I'd rather sit with the fans, says Jeff Stelling amid row with Hartlepool owner
The 70-year-old stood down as honorary president in May in protest at the owner's handling of negotiations to sell Hartlepool to a local consortium after talks had stalled, and while he believes he will not be welcome at the Prestige Group Stadium, he will continue to support his team on the road.
Asked about the situation on TalkSPORT on Wednesday morning, Stelling, who revealed he was asleep when the story broke on Tuesday night, said: 'You know what? It didn't bother me, I'm not president of the football club anymore.
'It's my football club, I'm a lifelong supporter of that football club and if it came down to the fact that I travelled and stood with the Poolies, the Hartlepool supporters, wherever they are, then that's…
'I'd already bought my ticket – we're away to Yeovil on Saturday – I'd already bought my ticket to be with the fans, so I didn't get the issue or why Mr Singh wanted to raise it.
'But of course, then it was leaked to the media and then of course it all spiralled and spiralled out of control. The other thing that I took offence to was in the statement he says in the unlikely event that I attend games independently.
'Well, I mean, last season I went to Aldershot, Eastleigh, Solihull, Southend, Sutton, Wealdstone, Woking, Dagenham and Redbridge, Ebbsfleet, Maidenhead and a few others as well, so, it's not so unlikely that I'll attend.'
In his letter – which was sent last month – Singh wrote: 'You may be aware from media coverage that Jeff Stelling has resigned as honorary president of Hartlepool United Football Club.
'As chairman of Hartlepool United Football Club, I would kindly and considerately ask that Mr Stelling is not provided with official HUFC dignitary spaces in your boardroom or equivalent for any Hartlepool United fixture at your home ground.
'In the unlikely event that Mr Stelling independently attends any Hartlepool United fixture at your home ground, I'd further request that you consider to seat Mr Stelling separately to any HUFC dignitaries or staff.'
In response to Singh's move, the town's MP Jonathan Brash has in turn written to National League clubs urging them to treat the popular broadcaster with the 'respect and courtesy that he has most certainly earned'.
Stelling, who confirmed he had introduced the agent of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney to the club after they had expressed an interest in buying it before they opted to invest in Wrexham, has insisted he would be happy to discuss the situation with Singh.
He said: 'I haven't spoken to Mr Singh for months – it might even be a year – so this was just completely out of the blue. I just don't regard it as any big deal.
'I don't think I'd be welcome at home games – I'd probably have to go in disguise – but certainly at away games, I'm very happy to go with the fans, no problem whatsoever. I'd rather go with the fans, let's put it that way.
'I'll be a Yeovil on Saturday and I'll tell you what, I'll say it right now – if Mr Singh is there, I'll be happy to meet him and have a chat with him.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Rasmus Hojlund ‘ready to accept Man Utd career is OVER' after Benjamin Sesko's arrival amid AC Milan transfer interest
RASMUS HOJLUND is ready to leave Manchester United after transfer interest from AC Milan, according to reports. After only two seasons at Old Trafford, Hojlund has allegedly accepted it's time to pack his bags after the arrival of Benjamin Sesko. 1 Rumours of the Dane's departure came from sources close to the striker, as reported by talkSPORT. United are in talks with AC Milan over a potential move for the 22-year-old, for an estimated £40million. It would be a change of plan for Hojlund, who had previously rejected advances from RB Leipzig and opted to stay under the management of Ruben Amorim instead. If a deal is reached, it would be a staggering £32m loss for United, who signed the striker in August 2023 for £72m from Atalanta. Since joining the Red Devils, he has made 95 appearances and scored 26 goals, but has failed to find his feet at the club, causing Amorim to look elsewhere. But while at a press conference in America, Hojlund laid out his intentions, stating that he wants to "stay and fight for my spot". But Hojlund's place in the starting XI under Amorim now seems at risk, after Sesko's move to Manchester was finally confirmed on August 9. The deal, worth £66.3m with £7.4m in add-ons, came after a major bidding war for the 22-year-old between United and Newcastle, and strong interest from Arsenal as well. With a track record of 39 goals and eight assists in 87 appearances for RB Leipzig, Sesko is likely to limit Hojlund's game time. The effects of the Slovenian's move have seemingly already taken hold as Hojlund was an unused substitute in United's pre-season friendly against Fiorentina. Hojlund was the only first-team regular not to get on the pitch during the match, which saw United win on penalties. Amorim opted to play Mason Mount as a false 9 instead. The Old Trafford boss told MUTV: "We struggled without a reference as a striker. We have a new player, so we'll see." Sesko's signing marked United's fifth of the transfer window so far, following the major signings of Wolves' Matheus Cunha and Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo. Following nearly £200m worth of signings, United's attention now turns to departures, with potential deals in the works for Anthony, Jadon Sancho, and Alejandro Garnacho.
