The home of Hartlepool United has been Victoria Park, ever since the club was formed in 1908.  The capacity of the ground is nearly 8,000.  It’s up on the coast of County Durham.

In 1916, the stand on Clarence Road (now the Cyril Knowles Stand) was bombed by a German Zeppelin and completely destroyed. The club had a go at claiming compensation from the German government, but failed!

Hartlepool were in either the 3rd or 4th tier of the EFL since they were admitted in 1921.  This changed in 2017 when they were relegated to the 5th tier for the first time.  Promotion back to League 2 in 2021 proved to be a struggle – they finished 17th in their 1st season back before relegation back to the National League in 2023.  Last season they finished 12th out of 24 in the National League.  But their fans have stuck with them – last season’s average home gate was 4,149 and they make a lot of noise!

Hartlepool are 18th in the table with 13 points from 11 games.

Hartlepool fans haven’t seen many goals since the start of the season – only 7 goals scored and 7 goals conceded in their first 10 games.  This gives them one of the strongest defences in the league (not many teams have conceded less than Pools).  But not many teams have scored fewer goals than Hartlepool’ 7 goals.

Pools’ first 4 home games ended in draws (3 of them goalless).  Their most recent home outings were a 1-0 loss to Dagenham & Redbridge, then a 3-0 loss to Rochdale – so they are struggling to find some home form.  However, they have had three away wins from 5 outings at Yeovil, Tamworth & Boston (plus 2 away defeats at Woking & Ebbsfleet).

21 year old striker, Joe Grey, has scored 3 of Hartlepool’s 7 goals this season.  His centre forward strike partner, Emmanuelle Dieseruvwe, has 2.

Hartlepool’s nicknames are ‘Pools’ or ‘the Monkey Hangers’.

Legend has it that during the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century, a shipwrecked monkey was hanged by the people of Hartlepool, believing him to be a French spy! To this day, people from Hartlepool are still known as ‘monkey hangers’.

The team’s mascot is a monkey called H’Angus!

Their 2 most famous managers have been Brian Clough (his first managerial appointment) between 1966 and 1967 and Cyril Knowles between 1989 and 1991.  Under Knowles, a legend at the club even today, Hartlepool enjoyed relative success.  But in 1991 Knowles was diagnosed with brain cancer and passed away later the same year.

Some say Cyril Knowles was the best full back Tottenham have ever had.  Hartlepool fans remember him as a legendary manager.

Brian Clough rejuvenated Hartlepool in his short spell in charge before moving to Derby County.

In 2002, Pools mascot, H’Angus, also known as 28 year-old Stuart Drummond, beat off opposition from the main political parties to be elected to the £53,000-a-year job as mayor of Hartlepool.  His winning slogan in the campaign was “free bananas for schoolchildren”.  Even though his candidacy was just a publicity stunt, he was subsequently re-elected and served until 2012 when the post of mayor of Hartlepool was eventually abolished.  He never made good on his promise of free bananas!

The mascot monkey that became Mayor of Hartlepool!

Hartlepool is in County Durham and is a seaside and port town on the north-east coast.  Victoria Park is close to the railway station, the town centre, and the sea.

The name comes from a pool where harts (red stags) drank.  With a bit of French influence after the Norman Conquests the town became Hart-le-Pool (the pool of the stags).

The area became heavily industrialised in the 19th Century with an ironworks and shipbuilding.  By 1913, 43 ship-owning companies were located in the town, with the responsibility for 236 ships. This made it a key target for Germany in the First World War.  One of the first German offensives against Britain in WW1 was a raid and bombardment by the Imperial German Navy in 1914.  Hartlepool was hit with a total of 1150 shells, killing 117 people.

During this period there were 2 Hartlepools – ‘Old Hartlepool’ & ‘West Hartlepool’.  They were finally merged in 1908.  The town’s football club was then called Hartlepools in a bid to show it included both parts of the town.  Local fans still refer to the club as ‘Pools’.

Loss of heavy industry and the docks meant the town became a byword for urban decay.  In the 1990’s, the docks near the centre were redeveloped and reopened as a marina.  The accompanying National Museum of the Royal Navy opened in 1994, is all centred in what is known as the Hartlepool Historic Quay.  It’s an attractive area, a stone’s throw from the football ground.

The National Museum of the Royal Navy on Hartlepool’s historic quay.