Broadcaster Jeff Stelling has pledged to join Hartlepool United supporters on the terraces, escalating a dispute with the National League club's owner, Raj Singh. The former Sky Sports presenter, now with TalkSPORT, jokingly suggested he might need a 'Blues Brother' costume to back the team after Singh reportedly wrote to rival clubs urging them to deny Stelling access to their boardrooms.
The 70-year-old stepped down as Hartlepool's honorary president in May, protesting Singh's handling of stalled negotiations to sell the club to a local consortium. Stelling said he had already bought a ticket for Saturday's away game at Yeovil and plans to stand with fans, adding: 'I don't regard it as any big deal.'
In a letter sent last month, Singh asked clubs not to provide Stelling with official dignitary spaces and to seat him separately if he attended independently. Stelling dismissed the 'unlikely event' comment, noting he attended over a dozen away games last season. Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash has written to National League clubs urging them to treat Stelling with 'respect and courtesy.'
Stelling confirmed he had introduced the agent of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney to the club before they opted to invest in Wrexham. He said he would be happy to meet Singh at Yeovil: 'If Mr Singh is there, I'll be happy to have a chat with him.'
