Dean Emerson was one of the key players in Alan Murray's first season in Division Three in 1992/93. Still just 29 when he came to the club, and with five years top flight experience under his belt, Emerson brought a tough tackling consistency to the Pools engine room. An eye injury in January 1993 deprived Pools of Emerson's services for much of the run-in and he never quite reached his earlier level when he recovered. He left the club in November 1993.