Cove Rangers have confirmed the appointment of former Celtic midfielder Paul Hartley as their new manager, just seven months after he left the club to join Hartlepool United.
Following their historic promotion to the Scottish Championship last season, Hartley opted to leave the Aberdeenshire club in June to take up the reins of Hartlepool in England. However, the 46-year-old, who won two league titles, a Scottish Cup and a League Cup in his three years at Parkhead, endured a miserable spell with the English League Two side, and was dismissed in September, with the club sitting sitting second bottom of the league after eight matches. He won just one of his 11 matches in charge, which came against Harrogate Town in the EFL Trophy.
And just two days after relieving Jim McIntyre of his duties, Cove have moved quickly to reappoint Hartley as manager on a three-and-a-half year deal, seven months after his initial departure.
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Despite leaving Cove sitting four points clear of the relegation play off zone with a game in hand, McIntyre was sacked on Tuesday in the wake of a heavy 6-1 defeat against Inverness in the Highlands, in a game where Cove had gone in front early on before capitulating. McIntyre had lost just two of his last nine matches in all competitions, but the club opted to part ways with the former Ross County and Dundee boss.
Speaking to Cove's official website following his reappointment, Hartley says he has unfinished business with the club, who he took from the Highland League to the Scottish Championship with three promotions in four years.
He said: "I definitely think there is more to be achieved here. We put in a lot of hard work to get Cove Rangers up to the Championship, not just myself and Gordon, but a lot of other people behind the scenes, such as the Chairman, who worked so hard over many years to push Cove up through the leagues.
“Now it is all about staying in the Championship. It is a big challenge; I know how difficult the division is. There are teams fighting for their lives and our task will be to remain well clear of trouble.
“I’m delighted to be back; it feels like a homecoming and now I just can’t wait to get started.”
Cove chairman Keith Moorhouse then outlined why they felt it was the right decision to bring Hartley back. Also speaking to the club's website, he said: "As a club, we know Paul and how he works, and given his availability, this decision makes sense for both parties. He understands Cove Rangers and shares our ambitions and given how well he worked with the players before, I am hoping the transition will be seamless.
"I want to look to the future now, and I feel we have the right man in place to take us forward."
Hartley's second tenure at Cove begins with a match against Queen's Park at the Balmoral Stadium on Saturday, before another home encounter against Raith Rovers the following weekend.
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