Back Where It All Began
While I have visited many grounds over the years, Victoria Park, Hartlepool, is where my groundhopping adventures officially began at the beginning of last year.
Ironically, it was for the visit of Blackpool in the FA Cup 3rd Round in January and it would also be a Championship side visiting this time around. Not just any Championship side either. ‘My’ team, Stoke City would be their opponents.
I haven’t seen Stoke City’s first team play since before the first Covid pandemic lockdown in 2020, so this would be an excellent occasion for me. A combination of lockdowns and living in the northeast of England has limited the number of times I go to watch Stoke. As has the fact that I now choose to ground hop.
That aside, Stoke City will always be the team I love, despite the hurt they constantly give me in return. Fans of sides that don’t often dominate the league they are in, will fully know how that feels. The number of seasons I have seen Stoke do well, is far outweighed by seasons they have been terrible or… meh?
Meanwhile, Hartlepool is a club I enjoy visiting and this will be my third trip to their ground, including that first game in 2022. I also went to catch their game against Stoke’s rivals, Port Vale at the end of last season.
Hartlepool United – Journey and Pre-Game
On the last two visits, we travelled by rail, but with strikes on the 7th, I determined not to risk the ‘aftermath day’ and we went by bus instead.
This involved catching the 08:57 bus to Peterlee and a connecting bus to Hartlepool. The problem being, the connecting buses are hourly and with our bus getting there just after the previous one to Hartlepool, it left us with almost an hour to kill in Peterlee.
We managed to find a Greggs shop and sat eating some breakfast to while away some of the time. This did nothing to dismiss my notion that no matter where you are in the country, you are never more than a hundred yards away from a Greggs!
Still, that’s not a complaint because I’m a fan and I sat eating my sausage roll and steak bake happily. With about twenty minutes still to wait, we made our way back to the bus station and caught the connecting bus on time. We arrived in Hartlepool around 10:40 and I sent a message to a Stoke-supporting Twitter friend of mine to let him know we would meet him in the Corner Flag – a social club on the corner of Hartlepool’s ground.
We made our way up Clarence Road and got a first glimpse of Victoria Park.
We popped into the club shop to get a programme before wandering around the ground to take a few photos.
Hartlepool United – Outside the Stadium
The Corner Flag
Having completed our brief look around the ground, we headed back to the northwest corner of the stadium. This is where the aptly named Corner Flag is located.
This is Hartlepool’s social club and has two levels, with a bar on each floor. On our last visit, we used the upstairs area, so this time we stayed in the lower section which is a little smaller. The beer is quite cheap in the club, so the fact that they ask someone in your group to sign in and leave a donation is no problem at all, you will soon get your money back.
I have said on previous visits that Hartlepool is a friendly club and their supporters are very welcoming. Today I would be putting that to the test even more so because both I and my Twitter friend would be there as away fans.
My initial thoughts were correct.
Making Us Welcome
The people who spoke to us were only curious about ‘Were we Stoke fans’, ‘Are you going straight back after the game’. ‘How is your team doing’ etc. etc. We had several conversations with different people and I would have no problem whatsoever in recommending this place to anyone who supports an opposing team.
If you are looking for a ‘proper boozer’, then there are plenty of good places in the town centre.
There is another bar located behind the Simpson Millar Stand, called the Club 1908 Lounge. I haven’t been in there other than for a quick peek inside. It is quite a big place and gets busy on a match day. I can’t say for sure that this place is as welcoming as the Corner Flag but my guess would be that it is, because that’s what Hartlepool is like in my experience.
Hartlepool United – The Stadium
After saying our goodbyes to the good folk inside the Corner Flag, we set off to enter the ground. Once outside, we said goodbye to Rob, who had tickets for the away end, and headed off to our turnstile entrance.
We had tickets for the paddock that runs along the length of the pitch opposite the main stand. I bought these tickets via the Hartlepool United ticket system at a cost of £20.00 per ticket plus an admin fee of £1.50 and another £1.00 for postage.
We used the turnstiles adjacent to the Corner Flag and entered the ground. I’m not sure if I just wasn’t seeing it, or if there really isn’t an entrance to the terracing at that end of the ground. We walked the length of the stand and found a way in at the far end.
Victoria Park is a nice old-school football ground, with terracing at one end and along one side. The rest of the stadium is seated, including above the terrace on the side where we stood.
The Brunel Group Stand
Teesside International Airport Stand
Simpson Millar Solicitors Stand
Cyril Knowles Stand (AKA Longbranch Stand)
Victoria Park also has some wonderful traditional floodlights that tower above the stands in each corner of the ground.