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Spain goalkeeper hits back at claim Lioness Hannah Hampton 'threw her cheat sheet away'
England triumphed over Spain in the Euro 2025 final on penalties after Hannah Hampton made two top saves, but the goalkeeper has claimed she gave her side an extra boost by throwing away Cata Coll's cheat sheet Spain women's goalkeeper Cata Coll has denied Hannah Hampton 's claims she threw her 'cheat sheet' water bottle into the crowd during England 's penalty shootout win in the Euro 2025 final. England won back to back European Championships and avenged their World Cup defeat to the Spaniards in 2023 by winning 3-1 on penalties after the game finished 1-1. Three Lions shot-stopper Hampton was the hero on the night as she saved two efforts from Spain stars Mariona Caldentey and Aitana Bonmati, with Salma Paralluelo also missing her kick. England were the more clinical side from 12 yards as Alex Greenwood, Niamh Charles and Chloe Kelly converted and Hampton revealed she attempted to aid their cause by throwing away Coll's instructions on her team-mates. Hampton said she noticed Coll had a 'cheat sheet' on her bottle so she threw it into the crowd of English fans behind the goal while she was getting ready for the first kick. During an interview with talkSport, she said: 'The Spanish keeper had it (the penalty information) on her bottle, so I thought when she was going in goal, I'd just pick it up and chuck it into the English fans so she can't have it. "I don't ever put it on a bottle because anyone can do that so I put it on my arm." When asked to clarify if she really threw it away by presenter Sam Matterface, Hampton replied: "Yeah, it wasn't hard. When she's gone in the goal, it's on its own isn't it? It's in the towel, you just pick it up. 'Mine is blank, but it has the same sponsors and stuff so I just put mine in there, chucked her one into the fans and she had an empty bottle. She was looking for where it is. "She was walking back to take the penalty and I was walking the other way and she was so confused, and I was just trying not to burst out laughing, being like, 'I don't know what's happening!'." You've got to do something, haven't you?" Coll has since hit back at her England counterpart on social media after she reposted the interview and disputed her claim, writing: "Okay, okay, calm down, calm down. At least if it were true...'. Hampton said England had studied Spain penalties in some depth ahead of the game, claiming that the goalkeeper group sat down to watch 46 penalties taken by Alexia Putellas to find weaknesses and quirks in her technique. It came after England were strongly criticised for their penalty-taking ability following a chaotic 3-2 shootout win over Sweden in the quarter-finals in which they missed four efforts, while their opponents missed five. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
North Wales Chronicle
a day ago
- North Wales Chronicle
The Traitors star Jaz Singh to host new radio show on BBC
Jaz Singh, who took part in the second series of the reality TV show in 2024 and reached the final, will be helming a new afternoon programme on the BBC Asian Network. This will begin on Monday, September 1, taking place every Monday to Thursday from 3pm to 6pm. His new show will feature a mix of entertainment and music, and forms part of a new schedule on the network. A post shared by BBC Asian Network (@bbcasiannetwork) Discussing the role, Singh said: 'As a finalist on BBC The Traitors to now hosting my own live radio show with BBC Asian Network, I'm beyond grateful to the people that are putting their trust and time into me because this is a dream! 'Expect the biggest tunes, good vibes and be prepared to see a side of me you've never witnessed before!' After his spell on The Traitors, Singh hosted Asian Network's The Everyday Hustle and Motivation as a rotational presenter as well as a documentary on BBC Radio 4. Alongside Singh, presenter, producer and reporter Harleen Nottay will join the station to present The Everyday Hustle on Mondays from 6am to 6.30am. A post shared by Jaz Singh (@jazsinghofficial) This will look at tips and tricks of navigating businesses and entrepreneurship for British Asians, and the challenges and wins that come with this. Ahmed Hussain, head of Asian Network, said: 'We're entering an exciting new chapter at Asian Network and I'm thrilled to welcome our new presenters to the team. 'Jaz Singh's new afternoon show is a key part of our commitment to celebrating British Asian voices and music culture. 'His energy and charisma are infectious, and I'm confident he'll quickly become a familiar and much-loved presence in our listeners' daily routines." The Traitors is a reality TV show hosted by Claudia Winkleman, which is based on the Dutch series De Verraders. It began in 2022, with a further two series airing in 2024 and 2025. Recommended reading: Major Emmerdale exit 'confirmed' as star to be killed off in 'harrowing' scene Adrian Dunbar issues fresh Line of Duty series 7 update on This Morning Strictly star isn't competing in 2025 series and fans say it 'won't be the same' Contestants stay at a castle in the Scottish Highlands, where a few are secretly designated as 'Traitors' whose job is to 'murder' their fellow players, without getting caught. The rest are 'Faithfuls' who try to detect who the 'Traitors' are and banish them from the game before they become their next victim. The aim of the game is to survive to the final few players. If they are all 'Faithfuls', then the prize money is split among them, but if a 'Traitor' is left, they take it all.
