Former Hartlepool United striker Scott Fenwick discusses his love for Pools, new head coach Pete Wild and the next step in his career at Manchester City.
Former Hartlepool United favourite Scott Fenwick still has one eye on events at Victoria Park as he embarks on a new career with Premier League giants Manchester City.
The Geordie striker, who joined Pools from then-Northern League club Dunston UTS just under 12 years ago, became a popular figure with the home faithful at The Vic as he played a leading role in a remarkable escape from relegation under Ronnie Moore during the final weeks of the 2014/15 season. Fenwick scored his sixth Pools goal in the penultimate game of the campaign as Moore’s men claimed a home win against Exeter City that secured their League Two status after they had been ten points from safety just three months earlier.
Scott Fenwick in his Hartlepool United days.placeholder image
Scott Fenwick in his Hartlepool United days. | Getty Images.
Since leaving Pools on a permanent basis in the summer of 2016, Fenwick went on to play for the likes of York City and Blyth Spartans and had spells abroad with Australian side Altona East and Naxxar Lions of Malta. However, no matter where he has been in the world, the 36-year-old has always kept a close watch on what is happening at Victoria Park.
He told The Mail: “Pools are still one of the first results I look for and I still have a good relationship with a lot of people at the club. I still spoke to Feaths [Nicky Featherstone] and spoke to him four or five months ago when he was leaving the club and he’s now at Hull. I was surprised because he had been there a long time and he knows the club inside out. It’s all about timing in football and the new chairman came in and wanted his own people in, which does happen but one thing Pools have lacked is stability and that goes back to my time at the club and they let Ronnie Moore go. He knew the game inside out and he had contacts left, right and centre.
“It’s needs stability now more than ever because the managerial situation has been a mess over the last ten years and only Dave Challinor brought any sense of stability getting them back into the league before he accepted an unbelievable offer from Stockport. So the challenge now is about finding that stability going forwards.”
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‘Pete needs time’
Hartlepool United head coach Pete Wild.placeholder image
Hartlepool United head coach Pete Wild. | Hartlepool United.
Fenwick has watched on as a whole host of managers and head coaches have tried to secure success during their time at Victoria Park - and former Barrow and FC Halifax Town boss Pete Wild is the latest to step into the hotseat. Given the club’s current league position, time appears to be a precious commodity for the new man in charge - and Fenwick is intrigued by what could lie ahead at his old club.
He said: “You can never rule out the play-offs with the way the National League is this season and we are only 12 games in. But Pete needs time to fully assess the squad he has, see what he needs from them and to see what he wants as well. There will be changes and players could be moved on because he will want to implement his own playing style and put his own ideas in place. It won’t be easy but he has done well at some places, he’s an experienced manager and he’s used to working with smaller budgets than what he is working with at Hartlepool - so it’s going to be interesting to see how it works out.”
A new role at Manchester City
Manchester City’s ground.placeholder image
Manchester City’s ground. | Getty Images.
Although not ruling out a chance to play part-time football in the North West, Fenwick’s main focus will now be on his new role as Player Transition Manager at Manchester City as he looks to help guide a whole host of young talents through what is an ultra competitive environment with the Premier League club’s academy.
After holding roles as an academy recruitment scout at Everton and a coach and recruitment co-ordinator at Australian club Melbourne City, Fenwick is relishing the opportunity he has been handed as he looks to play a role in developing the next group of promising talents at the Etihad Stadium.
“It was a case of City knew I was doing well at Everton and they’d asked if I would be interested in applying for the role during the summer,” explained the former Pools striker. “I got interviewed over a three-month process and luckily I did well and got some good references from Everton and Melbourne City that swung it in my favour. When I was in Australia I was coaching in the academy at Melbourne City and I knew that would be my last full-time playing role when I was out there because I’d be 35 when I came back to England and was ready to go into part-time football.
“With City, I have taken on a role as Players Transitions Manager and that means I’m working with young players that are pros in and around the first-team but need game-time. So I am helping the MDT team and the loans department finding the next steps and Manchester City have a lot of players that are high calibre at a young age so I’m working with the 16s to 21-year-olds. With the younger ones, it’s about helping them and their parents with what is coming and then the older lads it’s about finding them game-time and experiencing men’s football to help their development.”