HARTLEPOOL UNITED F.C. SOUTH EAST POOLIES
GROUND
Capacity- 7,787 (Seats 4,180)
Victoria Park was redeveloped extensively during the mid-nineties, making it a compact and comfortable ground, more than adequate for the needs of Hartlepool United. Its name was also changed from previously being The Victoria Ground, but is known by fans simply as The Vic. It has a very traditional feel about it, with the 4 high floodlights that were once symbolic of English Football Grounds. The ground is close to the town centre and its amenities, meaning fans can enjoy the trip without the planning required at many out of town kit-build stadiums. The 4 stands are as follows;
HARTLEPOOL UNITED- VICTORIA PARK
Town End (Left)- Previously a run-down open terrace split between home and away fans, this was rebuilt in 1995. What replaced it was a neat covered terrace, housing 1,775 home fans. The stand is home to the more vocal Poolies and can be a very atmospheric when full. There are a couple of basic, open bars, as well as the normal food huts. The Police Control Box is located next to this stand.
Millhouse Stand- This is a 2 tier home stand running the length of the pitch and is the biggest in the ground. The bottom section is a terrace for 1,832 supporters and the upper section seats 1,617. The seats do not have a back on them and are fairly basic, although they do offer a great view of the game/marina. There is a large covered bar/food area at the back of the stand which is open before the game and at half-time. You may hear the odd grumble form the terraced section of this stand (and don’t think being 3-0 up will change that)!
Cyril Knowles Stand (Right)- This runs the length of the pitch and is named after the legendry Spurs and England player, who went on to manage pools in the early 90’s, before his premature death. The stand was built in the mid-nineties and is a covered all-seated affair, housing 1,599 home fans including the disabled section, family enclosure and directors box. There are also a few executive boxes at the back of stand and various restaurants/match-day hospitality areas. The stand is comfortable and has a relaxed feel to it. There is a covered bar/food area at the back of this stand, and kids are likely to be able to meet H’Angus the Monkey in this stand.
Rink End (Away)- This is a former home stand that used to house the more vocal Poolies many moons ago. It now seats 964 away fans and facilities have been improving over a number of years. It is the only stand where your view may be obstructed by pillars, but generally the view is ok and is at least behind the goal. The stand is excellent vocally and there are plenty of places to tie a flag. Although the stand does not have a bar, you can watch the game whilst queuing for food/drink.
Club Shop- This is located behind the club offices, at the back of the Rink End. It was built a few years ago and is spacious and well stocked. There are normally a wide range of special offers as well as the standard football clothing. Nike are the main manufacturers, so expect to see a wide range of their clothing.
Ticket Office (Left)- This is located next to the away entrance/club office on Clarence Road. It is small and compact so avoid close to kick-off if possible, as you can usually pay on the gate.
Disabled- There is now excellent facilities for home and away supporters, a far cry from the old cage in the corner of the Rink End. Away fans have their own section in front of the Rink End, whilst home fans are housed in the Cyril Knowles Stand, towards the Town End. Hartlepool United has a Disabled Supporters Club, who have their own pre-match venue within the ground. Contact them for more details at neilappleyard@hotmail.com.
Getting There
Car- From the A19 take the A689 signposted Hartlepool. Follow the A689 towards the Town Centre. Follow Town Centre signs for 2.8 miles, over two roundabouts. Go straight over the next two sets of lights, passing Hartlepool College on your right. The next left takes you to the stadium. If you miss the turning, go past ASDA on your left, left at the next roundabout and then left at the next traffic lights for the ground.
Parking- There is parking at the ground in the Millhouse Car-Park, which is pay and display. This fills up quite quickly and a better bet will be to park at the Marina in one of the unused car-parks. Asda, on the Marina, is definately out-of-bounds and they WILL clamp you, so are some of the other units so look for the signs. There is also street parking if you head away from the town centre.
Train (Right)- Hartlepool Train Station is a 5 minute walk from the ground. As you leave the station turn right onto Church Street and you will soon see the floodlights. You may have to change at Darlington or Middlesborough to connect to Hartlepool and this will take some time as services are not often. There is now a train that goes direct from London Kings Cross to Hartlepool, with some useful stops along the way. This is run by Grand Central and you can get some good offers on their site at http://www.grandcentralrail.co.uk/
PUBS
Corner Flag- This is the home of the Hartlepool United Supporters Association and is based in, as its name suggests, a corner of the ground, with entrance being on the Millhouse side. Away fans are warmly welcomed, unless demand is particularly high, and non-members pay a day-membership of 50p. Downstairs is a small bar area with mainly home fans, where as the slightly larger upstairs function room is more of a mixed crowd. There is also a limited menu upstairs, for those who are seeking a respite for their hunger pains. They serve the flavoursome locally brewed Cameron’s Strongarm as well as the usual lagers (draught, bottles and cans). Drinks are very cheap and fans of Southern based teams should brace themselves for an argument over how much change they receive, only this time that they believe they were given too much!!! The Corner Flag offers a comfortable pre-match experience and the venue was only built in the early 90’s. You will be able to exchange stories/banter with home fans without any hint of trouble, whilst watching SKY TV.
Millhouse- Situated in the corner of the club car-park, this pub is more popular with home fans than visitors. This does not mean that away fans won’t be welcome and they will have no problems other than for the occasional ‘big’ game, when a little more caution would be recommended. The local ‘Cameron’s Strongarm’ is available in this Cameron’s owned, traditional match-day pub, as well as a selection of standard lagers. It has 2 rooms, with the busier left-hand room also having a pool table as well as Sky TV, as well as few tables for people to sit outside (although most sit on the pavement). Children are welcome, but may have to stand on a stool to get served as the bar is quite high.
