Raj Singh, the new owner and chairman of Hartlepool United, insists he wants to right the wrongs of his time at Darlington at his new club.

After The Northern Echo revealed Singh had finalised a deal to take over from Sage Investments and John Blackledge, the club confirmed the former Quakers’ chief was to take over.

Craig Hignett, the former Pools’ boss, will return as director of football. The future of current chairwoman Pam Duxbury is yet to be determined.

Singh has been in talks, along with Pools’ vice president Jeff Stelling, for a number of weeks and finally – subject to National League approval which will follow on Thursday, will take over.

He looked on as Pools lost meekly to Solihull at Victoria Park.

And asked why he is taking over, he said: "One, I am a big football fan. Two, I want to put a perceived wrong, right.

"I suppose you can compare it to a boxer. Even though he has been well battered he still wants to get back in the ring. I want to put it right and win the fight.

"Things went wrong with Darlington, that's well documented. But I come here with a point to prove to the football world in the North-East.

"This is not a business deal. It is not even an investment. It is something I feel passionate about. You look at what can be achieved and it gets me excited.

"You see what can be done with Burton Albion or Bournemouth. But you have to weigh that up with what happened at Darlington. I am hopeful that long-term we will head in the right direction. I feel like I have unfinished business."

Blackledge is owed around £1.8m and he will be paid off over the coming years, partly dependent on Pools’ success.

Sing and Stelling hope others will now come forward to offer financial support to their consortium.

The very existence of Pools looked in serious doubt in recent weeks, but now it is secured.

Potential buyers were in short numbers, with only Hartlepool-born Chris Musgrave going close to a deal before he walked away.

Singh may have been in charge of some tough times with Quakers, but he hopes to prove the doubters wrong.

"Fan reaction has been mostly positive, some negative," he said. "I want, in two or three years time, for Pools fans not to think I was their only choice.

"I want them to think that given their time again, even with five or six other potential owners, they'd have still chosen me.

"At the moment people think 'what choice have we got?' And they'd be right. But I hope that might change over time.

"I just want the fans to judge me from now, forget about what has gone on at Darlington. For me now, it is all Hartlepool, Hartlepool, Hartlepool."