Hartlepool United F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Hartlepool United Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Pools, Monkey Hangers | ||
| Founded | 1908 | ||
| Ground | Victoria Park | ||
| Capacity | 7,858 | ||
| Owner | Raj Singh | ||
| Chairman | Raj Singh | ||
| Head coach | Simon Grayson | ||
| League | National League | ||
| 2018–19 | National League, 16th of 24 | ||
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Hartlepool United Football Club, often called 'Pools', is a professional football team from Hartlepool, England. They play in the National League, which is the fifth highest level of football in England.
The club started in 1908 as 'The Hartlepools United Football & Athletic Club Company Ltd'. They joined the Football League in 1921. Over the years, their name changed a few times. In 1968, they became 'Hartlepool' and then 'Hartlepool United' in 1977.
Hartlepool United has played all their home games at Victoria Park. Their main rival team is Darlington. A famous football manager, Brian Clough, started his coaching career at Hartlepool. The player with the most games for the club is Ritchie Humphreys, who played 543 times. The top goal scorer is Joshie Fletcher with 111 goals.
Club History
How it All Started (1908–1946)
Hartlepool United's story began in 1881 with a team called West Hartlepool Amateur Football Club. This team even won the FA Amateur Cup in 1905. In 1908, the current club was formed. It was named 'The Hartlepools United Football & Athletic Club Company Ltd'. This name represented both parts of the town, West Hartlepool and Old Hartlepool.
In their first two seasons, they won the Durham Challenge Cup. They also joined the North-Eastern League. In 1921, Hartlepools United became part of the Football League. Their first Football League game was on August 27, 1921, where they beat Wrexham 2–0. They finished their first season in 4th place.
The club stayed in the Third Division North for 18 years. They had to ask to be re-elected to the league a few times, but they always succeeded.
Cup Runs and First Promotion (1946–1969)
In the 1950s, Hartlepools played better in both the league and cup games. In the FA Cup, they reached the fourth round for the first time in 1955. They also played against big teams like Chelsea and Manchester United. In 1957, they finished second in their league, which was their highest ever position.
In 1965, Brian Clough became their manager. He was only 30 years old and it was his first managing job. With his assistant Peter Taylor, he helped the team improve a lot. They even gave future European Cup winner John McGovern his first professional game at just 16.
Even after Clough and Taylor left, the team kept playing well. In 1968, they won promotion for the first time in the club's history! This meant they moved up to a higher league. Around this time, the club changed its name to Hartlepool Association Football Club.
Ups and Downs (1969–1997)
Hartlepool only stayed in the Third Division for one season. They went back down to the Fourth Division. In 1975, they reached the League Cup fourth round for the first time. They lost to Aston Villa, who went on to win the cup that year.
In 1977, the team's name changed again to its current name, Hartlepool United. They reached the FA Cup fourth round again in 1978. The club had to ask to be re-elected to the Fourth Division a record 14 times, but they always managed to stay in the league.
In 1991, under manager Cyril Knowles, Pools won promotion again! This was thanks to players like Joe Allon, who scored 28 goals. They stayed in the higher league for three seasons. In 1993, Hartlepool beat Crystal Palace 1–0 in the FA Cup. This was the first time they had ever beaten a top-division team. However, the club faced money problems and went back down to the fourth tier the next season.
Modern Times and League Status (1997–Present)
[[football squad on pitch|align=right | GK_nat = England | GK = James | RWB_nat = England | RWB = Sterry | RCB_nat = England | RCB = Odusina | CB_nat = England | CB = Liddle | LCB_nat = Northern Ireland | LCB = Johnson | LWB_nat = England | LWB = Ferguson | RAM_nat = England | RAM = Shelton | CM_nat = England | CM = Featherstone | LAM_nat = Ireland | LAM = Holohan | RCF_nat = England | RCF = Armstrong | LCF_nat = England | LCF = Oates
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The Hartlepool team that beat Torquay United in the 2021 National League play-off final 5–4 on penalties after a 1–1 draw.
