Last Sunday Hartlepool United secured their place in League Two for next season with a dramatic National League play off victory against Torquay United at Ashton Gate. Torquay had drawn level in the final minute of the six added on at the end of the 90 minutes and extra time failed to see any further goals so, locked at 1-1, the teams went into a penalty shootout from which Hartlepool emerged as 5-4 winners.
Founded in 1908 as Hartlepools United, the club has played home games at Victoria Park ever since and the ground now has a capacity of 7,865. The ‘s’ was dropped from the name in 1968, as was the word ‘United’. However, ‘United’ was restored in 1977.
The first meeting of the clubs came back in September 1961 when it was still Hartlepools; that was the first, and only, time the sides have met in the League Cup and Rovers were 2-1 winners of that first round tie. Peter Hooper and Geoff Bradford scored for Rovers, while Gordon Lithgo was on target for the visitors in a game that attracted a crowd of 8,469 to Eastville.
The sides have never met in the FA Cup and it wasn’t until 1968/69 that the clubs first met in the league and in the 22 games played Rovers have won eight, Hartlepool seven and there have also been seven draws.
Our last league meetings came in 2015/16 when Rovers were 3-0 winners at Victoria Park in September 2015 and then 4-1 winners when Hartlepool visited the Memorial Stadium on March 1st 2016.
Both games are worth a mention here though there’s only one game against Hartlepool United that really stands out for me.
That game was played at Victoria Park on 5th May 2007 when Rovers were 2-1 winners and secured their place in the League Two play offs thanks to goals from Richard Walker and Rickie Lambert. Already promoted Hartlepool still had a chance to go up as champions and so it promised to be an intriguing afternoon in the north east as Stockport, the only other side in with a shout of making the play offs, were playing just down the road at Darlington.
Joel Porter gave the home side a half time lead and down the road at Darlington, Stockport were in front against a home side reduced to ten men. Walker equalised for Rovers, from the penalty spot, on 53 minutes and with four minutes remaining Lambert cemented a place in the play offs when he glanced home Ryan Green’s cross from the right. Stockport beat Darlington but because of Rovers’ victory, they remained a League Two side.
The result also meant that Hartlepool finished second and while they wanted to undertake a lap of honour to celebrate with their fans, they graciously allowed Rovers players, Directors and staff to celebrate with the Gasheads who had travelled up to the north east before their own celebrations began.
Players who have turned out for both clubs include; Jack Baldwin, Jon Bass, Danny Coles, Tim Carter, Darryl Duffy, Jermaine Easter, Joe Gadston, Ali Gibb, James Hamilton, Luke James, Peter Hartley, Ellis Harrison, Chris Llewellyn, Aidan McCaffery, Jimmy McCambridge, Bob Newton, Andy Monkhouse, Anthony Williams and Robbie Turner.
Darrell Clarke is a former Hartlepool player who went on to manage Rovers, while current Rovers Director Tommy Widdrington also played for Hartlepool.
Players to have made their Rovers League debut against Hartlepool United are; Carlos Sanchez-Lopez and Drew Shore (both 2001/02), Lee Hodges (2002/03) and David McCracken (2010/11).
A one way trip from The Mem to Hartlepool’s Victoria Ground is 270 miles
Keith Brookman