Hartlepool United Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Hartlepool, County Durham. The club was founded in 1908, and its first team played in the North-Eastern League from then until 1921, when the Football League formed a new Third Division based in the north of England. Hartlepool have never played above the third tier of English football, nor have they won a divisional title, but they remained a member of the Football League for 89 consecutive seasons before relegation to the National League in 2017. They hold the record for applications for re-election, with fourteen – three to the Third Division North and a divisional record eleven to the Fourth Division – and all fourteen were successful. Their highest league placing was second in the Third Division North in 1956–57 – only the champions were promoted – but a year later, they were placed in the Fourth Division when the regionalised third tiers were merged into nationwide third and fourth tiers. Since that restructure, their highest league finish has been sixth in the third tier, in 2003–04 and 2004–05; on the latter occasion, they reached the play-off final but lost out to Sheffield Wednesday. They were relegated from the Football League for the first time in 2016–17. They reached the last 32 of the FA Cup for the first time in 1954–55, and have matched that performance six times since, most recently in 2021–22. In the Football League Cup, their best performance was to reach the last 16 in 1975–76.

History

After West Hartlepool R.F.C. folded in 1908, a professional association football club was founded to play at their ground; the board of directors, which included former members of the rugby club committee, named the club Hartlepools United, with the aim of attracting spectators not only from West Hartlepool but also from the nearby town of Hartlepool.[1][2] In their first season, they won the major regional trophy, the Durham Challenge Cup – and retained it the following year[3] – as well as entering the FA Cup, in which they were drawn to play the local amateur club, West Hartlepool F.C., with whom they shared the Victoria Ground.[4] Hartlepool won 2–1 in the first qualifying round only to go out in the second, beaten by South Bank after a replay.[5] They also entered the North-Eastern League, finished fourth in their initial season, and remained members of that league until 1920–21; their best season was 1910–11, when they finished third.[6] In 1921, the Football League agreed to form a Northern Section of the Third Division to complement the existing Third Division which contained only southern-based teams. Hartlepool were among the 18 applicants accepted as members,[7] and began their Football League career with a fourth-place finish in the 1921–22 season.[6]

Two seasons later, Hartlepool came 21st in the table, so were obliged to apply for re-election to the League; they and bottom club Barrow were elected unopposed.[8][a] In the 1935–36 season, the club reached the third round of the FA Cup for the first time. Drawn against Grimsby Town, they held the First Division club to a goalless draw despite playing most of the match with forward Dick Hardy replacing the concussed Jackie Mittell in goal,[11] but lost the replay.[6] By the time the Second World War put a temporary end to competitive football, they had spent 18 consecutive seasons in the Northern Section, courtesy of two more successful applications for re-election.[8][6]

In the mid-1950s, Hartlepool enjoyed improved performances in both league and cup competition. In the FA Cup, they reached the fourth round for the first time in 1954–55,[6] losing to Nottingham Forest in a replay after extra time.[12] The following season, they lost 1–0 to reigning League champions Chelsea in the third round, and at the same stage of the 1956–57 competition, in front of a record Victoria Ground attendance of 17,426,[13] they came back from 3–0 down with top scorer Ken Johnson struggling with injury to equalise against Manchester United's "Busby Babes" before the top-flight club found a late winner.[14] Those three league seasons brought top-six finishes, culminating in what remains the club's record high of second place in 1956–57 – only the champions were promoted.[6] They dropped into the bottom six in 1958, which meant they were placed in the Fourth Division when the regional sections were merged into nationwide third and fourth tiers.[13] Hartlepool did not fare well in the fourth tier. After five consecutive applications for re-election and with the club in financial difficulties, they appointed the 30-year-old Brian Clough in October 1965 to his first managerial role. He and assistant Peter Taylor, aided by a change of chairmanship, built a team that finished eighth in 1966–67. Although Clough and Taylor then left for Derby County,[15] the team maintained their form, finished third, and won promotion for the first time in the club's history in 1967–68.[13] To better represent the new borough formed by the recent amalgamation of the adjacent boroughs of Hartlepool and West Hartlepool,[16] the board decided the club needed a new name.[17]

