Victoria Park (Hartlepool)

Victoria Park is a football ground in Hartlepool, County Durham, England, which is the home of League Two club Hartlepool United.

General information

Arena capacity: 7,856 spectators

Address: Clarence Road, Hartlepool, County Durham, England, TS24 8BZ

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 54.6891° N, 1.2126° W

Year of construction: 1886

Field: grass lawn with dimensions of 110 x 73 yards

Seating plan of Victoria Park

Cyril Knowles Stand

The Cyril Knowles Stand consists of a single tier of seating.

The smaller seating blocks at either end of the stand are coloured blue, with the two blocks further inwards on each side coloured white instead. These white blocks also have the letters HUFC spelt out in blue across them. The block with the letter C in has a flat platform down at the front for disabled supporters to use. The next block inwards on either side is coloured completely blue, and the very central block is coloured white with the number 1908, the year Hartlepool United was formed, made out of red seating across it. Part of the central block is sectioned off at the back for executive use, and you can find executive boxes up behind the back row.

Victoria Park’s dugouts are based down at the front, with the tunnel to the right of centre and the changing rooms located inside.

Your view from anywhere inside the Cyril Knowles Stand is perfectly clear, as there are no supporting pillars coming down from the roof above.

Windshields are in place at either end, but they only provide protection to the rows further back. There are just small walls in place to offer protection for those sat further forwards.

Town End

The Town End is a single tier of standing terrace.

It has three rows of white metal bars running across it for fans to lean on, with its entrance doors from the outer concourse being located up at the back.

Your view from anywhere inside the Town End is perfectly clear as there are no supporting pillars coming down from the roof above.

Windshields are in place at either end, but they only provide protection to the rows further back. There are just small walls in place to offer protection for those sat further forwards.

The southwest corner between the Town End and the Neale Cooper Stand holds the Stadium Control Box and an electronic scoreboard that can best be seen by those at the opposite end of the ground.

Neale Cooper Stand

The Neale Cooper Stand is divided into two tiers.

The lower tier contains uncovered standing terrace with two rows of white metal bars running across it for fans to lean on and the very front rows actually being lower down than the pitch in front of them. A white fence at the back of the terracing area limits the points where fans can enter it.

Views from inside this terraced area are certainly clear, but there is little to no protection from the sides or from overhead.

The upper tier in the Neale Cooper Stand contains backless seating and is elevated above ground, accessible via small staircases down at the front. The outermost blocks are green in colour, with the inner blocks appearing more orange in colour and having the letters HUFC spelt out in grey across them. A walled-off area up at the back holds Press Box and the matchday camera.

Your view from anywhere inside the upper tier is perfectly clear as there are no supporting pillars coming down from the roof.

There are no windshields in place at either end however, with just small walls offering protection from the sides.

Rink End

The Rink End is a single tier of entirely blue seating.

Supporting pillars come down along the front and back of the stand, and this will restrict your view slightly if you are stood behind or near them. Your best view is likely to come from being sat down at the front or at either end of the seating area.

There are windshields in place at either end of the stand to offer protection, with both having a door-shaped opening at the front to enable access inside and out.

Away Fans

Away fans are housed behind the goal in the Rink End. This is a single tier of blue seating, which has supporting pillars coming down at the front and back.

Your view is likely to be restricted as a result, especially for the smaller crowds who tend to congregate in the central blocks right behind the northern goal. The best views in this stand are likely to come from the very front row or the seats at either end of the stand.

Windshields additionally provide a good level of protection at either end.

The turnstiles for this part of Victoria Park are marked out for Away Supporters and can be found in different places.

One set can be found off Clarence Road, in the northeast corner and next to the large Main Reception Building. The other set of turnstiles are housed by a brick building in the northwest corner. You can get between these by heading through the car park outside the Rink End.

Where to buy tickets?

There are different prices for tickets depending on how old you are, but apart from that, it’s pretty standard stuff and the price doesn’t vary at all.

As is so often the case in the modern era, the club’s website is the best place to look for match tickets. If you fancy taking a chance then you can always try to get one on the get on the day of a match, with the fact that they rarely sell out their games meaning that you’ll be in with a good chance of getting one.

You can get tickets on the turnstile, over the phone or in person from the ticket office. Just be aware there is a £1.50 charge for card payments.

How to get there?

From the A19 take the A689 towards Hartlepool: Stay on this road following the 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.

There is limited car parking at the ground for away fans but these need to be booked in advance with the Club by and they cost £5. Near to the Millhouse Pub (TS24 8AP) off Raby Road (behind the Niramax Stand) is a car park, which charges £3 on matchdays. Otherwise, there is some street parking albeit a bit of a distance away, as a residents only parking scheme is in operation on matchdays around the ground.

Post Code for SAT NAV: TS24 8BZ

Hartlepool Railway Station is a ten-minute walk from the Victoria Park ground. Leave the station and go straight up a short approach road. At the end of the approach, turn right and head up Church Street towards the large church. At the end of this road is a bridge and junction with the A689. Go straight across the junction and the ground is in front of you on the left hand side of the road.