Hartlepool United – Stadium Gallery
Hartlepool United – Pre-Game Video of Victoria Park
H’Angus the Monkey
Hartlepool also has an active mascot that makes his presence felt by mingling with supporters in the stands and around the pitch – H’Angus the Monkey. He is very good at interacting with the youngsters around Victoria Park and it is a theme I mentioned in my last Hoppers Tale at this ground, they are very good at embracing the younger supporters, which is great for helping to gain future lifelong supporters.
Why a monkey? Why H’Angus? I hear you ask…
Well, according to legend, during the Napoleonic Wars, a shipwrecked monkey was hung as a French spy by the people of Hartlepool. Did it really happen? I’ve no idea but it makes for an interesting anecdote about your town.
The people of Hartlepool are still affectionately known as ‘monkey hangers’ and that is also what a group of their more vocal supporters call themselves, too.
You can read more about that legend here.
Hartlepool United v Stoke City – The Game
Form
Coming into this FA Cup 3rd Round tie, both clubs are struggling to find any kind of sustained decent form in their respective leagues. It’s no surprise then to see that Hartlepool are 23rd in League Two and occupies one of the two relegation slots out of the Football League. They have, however, shown a little bit of fight of late, winning two and drawing one of their last four matches.
Stoke City, meanwhile, are 18th in the Championship out of a possible 24 and they have won one, drawn one and lost two of their last four league games.
It looks, on paper, like the team that wants it most on the day, has a good chance of taking it, despite the divisional gulf. Although the home fans would be hoping for a repeat of the third-round tie with Stoke when the two sides met here at the same stage of the competition back in 2009 when Pools won 2-0.
Taking the Knee
The teams entered the pitch from the players’ tunnel in the main stand, lined up to shake hands and took their positions. On the referee’s whistle, the players took a knee and were greeted with a surprising amount of boos from people around me.
I think people have got the message and just want the players to get on with the game now, maybe? It certainly didn’t feel like a hostile, racist reaction. More, a reaction to the fact that players are still doing it two years on from when it started.
On the flip side of that, if racism still exists, maybe players need to continue to make a stand against it.
Kick-off
With the knee ritual out of the way, the game kicked off and it was the home side who got things underway.
Inside the first minute, Stoke’s Morgan Fox took a bang to the head that saw him wearing a bandage for the rest of the half and a natty headband in the second.
In the sixth minute, Josh Laurent was presented with a chance that he probably should have scored from, but didn’t, instead it was into the outstretched leg of Pools’ keeper Ben Killip.
Stoke were showing themselves to be better in possession than the home team but weren’t doing a lot to trouble their defence. Nick Powell was playing with a smirk on his face which usually means there is a little bit of devilish intent on his mind and the more players try to get under his skin, the wider his smirk becomes.
He was looking the brightest of Stoke’s attacking options in the early stages and it was no surprise that he was involved in most of the better moments.
In the sixteenth minute, the away side took the lead via an unlikely source – OG.
Own Goal has been a favourite striker for Stoke in the past and he was back with a brace at today’s game. His first came from the boot of Euan Murray as he slid in to try and clear a hard-hit cross from the left by Josh Tymon. The ball flew off his boot into the top of the net, leaving Killip with no chance.
0-1 Stoke City!
The home fans didn’t seem particularly surprised to find themselves a goal down and it reminded me of the apathy surrounding Stoke too. Is this a trend in modern football, or is it just a sign of clubs that aren’t doing well? I’m not sure because if memory serves, the apathy set in at Stoke well before their relegation from the Premier League.
You can tell that Stoke have been through the wringer when chants of “How bad must you be, we’re winning away” came from the Stoke fans, aimed at a League Two side’s fans.
As the rain came down, Hartlepool tried to respond and did have a few set-piece chances from corners. At least one of which saw plenty of pushing and shoving going on off the ball. There was also a decent shot from Pools’ striker Josh Umerah, with the effort going just wide.
It was Stoke who got the next goal though and this time star striker, OG wasn’t required.
In the 42nd minute, a lovely move down the Stoke left saw Fox and Tymon exchange some neat passes before freeing Jacob Brown in the box. From the narrowest of angles, Brown somehow found the back of the net and put the visitors two to the good.
0-2 Stoke City!
There was just time for Jordan Thompson to try his luck from long-range, putting his effort just wide of the post.
This action brought an end to a comfortable half for the visitors. Even Hartlepool’s fans didn’t seem as vocal as the other two visits I’ve made here.
Half-time – Hartlepool United 0 Stoke City 2
Mrs Hopper made her way off for the traditional hot drink at half-time but reappeared without one ten minutes later. Apparently, the queue wasn’t just slow, it was hardly moving at all, so she gave up because her back is painful right now.
