Hartlepool is an English football club founded in 1908 and rooted in the coastal town of Hartlepool, County Durham. Its blue-and-white identity is closely linked with Victoria Park, known locally as The Vic, where the club has built a distinctive matchday culture. The names Pools and Monkey Hangers remain part of its public character, while maritime imagery associated with the badge reflects the town’s relationship with the North Sea. That combination of place, tradition and domestic football gives Hartlepool a distinctive profile within the English game.
Hartlepool Upcoming matches by league
National League Cup
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- Group Stage
HartlepoolNo H2HNewcastle United U21
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- Group Stage
HartlepoolNo H2HLeeds United U21
National League
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- Regular Season - 8
Altrincham
Hartlepool
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- Regular Season - 9
Hartlepool
Worthing
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- Regular Season - 10
Scunthorpe
Hartlepool
Attis Arena -
- Regular Season - 11
Hartlepool
Harrogate Town
Hartlepool Last matches by league
National League Cup
National League
Friendlies Clubs
FA Trophy
FA Cup
League Two
Hartlepool Team Roster
Hartlepool’s recorded squad contains 36 players, with a broad spread across all four positional groups. The roster lists 12 midfielders, including G. Holohan, Jamie Miley, N. Sheron and C. Darcy. Attack offers nine options, among them J. Hugill, W. Harris, K. Foreman and C. Popov. Nine defenders include R. McNally, M. Kouogun, C. John and Neo Eccleston. Six goalkeepers complete the group, with Max Merrick, N. Fisher and H. Conyard among the listed names. The squad therefore combines a sizeable midfield contingent with balanced attacking and defensive numbers, while several entries carry shirt numbers and others do not.
position Goalkeeper
Max Merrick
H. Conyard
N. Fisher
B. Williams
Adam Clifford Smith
position Defender
Jay Lewis Benn
Cameron Bradley John
Maxim Kouogun
Reiss McNally
Neo Eccleston
C. Penman
Liam Steven Gibson
A. Basiru
O. Duthie
L. Standing
position Midfielder
Jack David Hunter
Brooklyn Ilunga
Jamie Miley
Nathan John Sheron
C. Popov
Owen Hampson
J. Penprase
A. Wood
Charlie Smith
position Attacker
Jordan Thomas Hugill
William Harris
Luke Bowler Charman
Jack Daniel Nolan
C. Thornton
Corey McKeown
T. Bondo
J. Worth
Last Hartlepool Coachs
The latest recorded appointment in Hartlepool’s coaching timeline is Simon Grayson, who began on 1 July 2025. The timeline does not confirm who held the role. Anthony Limbrick is also listed from 1 February 2025, while Darren Sarll is recorded from April to November 2024 and Kevin Phillips from January to April 2024. John Askey’s entry runs from February 2023 to January 2024, rounding out this recent chronology of documented appointments.
Simon Nicholas Grayson
History
| Coach | Coach country | Coach since | Coach until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simon Nicholas Grayson | England | 1 July 2025 | |
| Anthony Limbrick | Australia | 1 February 2025 | |
| Darren Sarll | England | 1 April 2024 | 1 November 2024 |
| Kevin Phillips | England | 1 January 2024 | 1 April 2024 |
| John Askey | England | 1 February 2023 | 1 January 2024 |
| Keith Curle | England | 1 September 2022 | 1 February 2023 |
| Antony Sweeney | England | 1 September 2022 | 1 September 2022 |
| Paul James Hartley | Scotland | 1 June 2022 | 1 September 2022 |
| Graeme Lee | England | 1 December 2021 | 1 May 2022 |
| Antony Sweeney | England | 1 November 2021 | 1 December 2021 |
| David Paul Challinor | England | 1 November 2019 | 1 November 2021 |
| Antony Sweeney | England | 1 October 2019 | 1 November 2019 |
| Craig Hignett | England | 1 January 2019 | 1 October 2019 |
| Richard Money | England | 1 November 2018 | 1 January 2019 |
| Matthew Bates | England | 1 February 2018 | 1 November 2018 |
| Craig Harrison | England | 1 May 2017 | 1 February 2018 |
| Matthew Bates | England | 1 April 2017 | 1 May 2017 |
| Dave Jones | England | 18 January 2017 | 24 April 2017 |
| Craig Hignett | England | 1 February 2016 | 1 January 2017 |
| Sam Collins | England | 1 October 2014 | 1 December 2014 |
| Michael Barron | England | 1 October 2012 | 1 November 2012 |
Hartlepool Transfers
Recorded arrivals include Max Merrick on loan from Chelsea and free-agent additions N. Fisher, C. John, Neo Eccleston, J. Hugill, B. Ilunga and C. Popov during June and July. The list also includes returns from loan for C. Darcy, J. Donaldson and K. Foreman. Earlier entries feature loan arrivals J. Smith-Sway, C. Okike, C. Caton, T. Sinclair, A. Nathaniel-George and P. Brown, alongside free agents G. Holohan and N. Hayes. These are listed movements rather than an exhaustive transfer history.