The number 1, the 36, the 3, 3A, 6 and 20 are all buses that stop within a quick walk of the stadium, so they’ll be the ones that you’ll want to look out for if you’d rather get the bus to the stadium than walk.

Hartlepool also boasts a number of private taxi companies, so you’ll be looking at around £5 for a journey in one of them from the town centre to Victoria Park.

Where to eat and sleep?

Hartlepool is on the coast so there are plenty of options for a place to stay.

1. OYO The Douglas Hotel. This guesthouse offers 17 rooms, so it’s a small but pleasant place to stay if you’re heading to Hartlepool for the football. There’s a restaurant on-site, as well as a bar and lounge area where you can relax. There’s even a banquet hall should you wish to have a feast whilst you’re there. Guests can take advantage of free Wi-Fi and you’re ideally located in the heart of the town. You’ll find Victoria Park about ten minutes walk away.
2. The Marine Hotel. If you’re having a trip to somewhere like Hartlepool then why not stay on the front? That’s what The Marine Hotel allows you to do, with 28 rooms on offer for visitors. It’s within a stone’s throw of the beach, boasting a restaurant and bar area. You can get breakfast if you wish to and you’re really close to all of the various sites that Hartlepool promises its guests. This includes the likes of the Monkey Statue and the museum.
3. Hardwicke Hall Manor Hotel. Though this hotel is the furthest from the centre of Hartlepool, it offers certain things that the other hotels on our list can’t. There’s a garden, for example, which gives you the chance to enjoy some peace and quiet. You can get breakfast and do your laundry on-site, whilst the restaurant is a good place to go for a bite to eat. A pricier experience than the other hotels, but sometimes you have to spend a bit more to get a bit more.

If you’re looking for somewhere in this coastal town to sink a pint and sing a few sea shanty’s (or not), check out one of these little gems.

1. 1908 Sports Bar. The 1908 Sports Bar is actually located within the Best Western Grand Hotel, meaning that the atmosphere is not quite as raucous as other locations around the town. Even so, the usual selection of drinks are available and there’s decent food on offer. It is perhaps best described as family friendly, so the ideal place to head if you have kids with you. There are plenty of big screen TVs up that will show any important live sport that’s on.
2. The Dugout Sports Bar. The sort of place that attracts large groups, The Dugout is essentially one big room with screens adorning most of the walls. There’s no real ale on tap, which is indicative of the fact that it’s a sports bar that caters to easy crowds rather than specialist ones. The atmosphere is great for the big matches, plus there’s a pool table available for the times when there isn’t any sport on or you want to wile away a bit of time before kick-off.
3. Hornsey’s Bar. With an outdoor area that overlooks the beach, there’s something about Hornsey’s Bar that makes you feel as though you could be in Spain or Portugal when the sun is shining. There’s a pool table or two, decent food and loads of drink choices for customers to get involved in, plus a wealth of screens on the walls around the venue to show the best in live sport.

Facilities

Premier League and even Championship grounds are of a certain quality, which can’t necessarily be reached by clubs lower down the English Football League pyramid. You can’t expect phenomenal conditions, therefore, but Victoria Park has everything most football supporters would want in the way of facilities.

You have a couple of options when it comes to match day hospitality; you could opt for an executive box for up to 12 guests, including a 2 course meal, half time refreshments, and seats in the CK stand. Otherwise, you could go for the Maidens Restaurant enjoying a 2-course meal and possibly a half time visit from players.

Clubs of relative modesty tend to be quick to offer areas out to private hire, with Hartlepool United being no exception. Whether you want to use one of the boxes or even the pitch itself, an arrangement is likely to be reached for the right price.

The Vic is one of the premier conference venues in Hartlepool. It has excellent facilities including rooms that can house up to 120 people, whilst the meeting rooms can be turned around to accommodate anything from theatre presentations to classroom-style get togethers.

History

West Hartlepool Rugby Football Club bought the area that the ground now stands on from North-Eastern Railway Company in 1886. The Main Stand on Clarence Road was destroyed by a zeppelin bomber during the First World War, with a small wooden stand being built in its place. A new stand was built in its place in the 1980s in the wake of the Bradford Stadium fire and the new regulations that were introduced as a result. Hartlepool were the last Football League club to install floodlights at their stadium. In 1986, both Hartlepool and Middlesbrough played their opening games of the season at the ground after Middlesbrough became locked out of their own ground due to going into liquidation.

The ground has been used by West Hartlepool Rugby Football Club. In 1996, the stadium changed its name from The Victoria Ground to Victoria Park because of the amount of work that had been done to it over the years. One claim to fame came in 1986 when Middlesbrough and Hartlepool both played their opening matches of the season on the same day at the ground because Middlesbrough were locked out of the home stadium after going into liquidation.