Cove Rangers have confirmed the appointment of former Hearts star Paul Hartley as their new manager, just seven months after he left the club to join Hartlepool United down in England.
Following their promotion to the Scottish Championship for the first time in their history last season, the Tynecastle favourite opted to leave the Aberdeenshire club in June to try his luck down south with Hartlepool. However the former Jambos Scottish Cup winning skipper endured a torrid spell with the English League Two side, and was sacked in September having picked up just a single victory in his 11 games in charge.
He left the club sitting second bottom in the league standings, with his lone win coming in the EFL Trophy against Harrogate Town. And now Cove have moved quickly to reappoint Hartley as manager on a three-and-a-half year deal, following the dismissal of Jim McIntyre on Tuesday.
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Despite losing just two of their last nine matches in all competitions, McIntyre was relieved of his duties in the aftermath of a heavy 6-1 defeat against Inverness in the Highlands, in a game where visitors Cove took an early lead.
Hartley takes over with the club sitting 8th in Scotland's second tier - four points clear of Arbroath in the relegation play off zone with a game in hand.
Speaking to Cove's official website, Hartley said he was delighted to return to the club who he had previously led to three promotions in four years from the Highland League up to Scotland's second tier.
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 explained why they decided to bring the former Scotland international back to the club, seven months on after he initially left. Also speaking to Cove's website, he added: "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 first game in charge in his second spell in the dugout at the Balmoral Stadium comes against Queen's Park on Saturday, before another home match against Raith Rovers the following week.
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