Hartlepool Association Football Club's foray into the Third Division lasted just one season, and after nine years, three re-elections and a £10,000 loan from the local council to keep the club afloat,[18] the name was changed again, to Hartlepool United. In 1977–78, the first season under that name, the team reached the fourth round of the FA Cup again; despite progressing to the same stage five times since, most recently in 2021–22, they have yet to play in the fifth round.[19][20] By the time automatic promotion and relegation between the Football Conference and the League was introduced in 1986–87, Hartlepool had made a record eleven applications for re-election to the Fourth Division, which added to the three in the pre-war Northern Section made fourteen, also a league record, all of which had been successful.[8] They remained in the fourth tier until Joe Allon's 28 goals helped them gain promotion via a third-place finish. This time their stay lasted three seasons.[20]

Three consecutive defeats in the semi-finals of the play-offs preceded promotion as 2002–03 Third Division runners-up – when the Premier League broke away in 1992, the Football League's divisions were renumbered upwards. Hartlepool then achieved their highest finishing position since the introduction of the four-division structure, coming sixth in the third tier in both 2003–04 and 2004–05. On the latter occasion, they reached the play-off final but lost out to Sheffield Wednesday.[21] Relegated in 2006, they bounced straight back as runners-up in what was by then League Two, and spent six years at the higher level. They came close to automatic relegation in 2014–15, but two years later, they were relegated from the Football League for the first time after a continuous membership of 89 playing seasons. Needing to win their final match of the season and hope Newport County did not, Hartlepool came from behind to beat title-chasing Doncaster Rovers but Newport produced an 89th-minute winner to secure their own safety at Hartlepool's expense.[22] After four years, they returned to the Football League via the play-offs, defeating Torquay United in the 2021 play-off final.[23] However, the club were relegated back to the National League after only two seasons in the fourth tier.[24]

Since their admission to the Football League in 1921, the team have spent 43 seasons in the third tier of the English football league system, 48 in the fourth, and 4 in the fifth.[6][19][20] The table details the team's achievements and the top goalscorer in senior first-team competitions from their debut season in the North-Eastern League and FA Cup in 1908–09 to the end of the most recently completed season.

Key

Details of the abandoned 1939–40 Football League season are shown in italics and appropriately footnoted.

