Dave Challinor sent a personal message to Hartlepool United fans ahead of today’s National League play-off semi-finals with Stockport County.
Pools goes to Edgeley Park to battle The Hatters for a spot in the finals and a date with Ashton Gate next Sunday.
Defender Lewis Cass has made progress following his hamstring injury but the game could come early for him while Gavan Holohan is expected to fully recover from a blow he suffered in the 3-2 win over Bromley.
Stockport is currently unbeaten in a series of 18 games and entering the game as favorites to make it to Bristol, while Pools recently unbeaten their own run of 16 games.
The city has received a huge boost from the success of the soccer team this season, and the mood among the Pools fan base is high. The fans won’t be there for the game, but for those who watch the game or hear it on the radio, the pools have a message for them.
“Just keep believing,” said Challinor.
“What we’ve been trying to do since joining the football club has been not so much to lower expectations, but to build optimism about what we want to do.
“Regardless of what happens, this is about the club moving forward and we hope we will make the most of it to get promoted to a league, but we have to keep doing what we did.
“In the next few weeks this group of players will be together for the last time and this is how football works, it goes on quickly.
“We’ll keep working hard and risking everything to do the best for the fans.
“We want to play one last hurray in front of them and there is no better place to do that than in a promotion final at Ashton Gate.”
The game starts at 12 noon in Edgeley Park.