}} In 1997, new owners took over the club. They helped turn things around. After almost being relegated in 1999, the team got promoted in 2003. They finished second in their league. Hartlepool then had their highest finishes in the third tier, coming sixth in 2004 and 2005. In 2005, they reached the play-off final but lost to Sheffield Wednesday.
They were relegated in 2006 but bounced straight back up in 2007. They spent six more years in the third tier before being relegated again in 2013. In 2017, after 96 years, Hartlepool was relegated from the Football League into the National League. This was a tough moment for the club.
However, Hartlepool fought back! In 2021, they won the play-offs and were promoted back to the Football League. They beat Torquay United in a penalty shootout in the final. They stayed in the Football League for two seasons. In 2023, they were relegated back to the National League.
Club Identity
Team Colours and Crest
Hartlepool United usually plays in blue and white striped shirts. They started wearing these stripes in 1912. Before that, they wore white shirts with blue and white socks. Sometimes, in the 1960s and 70s, their kit was just blue.
The club's crest (logo) first appeared on their kit in 1959. It was a shield with the club's initials. Later, in the 1970s, they started using badges with a hart (a type of deer). This hart was taken from the town's logo. In 1995, a new logo with a ship's wheel was chosen. This showed the town's connection to the sea.
In 2017, the club went back to a design with a hart. This new hart stands on water, which is a clever way to show the name 'Hart'-le-'pool'. The club felt the ship's wheel logo didn't show enough of their history.
Kit Sponsors
Erreà makes the club's uniforms today. The main sponsor on the home shirt is Workwear Express. The away shirt sponsor is Ultra Tax Ltd.
Home Ground: Victoria Park
Hartlepool United has played at Victoria Park since the club started in 1908. The local council owns the ground. It can hold 7,856 fans. The stadium has four main stands: the Brunel Group Stand, the Teesside Airport Neale Cooper Stand, the Rink End/Simpson Millar Stand (for away fans), and the Longbranch Homes Cyril Knowles Stand.
The land for Victoria Park was bought in 1886. It used to be a limestone quarry. The stadium was named to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. The first game there was on September 2, 1908, where Hartlepools won 6–0 against Newcastle United.
During World War I, in 1916, a German Zeppelin bombed the stand on Clarence Road, destroying it. A new stand, the Cyril Knowles Stand, was built in 1995. It was named after former manager Cyril Knowles, who passed away in 1991.
In 2018, the Cameron's Brewery Stand was renamed the Neale Cooper Stand. This was in memory of former manager Neale Cooper who had died. The club's owner, Raj Singh, is working with the council to improve Victoria Park. They hope to make it bigger, possibly holding up to 15,000 fans.
The stadium has had different names because of sponsors. It was called the Northern Gas and Power Stadium (2016–17) and the Super 6 Stadium (2018–19). Since November 2021, it has been known as the 'Suit Direct Stadium'. For the 2024–25 season, it was named the 'Prestige Group Stadium'.
Fans and Rivalries
Hartlepool United fans consider Darlington to be their biggest rival. In fact, in 2008, 95% of fans from both clubs agreed on this! Hartlepool has won more games in this rivalry (60 wins) compared to Darlington (57 wins). However, the two teams haven't played each other in a league game since 2007.
Other teams that Hartlepool fans see as rivals include Sheffield Wednesday, Carlisle United, and Sunderland.
In 2015, a Supporters Trust was created for Hartlepool United fans. Its goal is to share the fans' ideas and help them have a say in the club.
Famous Fans
One of the most well-known fans of Hartlepool United is Jeff Stelling. He used to present a popular football show called Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports. He is now the Club President.
Janick Gers, a guitarist from the famous metal band Iron Maiden, is also a big fan. He has a season ticket to watch the games. Cricket umpire Michael Gough is another fan.
The rock star Meat Loaf also said he was a fan of Hartlepool United. He talked about his support on TV shows and even brought a cuddly 'H'Angus' toy (the club's mascot) with him. He continued to follow the team's results until he passed away in 2022. The club paid tribute to him after his death.
Club Records and Statistics
The player who has played the most games for Hartlepool is Ritchie Humphreys. He played 543 matches between 2001 and 2013. Joshie Fletcher is the club's top goalscorer with 111 goals. The only player to play for his country while at Hartlepool was Ambrose Fogarty, who played for the Republic of Ireland in 1964.