Seasons

-
Season League[6][19][20][25] FA Cup[b] League Cup[6][19][20][c] Other[20][27][28][29][30] Top scorer(s)[d]
Division[e] P W D L F A Pts Pos Competition Result Name Goals
1908–09 NEL 34 16 9 9 79 51 41 4th QR2 — Durham CC W Joshie Fletcher 27
1909–10 NEL 32 18 10 4 82 23 46 4th QR2 — Durham CC W Joshie Fletcher 27
1910–11 NEL 34 18 8 8 71 39 44 3rd QR1 — Durham CC F Joshie Fletcher 19
1911–12 NEL 36 14 8 14 66 50 26 10th QR4 — Durham CC R2 Joshie Fletcher 21
1912–13 NEL 38 15 6 17 69 99 36 12th QR5 —
  • R2
  • R2
 Joshie Fletcher 17
1913–14 NEL 38 17 10 11 68 37 44 7th QR4 —
  • SF
  • R1
 John Smith 28
1914–15 NEL 38 16 11 11 74 57 43 7th QR5 —
  • R2
  • F
 Reuben Butler 25
1915–19
Competitive league and FA Cup football was suspended until after the First World War.
1919–20 NEL 34 12 10 12 65 36 34 9th QR4 — Durham CC R2 Chuck Hewitt 14
1920–21 NEL 38 18 6 14 64 39 42 7th QR6 — Durham CC F Jimmy Lister 24
1921–22 Div 3N 38 17 8 13 52 39 42 4th R1 — — — Peter Robertson 12
1922–23 Div 3N 38 10 12 16 48 54 32 15th QR6 — — — Cecil Hardy 11
1923–24 Div 3N 42 7 11 24 33 70 25 21st QR6 — — — Billy Smith 18
1924–25 Div 3N 42 12 11 19 45 63 35 20th R1 — — — Billy Smith 12
1925–26 Div 3N 42 18 8 16 82 73 44 6th R1 — — — Harry Wensley 22
1926–27 Div 3N 42 14 6 22 66 81 34 17th R1 — — — Harry Wensley 16
1927–28 Div 3N 42 16 6 20 69 81 38 15th R1 — — — Billy Robinson 28
1928–29 Div 3N 42 10 6 26 59 112 26 21st R1 — — — Ginger Richardson 19
1929–30 Div 3N 42 17 11 14 81 74 45 8th R1 — — — Albert Pape 21
1930–31 Div 3N 42 12 6 24 67 86 30 20th R1 — — — Harry Simmons 17
1931–32 Div 3N 40 16 5 19 78 100 37 13th R1 — — — Syd Lumley 18
1932–33 Div 3N 42 16 7 19 87 116 39 14th R2 — — — Joss Hewitt 24
1933–34 Div 3N 42 16 7 19 89 93 39 11th R2 — Third Division North Cup R1 Joss Hewitt 21
1934–35 Div 3N 42 17 7 18 80 78 41 12th R2 — Third Division North Cup SF Duncan Lindsay 25
1935–36 Div 3N 42 15 12 15 57 61 42 8th R3 — Third Division North Cup R1 Johnny Wigham 19
1936–37 Div 3N 42 19 7 16 75 69 45 6th R2 — Third Division North Cup R2 Sam English 20
1937–38 Div 3N 42 10 12 20 53 80 32 20th R2 — Third Division North Cup R2 Sam English 11
1938–39 Div 3N 42 12 7 23 55 94 31 21st R2 — Third Division North Cup SF Tommy McGarry 14
1939–40 Div 3N 3 0 2 1 1 4 2 —[f] — — — — Joe Mantle 1
1939–45
The Football League and FA Cup were suspended until after the Second World War.
1945–46 — — — — — — — — — R1[g] — — — Hughie McMahon 2
1946–47 Div 3N 42 15 9 18 64 73 39 13th R2 — — — Sammy Scott 14
1947–48 Div 3N 42 14 8 20 51 73 36 19th R2 — — — Jimmy Isaac 9
1948–49 Div 3N 42 14 10 18 45 58 38 16th R1 — — — Fred Richardson 9
1949–50 Div 3N 42 14 5 23 52 79 33 18th R2 — — — Les Owens 13
1950–51 Div 3N 46 16 7 23 64 66 39 16th R2 — — — Eric Wildon 27
1951–52 Div 3N 46 21 8 17 71 65 50 9th R3 — — — Eric Wildon 19
