Grayfields Sports Pavilion
Jesmond Gardens
Hartlepool
TS24 8PJ
Ground Number: 1535
Friday 3rd April 2026
FC Hartlepool 1-0 Seaham Red Star
FC Hartlepool 1-0 Seaham Red Star
Northern League D2
FC HARTLEPOOL - A BRIEF HISTORY
FC Hartlepool were formed in 1993 and was originally known as The Fens Hotel FC. In 2002, the club was renamed as Teesside Arriva due to a sponsorship deal from Arriva, which provided the club with minibuses for away games. In the summer of 2003, the club changed names again and was now known as Hartlepool FC. The final name change to FC Hartlepool came in 2019. They started out in the Hartlepool Church League before joining the Teeside League in 2001. Starting in Division 2, they were runners-up to SMG Redstripes in 2003 before winning the Division 1 title a year later. Following more high finishes, they were accepted into the Wearside League in 2006. They remained there until 2023, when they were champions, winning promotion to the Northern League D2, where they remain to this day. This made them the first side to play in the Northern League within Hartlepool since Hartlepool United Reserves in 1987, while the defunct Hartlepool Town were in the league for the 1994–95 season, they played their home games in Ferryhill.
The club entered the FA Vase for the first time in 2024, beating Sunderland RCA, Chester-Le-Street United & Jarrow before going out to Ashton Town in the 2nd Round. Local cup wins include the Wearside League Cup in 2018. Their record attendance of 1,516 came against Hartlepool United for a friendly in July 2025. The club badge states 1979 as its year of formation. This marks the establishment of the youth and junior setup in the town. Before FC Hartlepool was a senior team playing in the Northern League, it existed for decades as a community-focused youth club providing football for local children. The club chose to put 1979 on the crest to honour this long-standing heritage in the Hartlepool community.
MY VISIT
This was the first groundhop in the Northern League since 2014. Back then, I believe the league did it under their own steam rather than let Groundhop UK organise coach travel and hotels. In fact, the league organised the first ever hopping event (multiple games in one day) way back in 1992, a decade before GHUK were established and almost twenty years before I started hopping. Those 90s hops included the likes of Peterlere New Town, Murton and Evenwood Town, who have ceased to exist. Various stories emerged from those hops, such as the Shotton Colliery ball boy who parachuted into the centre circle from a light aircraft. There was also the Esh Winning Monsoon on Good Friday 1993. In a game that saw the hosts beat Norton & Stockton Ancients 2-1, a relentless, torrential downpour began just before kick-off and didn't stop. It wasn't just rain; it was a "monsoon" that turned the pitch into a marsh and the uncovered areas into a mudbath. In modern football, the game would have been called off after ten minutes. However, with 423 travellers having paid for a "hop" ticket and the schedule being so tight, there was immense pressure to finish. The referee allowed play to continue in conditions that were better suited for water polo. The clubhouse became a sardine can of steaming wet coats and soggy programmes. Legend has it that the tea lady did more business in 90 minutes than the club usually did in a season.
In any case, all of this bore no relevance to today. GHUK impose the '20 year rule', meaning that if a ground had been visited on a hop, it had to wait 20 years for another go. For that reason, the 2014 hosts - North Shields, Whitley Bay, Jarrow Roofing, Washington, Birtley Town, Consett, Ryton & Crawcrook Albion, Bishop Auckland, Spennymoor Town & Newton Aycliffe - would have to wait a while. I'd been to six of those games and got round to visiting all of the grounds eventually.
It was around half an hour to FC Hartlepool from Grangetown Boys Club. It was an easy ground to get away from, despite the heavy traffic. We got to Hartlepool to find the car park full, but street parking was fine. It was a fiver to get in, just as with the one before, excellent value. A nice old shirt was a fiver too. The food was doing a roaring trade, and there were rumours that the beef had sold out already. Service was pretty decent, albeit no menu was displayed. Chicken curry and hand-cut chips were superb for £6.50 and filled me up, along with a can of cider. I got a space behind the goal with PuffPuff and Sean for the start of the game.
FC Hartlepool sat in 6th, outside the playoffs, but with quite a bit of work to do if they were to make the cut. They had played 21, drawn three and lost 13 games so far. They were on mixed form, but had beaten 2nd-place Redcar Town 2-1 in their last game. This was a crunch game with Seaham Red Star sitting in 5th. They'd won 22, drawn six and lost nine and were five points ahead of Hartlepool with a game in hand. They'd won six in a row, beating Alnwick Town 2-0 on Saturday but would play their game in hand on Tuesday when they faced Newcastle University. They won that 3-2 so it was a disappointment to see such a dull opening with FC Hartlepool having the best of the limited chances. The sun came out in the second half, but it was still nippy for April. The game brightened up too, but there still wasn't much goalmouth action. A penalty was awarded for a trip on 78 minutes, but it was well saved. Another goal-mouth scramble on 80 minutes, another penalty with Seaham's Lewis Cowan sent off for foul and abusive language. Tom Gavin scored the penalty this time, blasting high into the net. That was enough to win the game for them, not the greatest contest.
THE GROUND
GREYFIELDS ENCLOSURE is a typical new build ground with metal stands added to what was a basic railed pitch. These at least have a bit of club colours and signage. All in all, around 100 seats and the same standing under cover. Food, drink and merch are all good, especially the hand-cut chips. Parking is available in nearby side streets.
