Dressed in supermarket-branded loungewear , unemployed Ronnie Moore would look out at his freshly-trimmed lawn with a washing-line full of cottons blowing above it and wonder if his future lay in the kitchen rather than the dugout . Sacked by Tranmere Rovers last April having admitted an FA charge of breaching rules regarding betting on matches – a ‘ joke ’ he calls the whole affair - the Scouser was at rock bottom . Meanwhile , 150 miles north of Liverpool in Hartlepool , the town ’ s football team had themselves plunged new depths . Bottom of League Two having lost seven of the previous eight , their proud status as residents of the Football League since 1920 was under threat . Ronnie Moore reacts in the touchline as his Hartlepool side continue to fight for survival in League Two . In December , they turned to Moore , a month shy of his 62nd birthday . It was a long-shot for both parties . ‘ People must have thought I was crackers coming in here , ’ he says on the eve of a home match with Cambridge which could see Pools emerge from the relegation zone for the first time since October . ‘ But I had been out of work for eight months . I knew how to wash up , hang washing out , what heat your cottons should be on . My back garden was like bloody Wembley . I was even going shopping and looking for the cheapest thing – the own brands . ‘ Others might not have given me the chance considering all the crap that was written . ‘ I was not going behind people 's backs betting thousands of pounds on things . It was nothing but a family syndicate . The whole thing was a joke . Marvin Morgan ( left ) celebrates scoring a winning goal for Hartlepool in February against Northampton . ‘ So just to be given the opportunity when no-one wants you , just to get back in , that drives you on. ’ Within a few weeks , however , Hartlepool had fallen 10 points adrift of safety . They had still not won under Moore ’ s care . He had been horrified when it took 15 minutes during his first training session for the team to string five passes together and commented , ‘ We ’ ve got some f****** bad players . ' He had some harsh words for them in public , too . ‘ I have sent out a circular to say we have players available but I don ’ t expect my phone to be red hot to be honest , ’ he said in January . ‘ Where do they think they are going to go at the end of the season ? They are not going to Real Madrid . ‘ One of them might go to League One , but one or two of them might be working in Asda . Hartlepool , who are currently bottom of League Two , have won their last three matches . ‘ These lads don ’ t have a clue what life is about . They go home at 1pm , get their feet up and watch Home & Away . All we can try to do is wise them up. ’ Wise up and shape up they have . Indeed , three wins in a week without conceding has moved them to within one point of safety . ‘ From where we were , to keep us up would have to be the best thing I have ever done as a manager , ’ says Moore . ‘ It would be better than my two promotions at Rotherham . Everyone thought we were dead and buried. ’ There have been dressing-room dressing-downs for several players , including former Newcastle and West Ham striker Marlon Harewood . He even accused some of having ‘ a heart the size of a peanut ’ and told them there would be no days off until they won – he had to renege on that threat after four games . Hartlepool players celebrate during a return to form in recent months and can still survive relegation . Neil Austin has seen seven managers during six years at Victoria Park . The 31-year-old defender admits Moore was exactly what was needed . ‘ As soon as he walked through the door he got respect straight away , ’ he says . ‘ He knows how to treat players . People might have thought some of his comments were harsh , but given the league position you couldn ’ t argue . ‘ We had a harder job trying to work out who the League One player was - because everyone else was heading for Asda ! ’ Hartlepool are expecting their biggest crowd of the season on Saturday after cutting ticket prices to as low as £10 . Hartlepool have taken Preston striker Jordan Hugill for the rest of the season on loan . Austin adds : ‘ Survival is massive for the town . The club is part of the town and its identity . ‘ This is a proper Football League club with a proper , old-school ground . Too many grounds now feel a bit fake , a bit like a Subbuteo set . ‘ Here , you can smell the Bovril coming from the terraces when you ’ re playing and we want it bouncing again tomorrow . We ’ re all in it together now and we will stay up , I ’ m sure of it. ’ Should Austin prove right , Moore will no longer feel the need to air their dirty linen in public .
Hartlepool are bottom of League Two , but now only one point from safety . Former Tranmere Rovers manager Ronnie Moore took over in December . Moore was sacked by Tranmere in April but has thrived in Hartlepool .