1952–53 Div 3N 46 16 14 16 57 61 46 17th R2 — — —
11
1953–54 Div 3N 46 13 14 19 59 65 40 18th R3 — — — Eric Wildon 16
1954–55 Div 3N 46 25 5 16 64 49 55 5th R4 — — — Tommy McGuigan 20
1955–56 Div 3N 46 26 5 15 81 60 57 4th R3 — — — George Luke 22
1956–57 Div 3N 46 25 9 12 90 63 59 2nd[h] R3 — — — Ken Johnson 26
1957–58 Div 3N 46 16 12 18 73 76 44 17th R2 — — — Peter Thompson 20
1958–59 Div 4[i] 46 15 10 21 74 88 40 19th R2 — — — George Luke 13
1959–60 Div 4 46 10 7 29 59 109 27 24th R1 — — — Harry Clark 21
1960–61 Div 4 46 12 8 26 71 103 32 23rd R1 R1 — — Ken Johnson 13
1961–62 Div 4 44 8 11 25 52 101 27 22nd R3 R1 — — Johnny Edgar 20
1962–63 Div 4 46 7 11 28 56 104 25 24th R1 R1 — —
11
1963–64 Div 4 46 12 9 25 54 93 33 23rd R1 R1 — — Peter Thompson 8
1964–65 Div 4 46 15 13 18 61 85 43 15th R2 R1 — — Peter Thompson 16
1965–66 Div 4 46 16 8 22 63 75 40 18th R3 R2 — — Ernie Phythian 13
1966–67 Div 4 46 22 7 17 66 64 51 8th R1 R1 — — Ernie Phythian[j] 26 ♦
1967–68 Div 4 ↑ 46 25 10 11 60 46 60 3rd[k] R1 R2 — — Terry Bell 15
1968–69 Div 3 ↓ 46 10 19 17 40 70 39 22nd R1 R1 — — Peter Blowman 8
1969–70 Div 4 46 10 10 26 42 82 30 23rd R2 R2 — — Terry Bell 15
1970–71 Div 4 46 8 12 26 34 74 28 23rd R1 R1 — — Nick Sharkey 9
1971–72 Div 4 46 17 6 23 58 69 40 18th R2 R1 — — Ron Young 20
1972–73 Div 4 46 12 17 17 34 49 41 20th R1 R1 — — John Coyne 11
1973–74 Div 4 46 16 12 18 48 47 44 11th R1 R2 — — Allan Gauden 14
1974–75 Div 4 46 16 11 19 52 62 43 13th R2 R4 — — Bobby Park 14
1975–76 Div 4 46 16 10 20 62 78 42 14th R3 R1 — — Malcolm Moore 18
1976–77 Div 4 46 10 12 24 47 73 32 22nd R1 R1 — — Malcolm Poskett 10
1977–78 Div 4 46 15 7 24 51 84 37 21st R4 R1 — — Billy Ayre 13
1978–79 Div 4 46 13 18 15 57 66 44 13th R3 R1 — — Keith Houchen 13
1979–80 Div 4 46 14 10 22 59 64 38 19th R1 R1 — — Keith Houchen 15
1980–81 Div 4 46 20 9 17 64 61 49 9th R1 R1 — — Keith Houchen 17
1981–82 Div 4 46 13 16 17 73 84 55[l] 14th R2 R1 Football League Group Cup Group
18
1982–83 Div 4 46 13 9 24 46 76 48 22nd R2 R2 Football League Group Cup Group Paul Dobson 9
1983–84 Div 4 46 10 10 26 47 85 40 23rd R1 R1 Associate Members' Cup R1(N) Paul Dobson 13
1984–85 Div 4 46 14 10 22 54 67 52 19th R2 R1 Associate Members' Cup R1(N) Kevin Dixon 13
1985–86 Div 4 46 20 10 16 68 67 70 7th R2 R1 Associate Members' Cup Prelim(N) Alan Shoulder 19
1986–87 Div 4 46 11 18 17 44 65 51 18th R1 R1 Associate Members' Cup Prelim(N) Kevin Dixon 9
1987–88 Div 4 46 15 14 17 50 57 59 16th R3 R1 Associate Members' Cup SF(N) Paul Baker 25
1988–89 Div 4 46 14 10 22 50 78 52 19th R4 R1 Associate Members' Cup Prelim(N) Simon Grayson 13
1989–90 Div 4 42 15 10 21 66 88 55 19th R2 R1 Associate Members' Cup Prelim(N)
17
1990–91 Div 4 ↑ 46 24 10 12 67 48 82 3rd R2 R2 Associate Members' Cup R1(N) Joe Allon[m] 35
