Pools On The Up
Many fans were sceptical as to the intentions of a company with no other obvious links to the town, or indeed football.
Building on their predecessors' foundations IOR have won over the doubters with their progressive investment in the Club both on and off the pitch.
1997
1997 -1998 IOR use their oil business connections to bring Norwegian International Jan Ove Pedersen to the Club on loan from Brann Bergen for three months. He is widely acclaimed as the best player of the modern era to have worn the club's colours.
Sep 1998 The Club start up their own Centre of Excellence to bring through their own young stars for the future. History turns full circle as West Hartlepool Rugby Club commence a planned three-year ground share at Victoria Park as they play in the Allied Dunbar Premiership. However the deal ends after one year and West suffer successive relegations out of National League rugby.
02 Jan 1999 England legend Peter Beardsley makes his debut and scored in the 2-2 draw with Cambridge United.
March 1999 Former Sunderland and Manchester United goalkeeper Chris Turner is appointed manager, with the immediate task of saving the club form relegation. He does this, with full financial support from IOR, despite being three points adrift at the bottom with only four matches left, and begins the task of building a strong side which is soon fighting for promotion.
Oct 1999 Turner brings in Colin West as his assistant.
31 Oct 1999 Club mascot H'Angus the monkey makes his debut at the !st Round FA Cup victory over Millwall at Victoria Park.
Nov 1999 Taylor Report improvement work starts on Victoria Park with the first phase being completed early 2000.
May 2000 Chris Turner's side qualify for the Play-offs in a thrilling 3-0 away victory over Hull City, but lose the semi-final over two legs to Darlington. Midfielder Tommy Miller is leading goalscorer and finishes second behind Kevin Phillips but ahead of Alan Shearer in NE Football Writers' Player of Year.
Dec 2000 Pools go on a record 21 match unbeaten League run, beginning with a 1-0 home win over Southend United and ending with a 2-1 defeat at Southend.
Jan 2001 Turner's achievements earn him the Division 3 Manager of the Month award.
May 2001 Pools qualify for the Play-offs, winning their last three matches to confirm fourth place, three points behind Chesterfield, but lose out to Blackpool.
June 2001 The club invest £ 100,000 in a new pitch including, for the first time, a full drainage system. Second phase of Taylor Report improvements work begins at Victoria Park, featuring improvementsto spectator facilities including turnstiles, catering outlets and toilets. The £1,360,000 cost takes the total spent on the ground during IOR's tenure to the £2 million mark.
Dec 2001 Chairman Ken Hodcroft reports a loss of £917,000 for the financial year to 31 Dec 2000, fully funded by IOR.
Apr 2002 A late run takes us into the Play-offs for the third successive year, but after a superb performance in the second leg at Cheltenham we suffer the heartache of losing a penalty shoot-out.
Nov 2002 With the team at the top of the 3rd Division table, Chris Turner & Colin West leave to join Sheffield Wednesday; former Blackburn & Everton striker Mike Newell becomes the new manager.
Dec 2002 Another former Evertonian, Kevin Sheedy joins Newell as Assistant Manager.
May 2003 Promoted to the 2nd Division as runners-up. Mike Newell's contract is not renewed.
June 2003 Neale Cooper is appointed as the new manager and former Youth Team Coach Martin Scott promoted to Reserve Team Manager.
January 2004 A crowd of 40,816, including 10,000 Pools fans sees Sunderland edge an epic FA Cup 3rd round tie 1-0 at The Stadium of Light.
April 2004 The Reserves win Pontin's Holidays League Division 1 East, finishing ten points clear of nearest rivals Newcastle. The Youth Team win the U-19 Group at The Dallas Cup, winning all of their games and beating the Metrostars 4-1 in the final.
May 2004 Finish 6th in Second Division and reach play-offs for fourth year out of five but again miss out on Cardiff as Bristol City come back from the dead to score twice in last five minutes.
April 2005 The Youth Team follow up the previous season's Dallas Cup triumph with a third-place finish in the prestigious USA tournament's Super
Group section. After qulaifying as Champions from their Group phase, they are beaten in the semi-finals but win the play-off against Mexican side Tigres.May 2005 The Youth Team win the Durham Challenge Cup with a 3-0 victory over Dunston Federation Brewery. Two goals from James Brown and one from David Foley hand Pools the win in front of a bumper crowd at Durham's New Ferens Park.
May 2005 Manager Neale Cooper leaves the Club by mutual consent. Martin Scott steps up to take charge of First Team affairs on a temporary basis.
May 2005 Meanwhile, the First Team finish their season on a high by squeezing in to the play-offs with a point at Bournemouth. They face Tranmere Rovers in the semi-final and Adam Boyd scored twice in the first leg to hand Pools the advantage going to Prenton Park for the second leg. Rovers come back in to it with two late goals, but Pools go through to Cardiff after a tense penalty shootout - Ritchie Humphreys buried his Cheltenham demon with the winning spot kick.
May 2005 Pools fall at the last hurdle as Sheffield Wednesday defeat them in the Play-Off Final at The Millennium Stadium. Goals from Eifion Williams and Jon Daly saw Pools come from behind to lead but nine minutes from time a dubious penalty was awarded against Chris Westwood who was then sent off. The spot-kick was converted and The Owls made their man advantage pay in Extra Time scoring twice to win promotion to The Championship and condemn 
Pools to another season in League One.
June 2005 Martin Scott is named permanent Manager in a Victoria Park Press Conference. He quickly appoints former Barnsley and Sunderland midfielder Steve Agnew as Reserve Team Manager.
February 2006 Martin Scott leaves his post as First Team Manager after discussions between himself and the Club. With Reserve Team boss Steve Agnew also leaving the Club, Youth Team Coach Paul Stephenson is handed control of First Team affairs on a temporary basis, while former boss Chris Turner arrives in the capacity of The Director of Sport.
May 2006 Pools are relegated from League One after three seasons following a home draw with Port Vale.
June 2006 Danny Wilson is appointed First Team Manager with Ian Butterworth joining the Club soon after as Reserve Team Manager.
September 2006 Boss Danny Wilson takes the League Two Manager of the Month prize for September following a goal-filled month. Wins over Boston, Mansfield, Peterborough, Grimsby and Wrexham were enough to see Wilson handed the award.
February 2007 After being on the shortlist for the Manager of the Month award in the two previous months, it was a case of third time lucky for Danny Wilson. He was named League Two's top boss for the second time in the season after a perfect month of five consecutive victories, including wins over Swindon and Walsall.
March 2007 Danny Wilson makes it a hat-trick of awards when he nets the League Two Manager of the Month prize for March. Wilson had led his team to three wins and two draws as they made their way onwards to promotion.
April 2007 A diving header from Richard Barker secured all three points at Wycombe and finalised Pools' automatic promotion back to League One.
May 2007 Pools are defeated at home by Bristol Rovers on the final day of the season meaning they miss out on the League Two title but take the runners-up spot.
April 2008 The Reserves finish top of the Pontins Holidays East League Division One, meaning they qualify for the end of the season play-offs. However, they are beaten by Nottingham Forest at Billingham Town.
May 2008 Pools finish 15th in their first season back in League One.
June 1st 2008 The Club celebrates 100 years of football by officially reaching its 100th birthday.
