In the recent past, Scottish side Dunfermline, had been linked with the Hartlepool United manager. In a quote from BBCi, the Dunfermline chairman is quoted as saying: "Neale is somebody I know and I like him but why he would do it at this time and leave Hartlepool, I don't know .... We certainly wouldn't bring anybody in for our last three games and I don't know what Neale's reasoning is because I haven't even spoken to him in about a year".