1991–92 Div 3 46 18 11 17 57 57 65 11th R3 R2 Associate Members' Cup QF(N) Paul Baker 18
1992–93 Div 2[n] 46 14 12 20 42 60 54 16th R4 R2 Football League Trophy R2(N) Andy Saville 20
1993–94 Div 2 ↓ 46 9 9 28 41 87 36 23rd R1 R1 Football League Trophy R1(N) Nicky Southall 10
1994–95 Div 3 42 11 10 21 43 69 43 18th R1 R2 Football League Trophy R1(N) Keith Houchen 14
1995–96 Div 3 46 12 13 21 47 67 49 20th R1 R2 Football League Trophy R1(N)
9
1996–97 Div 3 46 14 9 23 53 66 51 20th R1 R1 Football League Trophy R1(N) Joe Allon 11
1997–98 Div 3 46 12 23 11 61 53 59 17th R1 R1 Football League Trophy R2(N) Jon Cullen 12
1998–99 Div 3 46 13 12 21 52 65 51 22nd R2 R1 Football League Trophy QF(N) Chris Beech 9
1999–2000 Div 3 46 21 9 16 60 49 72 7th[o] R2 R1 Football League Trophy QF(N) Tommy Miller 16
2000–01 Div 3 46 21 14 11 71 54 77 4th[p] R1 R1 Football League Trophy QF(N) Tommy Miller 20
2001–02 Div 3 46 20 11 15 74 48 71 7th[q] R1 R1 Football League Trophy R1(N) Gordon Watson 18
2002–03 Div 3 ↑ 46 24 13 9 71 51 85 2nd R1 R1 Football League Trophy R1(N) Eifion Williams 16
2003–04 Div 2 46 20 13 13 76 61 73 6th[r][s] R3 R2 Football League Trophy R1(N) Eifion Williams 14
2004–05 League 1 46 21 8 17 76 66 71 6th[r][t] R4 R2 Football League Trophy QF(N) Adam Boyd 29
2005–06 League 1 ↓ 46 11 17 18 44 59 50 21st R2 R2 Football League Trophy R1(N)
7
2006–07 League 2 ↑ 46 26 10 10 65 40 88 2nd R2 R2 Football League Trophy R2(N)
9
2007–08 League 1 46 15 9 22 63 66 54 15th R2 R2 Football League Trophy QF(N) Richie Barker 16
2008–09 League 1 46 13 11 22 66 79 50 19th R4 R3 Football League Trophy R1(N) Joel Porter 23
2009–10 League 1 46 14 11 21 59 67 50[v] 20th R1 R2 Football League Trophy R2(N) Andy Monkhouse 11
2010–11 League 1 46 15 12 19 47 65 57 16th R3 R2 Football League Trophy QF(N) Antony Sweeney 14
2011–12 League 1 46 14 14 18 50 55 56 13th R1 R1 Football League Trophy R1(N) Antony Sweeney 9
2012–13 League 1 ↓ 46 9 14 23 39 67 41 23rd R1 R1 Football League Trophy R2(N) Andy Monkhouse 7
2013–14 League 2 46 14 11 21 50 56 53 19th R2 R1 Football League Trophy QF(N) Luke James 16
2014–15 League 2 46 12 9 25 39 70 45 22nd R2 R1 Football League Trophy R2(N)
6
2015–16 League 2 46 15 6 25 49 72 51 16th R3 R2 Football League Trophy R1(N) Billy Paynter 15
2016–17 League 2 ↓ 46 11 13 12 54 75 46 23rd R2 R1 EFL Trophy R1(N) Pádraig Amond 14
2017–18 National 46 14 14 18 53 63 56 15th R1 — FA Trophy R1 Michael Woods 11
2018–19 National 46 15 14 17 56 62 59 16th R1 — FA Trophy R2 Liam Noble 13
2019–20 National 39 14 13 12 56 50 55 12th[w] R3 — FA Trophy R1 Gime Touré 13
2020–21 National ↑ 42 22 10 10 66 43 76 4th[x] R1 — FA Trophy R3 Rhys Oates 17
2021–22 League 2 46 14 12 20 44 64 54 17th R4 R1 EFL Trophy SF Luke Molyneux 12
2022–23 League 2 ↓ 46 9 16 21 52 78 43 23rd R3 R1 EFL Trophy GS Josh Umerah 15

