Craig Harrison was appointed manager of Pools in May 2016, following the club's relegation from the Football League. Harrison had previously been the manager at Welsh Premier League side The New Saints, who he led to six successive league titles. Harrison's playing career as a defender was cruelly cut short in his mid-20s through injury. He broke into Middlesbrough's first team during the 1997/98 promotion campaign under Bryan Robson before joining Crystal Palace in a £200,000 deal. It was while at Selhurst Park that he suffered a horrendous double leg break during a reserve fixture with Reading. He fell out of love with the game for a while before emerging as assistant manager to Gareth Owen at Welsh outfit Airbus UK Broughton in 2008. Within a year he was manager, and he spent three seasons at The Airfield before leaving to join The New Saints in 2011.