It was during the half-time interval that we were treated to a wonderful double rainbow above the stadium, as the sun made a valiant effort to drive off the constant rain.
The Second Half
The half saw Stoke restart the game without their main frontman, OG as Euan Murray was replaced by Joe Grey for the second forty-five.
Stoke started the half brightly, with Nick Powell setting up Liam Delap, son of Stoke City’s modern-day legend, Rory. Manchester City‘s on-loan striker’s shot was tame though and straight into the arms of Killip.
Despite us being worried about losing OG up front, he came back in the 48th minute in the guise of Rollin Menayese.
This time, a low cross from the right flank by another on-loan player, Harry Clarke of Arsenal, was met by the outstretched boot of Menayese and again, it went straight into the Pools’ net.
0-3 Stoke City!
When your luck is out, despite every valiant effort, it seems nothing can go right for you and I hope this trend changes for Hartlepool quickly.
Five minutes after conceding, more bad luck followed for the home side as their main striker, Umerah was taken off with an injury that may see him miss league action.
A minute later, Delap should have made it four as he was through one on one with the keeper but fired the ball straight at Killip’s legs. Jordan Thompson had a free-kick shot straight into the arms of Killip, soon afterwards.
Young Guns
in the 64th minute, Stoke academy product, Emre Tezgel was brought on to shouts of “He’s one of our own” from the travelling Stokies. Indeed, there are a few academy products knocking on the door of the first team and a couple of them were in evidence today.
Centre-back Connor Taylor who was in superb form with Bristol Rovers‘ promotion team last season, was in the starting line-up. Added to him was the aforementioned Tezgel, a prodigy who is being monitored by some of the Premier League’s big guns. Also making his debut towards the end of the game was Lewis Macari, grandson of another Stoke legend in former manager, Lou Macari.
Not So Young
Despite his great goalscoring pedigree, since joining Stoke in the summer, Dwight Gayle has yet to score for the club. This game was indicative of his time with Stoke so far. A mixture of bad luck and unconvincing attempts combined to thwart him.
In the 70th minute, a cross by Tymon from the left found Gayle racing into the six-yard area but his shot went wide of the post when he maybe should have scored. Come the 82nd minute and the other aspect appeared – bad luck.
A corner was floated into the box and partially cleared by the Pools defender but it only found its way to Gayle on the near side. He acrobatically put in an overhead kick attempt that went agonisingly wide of the post when he deserved better.
Two minutes later and another chance for Gayle. As the ball pinged around in the box, it fell to his feet near the penalty spot and his resulting shot went straight at the keeper.
I get the feeling he just needs to score one and the rest will flow.
This was pretty much the last of the meaningful action, other than seeing Stoke’s Macari brought on to replace Taylor.
You can read a full Match Report here taken from the Hartlepool Mail.
Full-time – Hartlepool United 0 Stoke City 3
Attendance – 4,340
Entrance Fee – £20.00
Programme – £3.00
Next up for Hartlepool United is a long trip south to the bottom-of-the-table team, Gillingham. That will be a huge six-pointer and one that both teams will be desperate not to lose. The game will take place on Saturday, January 14th.
Meanwhile, Stoke City will face a tough test at Bramall Lane, home of second-placed Sheffield United, also on January 14th.
Hartlepool United – Match Highlights
Hartlepool United – After the Game
After the final whistle, we made our way out of the ground via the opposite end of where we came onto the terrace. Was this open before the game? I would love to know for future reference Poolies if you could drop a comment below.
We had a while to wait for our bus home, so we decided to pop back into the Corner Flag for a drink and a sandwich. Some of the same people were in there and they were still friendly and polite, despite watching their team lose 3-0 to my team.
When we departed they called after us wishing us a safe journey home and in return, I wished them good luck for the rest of the season and I genuinely meant it. It would be really sad to see a great community club like Hartlepool leave the Football League.
We caught our bus back to Peterlee amid some chaotic scenes as police vans with flashing lights were speeding around, seemingly trying to catch groups of young kids who were laughing and running around. Mrs Hopper was having none of it and curtly told them to “Move!”, which made me chuckle.
Once in Peterlee, I noticed someone with a wedge of programmes and teamsheets in his hand and I asked him if I could buy a teamsheet from him. He promptly gave me one and wouldn’t take anything for it. Again, indicative of the people in these parts.
Our connection arrived and we were home by about six pm.
Next up on my list of grounds to visit, is Brunton Park, home of Carlisle United. I have visited here once before, back in the early 1990s, so it will be interesting to see what if anything has changed since then.
Onto the next!