Notes

  1. ^ The League's Management Committee recommended to the Annual General Meeting that the existing members, Hartlepool and Barrow, be re-elected "in order that the original members of our section shall given plenty of opportunity to stabilise their financial condition consequent upon expenditure necessary in order to obtain election to the League."[9] As a result, applications from Llanelly, Mansfield Town and Pontypridd were not considered.[10]
  2. ^ Beginning with the 1925–26 season, the FA Cup was structured so that the third round proper contained 64 teams. Prior to that date, the structure had varied, so rounds are not directly comparable to the round of the same name after 1925.[5]
  3. ^ The Football League Cup competition started in the 1960–61 season.[26]
  4. ^ Includes goals scored in all nationally organised competitions, i.e. the Football League, including play-offs, FA Cup, National League and play-offs, League Cup, Football League Group Cup, EFL Trophy and predecessors, and Third Division North Cup, as well as goals scored in the North-Eastern League before Hartlepool's admission to the Football League. For seasons from 1908–09 to 2009–10, sourced to PoolStats and/or In The Mad Crowd;[29][30] for non-League seasons thereafter, sourced to In The Mad Crowd.[30]; for Football League seasons thereafter, sourced to Soccerbase.[31]
  5. ^ From the 1921–22 Football League season onwards, divisions are sorted according to their level within the English football league system, and separately from the pre-Football League division.
  6. ^ The 1939–40 Football League season was abandoned with three matches played when the Second World War began.[6]
  7. ^ Although the Football League did not resume until the 1946–47 season, the FA Cup was contested in 1945–46. From the first round proper to the sixth round (quarter-final), results were determined on aggregate score over two legs.[5][6]
  8. ^ Club's best League finishing position before the regional sections of the Third Division were amalgamated into national Third and Fourth Divisions.[6]
  9. ^ Hartlepool were placed in the Football League Fourth Division when the regional sections of the Third Division were amalgamated into national Third and Fourth Divisions.[6]
  10. ^ Phythian was top scorer in the 1966–67 Fourth Division with 23 goals.[32]
  11. ^ Promoted to the Football League Third Division by virtue of finishing in third place. This was the first promotion in the club's history.[6]
  12. ^ The 1981–82 season saw the introduction of three points for a win instead of two.[26]
  13. ^ The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF) erroneously lists Allon as joint top scorer in the 1990–91 Fourth Division with 35 goals, but only 28 of those were scored in the league.[32][33]
  14. ^ The newly formed FA Premier League split from the Football League, and the remaining divisions of the Football League were renumbered upwards.[26]
  15. ^ Lost 3–0 on aggregate to local rivals Darlington in play-off semi-final.[34]
  16. ^ Lost 5–1 on aggregate in to Blackpool play-off semi-final.[35]
  17. ^ Lost on penalties to Cheltenham Town in play-off semi-final.[36]
  18. ^ a b Club's joint-best League finishing position since the introduction of the four-division structure.
  19. ^ Lost 3–2 on aggregate to Bristol City in play-off semi-final.[37]
  20. ^ After beating Tranmere Rovers on penalties in play-off semi-final,[38] lost 4–2 after extra time to Sheffield Wednesday in 2005 Football League One play-off final at the Millennium Stadium.[21]
  21. ^ Barker was top scorer in the 2006–07 League Two season with 21 goals, of which 12 were scored for Mansfield Town before he joined Hartlepool.[32][39]
  22. ^ Three points deducted for fielding an ineligible player.[40]
  23. ^ The 2019–20 football season was disrupted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The National League was suspended in mid-March 2020 and the clubs voted six weeks later to end the regular season programme.[41] Teams had not all played the same number of matches, so it was agreed to construct final league tables on an unweighted points per game basis.[42] Hartlepool United placed twelfth.[43]
  24. ^ Beat Bromley 3–2 in the play-off quarter-final[44] and Stockport County 1–0 in the semi-final.[45] In the 2021 National League play-off final, played at Ashton Gate, Bristol, because Wembley Stadium was in use for the delayed UEFA Euro 2020, Hartlepool led from the 35th minute, but Torquay United goalkeeper Lucas Covolan headed an equaliser five minutes into stoppage time. The score remained 1–1 until the end of extra time, and Hartlepool won the penalty shootout 5–4.[21]