Latest player transfers from
| Player | Team from | Transfer type | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|---|
| C. Darcy |
Spennymoor Town
|
Return from loan | 3 September 2026 |
| N. Fisher |
Middlesbrough
|
Free agent | 25 July 2026 |
| N. Fisher |
Middlesbrough
|
Free agent | 24 July 2026 |
| Max Merrick |
Chelsea
|
Loan | 24 July 2026 |
| C. John |
York
|
Free agent | 23 July 2026 |
| L. Gibson |
Harrogate Town
|
Free agent | 13 July 2026 |
| Owen Hampson |
Sheffield Utd
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| W. Harris |
FC Halifax Town
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| T. Bondo |
Blackpool
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| Corey McKeown |
Spennymoor Town
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| C. Popov |
Leicester
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| B. Ilunga |
Bromley
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| J. Hugill |
Rotherham
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| Neo Eccleston |
Huddersfield
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| J. Nolan |
Morecambe
|
- | 29 June 2026 |
Recorded departures include several loan returns: C. Okike, C. John, H. Cartwright, J. Smith-Sway, C. Caton, T. Sinclair, P. Brown, A. Nathaniel-George and G. Evans are listed as returning to other clubs. Other listed movements include K. Foreman’s February departure to Spennymoor Town, J. Francis’s transfer to Sutton Utd and loan-related movements involving C. Darcy, B. Topalloj, K. Foreman, Michael Dacosta, S. Folarin, L. Stephenson and J. Donaldson. G. Madine and J. Grey are recorded as free transfers in July 2025. The list is not exhaustive.
Latest player transfers to
| Player | Team to | Transfer type | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|---|
| B. Walker |
Darlington 1883
|
Free agent | 13 August 2026 |
| C. Darcy |
Spennymoor Town
|
Loan | 29 July 2026 |
| J. Donaldson |
Hebburn Town
|
Loan | 17 July 2026 |
| K. Foreman |
Hebburn Town
|
Loan | 13 July 2026 |
| D. Johnson |
Spennymoor Town
|
Free agent | 8 July 2026 |
| A. Campbell |
South Shields
|
Free agent | 7 July 2026 |
| N. Ferguson |
AFC Hornchurch
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| T. Parkes |
Tamworth
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| J. Robinson |
Gateshead
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| A. Reid |
Barrow
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| S. Folarin |
Sutton Utd
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| M. Daly |
Morecambe
|
- | 30 June 2026 |
| N. Hayes |
Aldershot Town
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| L. Stephenson |
Spennymoor Town
|
Free agent | 29 June 2026 |
| T. Parkes |
Tamworth
|
Free agent | 29 June 2026 |
Transfers Synthesis
From November 2025 to July 2026, Hartlepool’s recorded movement pattern combines new arrivals with loan returns, loans and free-agent activity. The incoming list includes a Chelsea loan for Max Merrick, several free agents added in June and July, and earlier loans from clubs including Huddersfield, Hull City, Accrington ST and York. Returns from loan also feature, notably C. Darcy, J. Donaldson and K. Foreman. Outgoing activity is similarly mixed: multiple players went back after loan spells, while other entries show loans, a transfer and free transfers. The same names appear in different phases of the movement record, reflecting changing temporary arrangements rather than a single movement type. The listed activity therefore describes a fluid sequence across the 2025-26 period, with no complete total or financial figures established by this dated selection.
