% of the gate which would obviously help us out financially."
Clarke's side have been blossoming under his leadership and they are holding their own in the Conference South after winning promotion at the first attempt last term.
And the 34-year-old, who scored 22 goals in 136 appearances for Pools, is thoroughly enjoying being immersed in every aspect of the running of the club.
"It's been a tremendous 18 months, it couldn't have gone much better to be honest with promotion and also getting to the quarter-final of the Trophy last season when Darlington knocked us out.
"To get so far in the FA Cup is great but the only black mark is our league form this season but hopefully we'll pick that up once the cup distraction is out of the way and we get one or two injured players back.
"It is great job for me because the Chairman gets me involved in budgets, and I can tell you how much tea hut one brings in and how much tea hut two brings in! So when we're fighting to bring a player in, I know how much we can afford to pay for him.
"As a Football Club, we used to operate at a loss of over £300,000 but we've got new owners in place and we're trying to break even now which is a bit of a rarity in football but we're doing well with the resources we have.
I have also got an honest bunch of players who are good to work with."
Clarke was an interested onlooker when Pools unveiled Neale Cooper as their new boss for the second time last week - and he reckons the Club may have struck gold with the appointment.
"I can totally understand it, the Club are in a real bit of a lull at the moment and the fans will be absolutely delighted with Neale coming back.
"I'm sure he'll turn things round and get them back to doing the things that made him a success the last time around.
"I spent six years at the Club and I have very fond memories of my time there, I made some very good friends at the Club and I still have good friends there.
"I know it's a bit of a cliché but it is always the first result I look for and hopefully they will pick up sooner rather than later."
And Clarke says he has a burning ambition to drive on in his managerial and coaching career and admitted he would love to be back involved at Victoria Park in some way in the future.
"That's why I've put my company car in the car park which has my name on the side of it - just in case they changed their mind about the appointment!" he laughed.
"I would love to come back to the Club. At the moment though, I am very inexperienced, I have only been managing for 18 months at non-league level and I am still learning my trade. I'm half way through my A Licence as well.
"When I have gained more experience though, I would love to come back in some capacity and who knows what will happen in the future."