West Hartlepool Rovers Amateur Quoit and Social Club- This Social Club is located a 5/10 minute stroll from the ground, on Raby Road, heading away from the Town Centre. The club actively encourages away fans to sample their hospitality and invites Supporters Clubs to visit prior to each home game. There are various beers/lagers on offer and prices start at a very reasonable £1.80 per pint, whilst there is a pool table and darts board for customers to pass the time away. Give Alan Robinson a call on 01429 272158 prior to your visit if you are in a group so that he can make sure you get a big welcome. More Information.
Lord Raglan Social Club- Very basic looking club situated a few minute’s walk from the visitor’s turnstiles, heading away from town. This club welcomes well behaved families and small groups. The Lord Raglan has a friendly feel and there is a beer garden for those who would like to enjoy the benefits of the North East Climate. There is normally a decent range of beers and lagers and a few home fans to exchange stories with.
King Johns Tavern (Right)- Popular town centre pub, which is part of the Wetherspoons chain. Quite a large single bar area, with Sky Sports showing without volume. As usual this place will serve cheap food and drinks, as well as many offers on both. Because of this it may attract a few members of the local riff-raff. You should have no problems in here except for the occasional big game.
Causeway- Located in the Stranton area, on the opposite side of the town centre to the ground. This pub is a must for real-ale enthusiasts, as they have some regular favourites as well as some ever-changing surprises. Not so popular on a match-day, but will have some knowledgeable Poolies supping on a quality pint. The Causeway also serves hot food, for the hungry traveller.
Jackson Wharf (Left)- This traditional looking pub is located in a beautiful location, overlooking the marina. It was built in the mid-nineties, but looks a lot older (with the greatest respect like). It has always been popular with away fans, but also gets a few home ones as well. There is a great waterside beer garden, but unfortunately not the weather to go with it. The Jacksons Wharf serves a wide range of foods, at a decent price and has a big range of lagers and ales. Be careful as although you can clearly see the ground, it is a longer walk than the 2 minutes you think that it is.
FOOD
There are many fast-food outlets on Church Street and York Road, which offer the usual fare of Kebabs, chips and pizzas.
Seaton Carew has some 2 highly rated Fish & Chip shops on the sea front, whilst Verrals in the Headland area, is renowned locally for its constantly high quality of food. Be sure to try the local favourite, fish fritter and chips, with a mountain of scraps.
There is a wide variety of international cuisine on Navigation Point on the Marina including; Indian, Chinese and English Bistro. Marco Polos on York Road has been recommended for its good quality of Italian food.
Near to the ground, but also on the Marina is a Pizza Hut and Burger King, whilst there is a Mcdonalds in the shopping centre and on near to the Tesco on Bell Vue Way.
Local Press
Hartlepool Mail- Daily town based newspaper, with an up-to-date website.
The Northern Echo- Regional daily newspaper, with a comprehensive sports section.
The Sunday Sun- Regional newspaper released, as its name suggests, on a Sunday. Has news on all of the North East clubs.
Useful Websites
Hartlepool United FC Official Site- Award winning offical website, which is always updated.
Hartlepool Vital Football- Fans forum which gets a lot of users.
Monkey Business- Fanzine website that is generally used to give information on the latest fanzine and back-copies rather than articles. The fanzine itself is a great read and is produced roughly 5 times per season. It has won awards in the past and has been going for around 20 years.
Poolie Bunker- Fans forum which, once again, gets a lot of users.
In The Mad Crowd- Fans website that although basic, has a lot of stats and info.
This is Hartlepool- Visitors website with information on accomodation, events, hsitory, shopping and other useful stuff.
NIGHTLIFE
Hartlepool has a busy and varied nightlife, which will cater for most tastes. The following are the main areas to try;
Victoria Road- A 5 minute walk from the ground and popular with the younger crowd. There is a host of bars in a small area, with the most popular being The Showroom, Loons, The King Johns Tavern and Time & Tide. Most of these bars are open until very late and will get busy from about 1030 onwards.
Church Street- A Street packed with bars/clubs, some of which are on side streets. This area is very lively from around mid-night and has a mix of young and older revellers. You will be able to party here until breakfast time with Lloyds and Nexus being 2 of the busiest places to visit.
Hartlepool Marina- This area has become lively with a more mature (!!!) crowd in recent years and is home to a diverse mix of highly rated restaurants and busy bars. The Marina comes into its own on a warm summer’s evening when revellers can have a drink by the waterside to the sound of yachts bobbing up and down.
FEATURED HOTEL
DOUGLAS HOTEL
This hotel is located at 2 Grange Road, Hartlepool. All rooms are en-suite and are very clean. The hotel also has a bar and a weekend restaurant, that offers a good quality menu. You are only a 2 minute walk from the town centre amenities. For football supporters it is only a 10 minute walk from here to the ground. Check out the hotel at www.douglas-hotel.co.uk.
Their contact details are as follows;
01429 272038
info@douglas-hotel.co.uk
THINGS TO DO IN HARTLEPOOL
Hartlepool Marina- Large marina with various leisure facilities including VUE Cinema, Museum of Hartlepool, The Historic Quay and shops.
Middleton Grange Shopping Centre- This is a fair-sized undercover shopping centre, with the standard town-centre shops. There is plenty of parking and food outlets.
The Headland- Home of the world famous ‘Monkey Hanging’ story, this old-town area is surrounded by the North Sea. Enjoy a walk around the promenade or a dip down at the Fish Sands.
Seaton Canoe- Renamed locally from Seaton Carew, due to a certain fraudster who disappeared into the North Sea, only to reappear in Panama!!!! This is a picturesque area with a fantastic beach and sand-dunes. There are arcades for the kids and a golf course for the dads.
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