References

  1. ^ Picken, Dave (29 April 2010). "A short history of West". West Hartlepool Rugby. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  2. ^ "The early years: 1881 to 1945". Hartlepool United F.C. 1 April 2012. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  3. ^ "Durham Challenge Cup Winners". Dunston UTS F.C. Archived from the original on 19 July 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  4. ^ Errington (2012), pp. 10–11.
  5. ^ a b c "Past Results". The Football Association. Retrieved 7 July 2022. Individual seasons accessed via dropdown menu.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Hartlepools United". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  7. ^ "Football League. Northern Section of Third Division". The Evening News. Portsmouth. 7 March 1921. p. 2.
  8. ^ a b c "Football League re-election". PoolStats. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
    Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds. (2010). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2010–2011. Headline. p. 583. ISBN 978-0-7553-6107-6.
  9. ^ "Mansfield and Northern Section". Nottingham Evening Post. 28 May 1924. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Football. Association. New insurance scheme. Re-election of Hartlepools and Barrow". Yorkshire Post. Leeds. 3 June 1921. p. 12.
  11. ^ "Grimsby held". Sports Argus. Birmingham. 11 January 1936. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Forest taken to extra time". Birmingham Post. 3 February 1955. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ a b c "From Westgarth to McLean: 1945 to 1968". Hartlepool United F.C. 30 March 2012. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  14. ^ "Brave fight by Hartlepools". Manchester Guardian. 7 January 1957. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com. Manchester United recovered their poise in time for Whelan to get the winner. It was deserved on the run of play but there would have been no injustice if the ten fit players and one lame one had survived for a replay.
  15. ^ Errington (2012), pp. 48–49.
  16. ^ "Local government boundaries (Hartlepool)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 740. House of Commons. 7 February 1967. col. 1516–1524. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  17. ^ Errington (2012), p. 52.
  18. ^ Errington (2012), p. 54.
  19. ^ a b c d "Hartlepool". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  20. ^ a b c d e f "Hartlepool United". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  21. ^ a b c "Hartlepool 2–4 Sheff Wed (aet)". BBC Sport. 29 May 2005. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  22. ^ Garry, Tom (6 May 2017). "Hartlepool United 2–1 Doncaster Rovers". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  23. ^ Pilnick, Brent (20 June 2021). "National League promotion final: Hartlepool United 1–1 Torquay United (aet)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  24. ^ "Hartlepool United 3–1 Barrow: Pools relegated to National League despite win". BBC Sport. 29 April 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  25. ^ "National League: Tables". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  26. ^ a b c "History of the Football League". The Football League. 22 September 2010. Archived from the original on 1 May 2011.
  27. ^ For Football League Group Cup: "Football League Group Cup". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  28. ^ For Third Division North Cup: "Football League Division Three North Cup Summary – Contents". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  29. ^ a b "Past season information". PoolStats. Archived from the original on 15 August 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2016. Click on season required.
  30. ^ a b c "Seasons". In The Mad Crowd. John Phillips. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  31. ^ "Hartlepool: Player Appearances". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 July 2022. Select season required via dropdown menu.
  32. ^ a b c Ross, James M. (25 June 2015). "English League Leading Goalscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  33. ^ "Joe Allon". In The Mad Crowd. John Phillips. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  34. ^ Wardle, John (18 May 2000). "Darlington ease through after Strodder slip-up". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  35. ^ "Blackpool reach play-off final". BBC Sport. 16 May 2001. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  36. ^ Fudge, Simon (30 April 2002). "Robins win penalty shoot-out". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 17 June 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  37. ^ "Bristol City 2–1 Hartlepool". BBC Sport. 19 May 2004. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  38. ^ "Tranmere 2–0 Hartlepool". BBC Sport. 17 May 2005. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  39. ^ "Games played by Richard Barker in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  40. ^ "Hartlepool hit by Football League points deduction". BBC Sport. 6 May 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  41. ^ "National League clubs vote to end regular season immediately". BBC Sport. 22 April 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  42. ^ Osborn, Oliver (17 June 2020). "National League Statement: Ordinary Resolution supported by clubs". The National League. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  43. ^ "Vanarama National League table: Archives: 2019/20 season". The National League. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  44. ^ "Hartlepool United 3–2 Bromley". BBC Sport. 6 June 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  45. ^ "Stockport County 1–0 Hartlepool United". BBC Sport. 13 June 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.

Sources

External links

Hartlepool United Football Club
Hartlepool United F.C. seasons
Lists of English men's football seasons by club
Categories