Leagues Hartlepool has participated in
Hartlepool’s most recently recorded competitions through 2025 are the National League, FA Cup, FA Trophy and club friendlies. The participation history also includes the EFL Trophy and League Cup through 2022, alongside League Two through 2022. League One appears only in the earlier 2011 to 2012 record. The National League, FA Cup and FA Trophy entries extend to 2025, making them the most recent league and cup records. Club friendlies are also recorded through 2025, while the older League One, League Two, EFL Trophy and League Cup entries are historical. The record is entirely domestic and contains no continental competition.
More about Hartlepool
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English club founded in 1908 and based in the coastal town of Hartlepool in County Durham. The town’s maritime setting is central to the club’s character: blue and white are the traditional colours, and the badge is associated with a ship’s wheel behind a football and the motto "The Town’s Club." Supporters commonly use Pools, while Monkey Hangers remains one of English football’s most distinctive nicknames.
Victoria Park, known locally as The Vic, is the club’s historic home, with the ground opening in 1908. Situated on Clarence Road, the stadium combines seated stands, including the Cyril Knowles Stand and Neale Cooper Stand, with traditional terracing at the Town End. Its setting and layout reinforce the close relationship between the club, its supporters and the town’s industrial and coastal identity. Matchday culture is also notable for colourful alternative kits and the famous end-of-season fancy-dress tradition associated with home fixtures.
Hartlepool’s history belongs firmly to the English football pyramid. The club spent long periods in the lower divisions and became especially associated with the old Fourth Division’s re-election era, before automatic promotion and relegation reshaped that system. Its domestic story includes repeated FA Cup participation and encounters with leading opposition, alongside regional and national lower-tier competition. Brian Clough’s breakthrough managerial period at the club in the late 1960s remains an important part of its historical profile and helped reinforce Hartlepool’s reputation for resilient underdog football.
The club has operated under changing local and private stewardship arrangements while retaining a strong community connection. That balance between institutional change and civic identity is central to Hartlepool’s place in English football. It is a domestic football entity without a continental competition footprint, and its enduring appeal rests on a recognisable coastal identity, loyal support and a long association with hard-earned lower-league football.
Last matches statistics for Hartlepool
| match | shots | Poss. | Pass % | Fouls | Cards | Saves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hartlepool
1 - 0
Fleetwood Town
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Hartlepool
2 - 0
Barrow
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Hartlepool
0 - 10
Middlesbrough U21
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Aldershot Town
0 - 1
Hartlepool
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Sutton Utd
2 - 1
Hartlepool
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Hartlepool
0 - 1
Eastleigh
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
FC Halifax Town
1 - 0
Hartlepool
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Hartlepool
1 - 0
Woking
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Hartlepool
0 - 1
Everton U21
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Kidderminster Harriers
2 - 0
Hartlepool
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
Detailed statistics Hartlepool
Xtra rating history
Last rating points (most recent matches).
shots Hartlepool
Warnings Hartlepool
Passes Hartlepool
Goalkeeper saves Hartlepool
Latest start lineups Hartlepool (XI)
FC Halifax Town vs Hartlepool
National League 2026 - 1585188
Stockport County vs Hartlepool
League Two 2022 - Edgeley Park
Hartlepool vs Barrow
League Two 2022 - The Suit Direct Stadium
Hartlepool vs Crawley Town
League Two 2022 - The Suit Direct Stadium
Salford City vs Hartlepool
League Two 2022 - The Peninsula Stadium
Newport County vs Hartlepool
League Two 2022 - Rodney Parade
2021-2022
1st shirt