As we begin a new year, I wanted to take the opportunity to speak directly to you for the first time as the owner of Hartlepool United and to wish everyone connected with the Club a very happy New Year. I hope 2026 will be a rewarding year for us all.

Over the last week, I have received many messages of welcome and goodwill and I want to thank everyone who has reached out or shown their support. The response has been a clear reflection of the passion, pride and commitment that exists within our supporter base.

Since the takeover was announced, there has understandably been a great deal of discussion and I felt it was important to write to you personally to set out how I see my role and responsibilities.

Pools is a Club with a proud history and deep roots in its town and community, sustained over generations by the loyalty, pride and spirit of its supporters.

I am under no illusions about the responsibility that comes with my position and I approach it with respect, care and a long-term mindset. I am proud to become the latest custodian of Pools and excited about the future of the Club.

My approach will be to work methodically towards delivering sustained progress on and off the pitch, guided by sound governance, meaningful engagement with supporters and the right football and commercial structures.

Initial assessment and work is already underway and in time that will help shape the foundations of a Club that I hope the town and its supporters can be proud of for many years to come.

I have already begun listening and learning about what Pools means to supporters and over the weeks and months ahead I am committed to spending further time engaging and listening. My role is not to change the Club’s identity, but to respect it, protect it and help it

grow in the right way.

As part of that listening, I have spoken with long-standing supporter Jeff Stelling and I’m looking forward to meeting him in person to discuss how we welcome him back into the Club and how he might play a role for Pools in the future.

From a football perspective and while I very much view this project through a long-term lens, this season matters and there is still a great deal to play for. My focus is on providing clarity and support to the manager, players and staff who represent the Club day-to-day, both on

and off the pitch.

I have already spoken with Nicky Featherstone and I want to be clear that he has my backing as manager. Our focus is on supporting him and the team throughout the January window and beyond, as we look to finish the season as strongly as possible and with a continued push for a play-off position.

Looking beyond the immediate horizon, our long-term ambition is clear. We want to return Pools to the English Football League and, once there, to establish and sustain the Club at that level.

Central to that aim is building a financially strong and sustainable Pools, with a key focus on growing commercial revenue and partnerships that ultimately support investment in football, facilities and people.

I’m aware of the importance of player development and youth pathways at this level and part of my early work will be to better understand the academy structures and how best to support opportunities for young talent to progress and earn the chance to represent Pools at

first-team level.

Pools’ Women and Girls are also a key part of the Club’s future. I am keen to understand how the women’s programme is structured, progress is being made and how the Club can continue to support its development in a sustainable and appropriate way.

Pools’ role goes far beyond results on a Saturday. The Club is woven into the fabric of the town and community, and that matters to me. There is valuable work already being done by the Community Sports Foundation and the Club must continue to support and build on that

work in a way that is authentic and right for the community it serves.

Above all, I believe Pools belongs to its fans and its town, and that any real progress only comes through togetherness. My sincere and fundamental hope is that we can unite the Club and town to embark on this journey together.

Trust is earned over time and I fully appreciate that you will judge my stewardship not by these words, but by actions and by the standards that are set across the Club in the months and years ahead.

Our aim for the Club will likely take some time to deliver but you have my pledge that I will do all that I can to realise this Club’s potential.

I will be at the upcoming home matches against Altrincham and Gateshead and I am very much looking forward to meeting people from across the Club and experiencing first-hand the atmosphere and support that makes Pools what it is.

Thank you for your support and let’s Pack the Park on the 17th of January!

Landon Smith

Owner & Chairman

Hartlepool United Football Club