Hartlepool's biggest league win was 10–1 against Barrow in 1959. Their biggest league loss was also 10–1, against Wrexham in 1962.
The highest number of fans at Victoria Park was 17,264 for a game against Manchester United in 1957. The most fans at any Hartlepool game was 59,808. This was at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff for the 2005 League One play-off final.
The youngest player to play for the club was David Foley. He was 16 years and 44 days old when he made his debut in 2003. The oldest player was Dimitrios Konstantopoulos, who played his last game at 41 years and 15 days old in 2019.
Club Achievements
- Best FA Cup performance: Reached the Fourth Round seven times, most recently in 2022.
- Best League Cup performance: Reached the Fourth Round in 1975.
- Best EFL Trophy performance: Reached the Semi-final in 2022.
- Best FA Trophy performance: Reached the Fourth Round in 2024.
- Highest League Finish: 2nd in the Third Division North in 1957.
- Promotions:
- From Level 4: 1968, 1991, 2003, 2007
- From Level 5: 2021 (Play-off winners)
Most Games Played
| Rank | Player | Games | Goals | Position | Years at Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ritchie Humphreys | 543 | 37 | DF, MF | 2001–2013 |
| 2 | Watty Moore | 472 | 3 | DF | 1948–1960 |
| 3 | Nicky Featherstone | 462 | 28 | MF | 2014–2023, 2023– |
| 4 | Antony Sweeney | 444 | 62 | MF | 2001–2014 |
| 5 | Ray Thompson | 423 | 3 | DF | 1947–1958 |
| 6 | Alan Goad | 418 | 11 | DF | 1967–1978 |
| 7 | Ken Johnson | 413 | 106 | FW | 1949–1964 |
| 8 | Brian Honour | 384 | 36 | MF | 1985–1994 |
| 9 | Micky Barron | 374 | 4 | DF | 1996–2007 |
| 10 | Gary Liddle | 364 | 21 | DF, MF | 2006–2012, 2019–2020, 2020–2022 |
Players
Current First-Team Squad
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Retired Shirt Numbers
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On October 19, 2007, Hartlepool's midfielder Michael Maidens sadly passed away at 20 years old. To honor him, the club decided that no other player would wear his number 25 shirt. Also, the yearly Goal of the Season award is named after Michael. Fans applaud in the 25th minute of the game closest to the date he passed away.
Hartlepool United Women
In 2015, a Hartlepool United Ladies team was started. They are now called Hartlepool United Women. They play in the North East Regional Women's Football League Division One North.
Club Officials
Board Members
- Owner: Raj Singh
- Head of football operations: Joe Monks
- Non-executive director: Lennie Lawrence
- Non-executive director: Neil Pinkerton
- Group finance director: John Astbury
- Director: John Pearson
Coaching and Medical Staff
- Head coach: Simon Grayson
- First-team coach: Nicky Featherstone
- Goalkeeping coach: Adam Smith
- Physiotherapist: Danny O'Connor
- Chief scout: Ronnie Moore
- First team analyst: Ben Daniel
- Academy manager: Alex Cross
- Lead professional development phase coach: Gary Liddle
- Club doctors: David Russell and Dan Palmer
Honours and Trophies
Hartlepool United has won several awards and promotions throughout its history:
League Achievements
- Third Division North (Level 3):
- Runners-up: 1957
- Fourth Division / Third Division / League Two (Level 4):
- Runners-up: 2003, 2007
- Promoted: 1968, 1991
- National League (Level 5):
- Play-off winners: 2021
Cup Achievements
- FA Amateur Cup:
- Winners: 1905
- Durham Challenge Cup:
- Winners: 1909, 1910, 1957, 1958, 2005
See also
In Spanish: Hartlepool United Football Club para niños
- History of Hartlepool United F.C.
- List of Hartlepool United F.C. seasons
- List of Hartlepool United F.C. managers
- List of Hartlepool United F.C. records and statistics
- Victoria Park (Hartlepool)
- Hartlepool United Women
