Victoria Park, Hartlepool
Encyclopedia
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
ground
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Hartlepool
Hartlepool
Hartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and it is the home of Hartlepool United.
The four sides of the ground are known as the Town End Terrace (official capacity - 1,775), the Niramax Stand (official capacity - 1,617 seated and 1,832 terraced standing), the Cyril Knowles
Cyril Knowles
Cyril Barry Knowles was a footballer who played full-back for Tottenham Hotspur and England. He was the brother of fellow professional footballer Peter Knowles.- Early career :...
Stand (official capacity - 1,599) and the Rink End (official capacity - 1,033). The Town End Terrace is a standing area behind the south goal, it is usually the most vocal area of the ground. The Niramax Stand (formerly the Millhouse Stand) is an all seating stand with a terraced paddock and it is located at the west side of the ground. It also houses Hartlepool United's firm, the Blue Order. The Cyril Knowles
Cyril Knowles
Cyril Barry Knowles was a footballer who played full-back for Tottenham Hotspur and England. He was the brother of fellow professional footballer Peter Knowles.- Early career :...
Stand is a modern all seater stand that is located on the east of the ground. The Rink End is also an all-seater stand containing 1,033 seats, however this is the only stand containing some areas with an obscured view of the pitch, due to a number of supporting pillars. The Rink End is located at the north end of the ground and houses only away fans.
History
The land in which Victoria Park resides was originally used as a limestone quarry, which was owned by the North-Eastern Railway CompanyNorth Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
. However in 1886 the land was bought by West Hartlepool
West Hartlepool R.F.C.
West Hartlepool Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club who play in the National League 3 North league after gaining promotion by winning the 2010 / 2011 North 1 East league.-History:...
Rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
Football Club for the development of a new rugby ground. The ground was then named the Victoria Ground in celebration of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee
Diamond Jubilee
A Diamond Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 60th anniversary in the case of a person or a 75th anniversary in the case of an event.- Thailand :...
. However in 1908 West Hartlepool R.F.C went bust leaving ‘The Victoria Ground’ vacant. Shortly afterwards, the ground was registered under the name of “The Hartlepools United Football Athletic Company Limited”, a football team representing both the town of West Hartlepool and the original settlement of Old Hartlepool. This football team developed into Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
. From 1908-1910 Hartlepools United shared their ground with the amateurs of West Hartlepool until the club broke up leaving Hartlepools United as the sole occupiers of the ground. In 1916 during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the ground was bombed by a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
, which destroyed the main stand on the Clarence Road side. A small, wooden stand was built as a temporary measure with the intent to replace it with a larger, more permanent structure once funds allowed. After the war, Hartlepool tried to claim compensation from the German government
Politics of Germany
The Federal Republic of Germany is a federal parliamentary republic, based on representative democracy. The Chancellor is the head of government, while the President of Germany is the head of state, which is a ceremonial role but with substantial reserve powers.Executive power is vested in the...
in order to fund the new stand. However these attempts failed and the temporary stand was eventually demolished in the late 1980s due to fire regulations being tightened as a result of the Bradford City fire. A number of portable cabins were put on the site of the Clarence Road stand containing dressing rooms, offices and a small number of seats until the Cyril Knowles
Cyril Knowles
Cyril Barry Knowles was a footballer who played full-back for Tottenham Hotspur and England. He was the brother of fellow professional footballer Peter Knowles.- Early career :...
Stand was built in 1995.
The Cyril Knowles Stand was named after the former Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
defender who managed Hartlepool from January 1990 until June 1991. He had built side that won promotion from the Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
in the 1990-91 season
1990-91 in English football
The 1990–91 season was the 111th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Arsenal won the league. Runners-up spot was achieved by Liverpool, who had led the table for much of the first half of the season but had been shell-shocked in February by the sudden resignation of manager...
, but had to hand over managerial duties to coach Alan Murray
Alan Murray (footballer)
Alan Murray is a former footballer, coach and manager.- Biography :Murray spent the first years of his playing career at Middlesbrough, gradually honing his coaching skills as he struggled to break into the first team...
in February 1991 due to brain cancer. Knowles retired in June 1991 after his declining health meant that he was no longer well enough to manage the club, and he died two months later at the age of 47.
In 1998 West Hartlepool R.F.C.
West Hartlepool R.F.C.
West Hartlepool Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club who play in the National League 3 North league after gaining promotion by winning the 2010 / 2011 North 1 East league.-History:...
were allowed to once again share the ground, signing an agreement that was to run until 2001, West brought a number of executive boxes with them from their previous ground - Brierton Lane. These boxes were added to the rear of the Cyril Knowles
Cyril Knowles
Cyril Barry Knowles was a footballer who played full-back for Tottenham Hotspur and England. He was the brother of fellow professional footballer Peter Knowles.- Early career :...
stand and remain there until today. However, West didn't stay as long, and moved out in 1999. In 1996 the ground was renamed Victoria Park to reflect the large number of improvements that had been made to the infrastructure and facilities. Among the improvements were two new stands (the Cyril Knowles
Cyril Knowles
Cyril Barry Knowles was a footballer who played full-back for Tottenham Hotspur and England. He was the brother of fellow professional footballer Peter Knowles.- Early career :...
Stand and the Town End), new dressing rooms and offices in the old Clock Garages building to the northeast of the ground and major work on the condition of the pitch. Since 2003, groundsman Dave Brown has received an annual nomination for the "Groundsman of the Year" awards due to the excellent state of the pitch. http://www.sapca.org.uk/news.asp?id=1&ref=10&nid=544. In 2006, Hartlepool made a bid to buy the lease of the land that the ground is located on http://www.hartlepooltoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=1109&ArticleID=1114044. However, Hartlepool Borough Council rejected this proposal claiming that accepting the offer would be premature in light of recent development in the area around Victoria Park http://www.hartlepool.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=7016.
The ground is located on Clarence Road, which is a stone's throw from the town centre. This allows visitors access to a large range of pubs. However, the most popular pub for visiting fans is the Corner Flag which is located on the Victoria Park’s premises between the Cameron’s Brewery Stand and the Rink End. The newly opened Victoria Suite is also located at the ground but this is for members only. Hartlepool have gained a lot of plaudits from opposition fans for their meat pies
Australian meat pie
An Australian or New Zealand meat pie is a hand-sized meat pie containing largely diced or minced meat and gravy, sometimes with onion, mushrooms, or cheese and often consumed as a takeaway food snack. The pie itself is similar to the United Kingdom's steak pie.It is considered iconic in Australia...
that are sold on the ground's premises. The ground’s location also makes parking
Parking
Parking is the act of stopping a vehicle and leaving it unoccupied for more than a brief time. Parking on one or both sides of a road is commonly permitted, though often with restrictions...
easier as it is near several large car parks such as the Jackson's Landing Shopping Centre and other retail parks. The ground is also easy to access for those coming by train as it is only ½ mile from the railway station
Hartlepool railway station
Hartlepool railway station serves the town of Hartlepool within the borough of Hartlepool and the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. The railway station is located on the Durham Coast Line north of Middlesbrough. The station is operated and served by Northern Rail...
.
Over the years the Vic has been relatively free from crowd trouble. However when the match has been against local rivals Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
, there have historically been some issues. One of the most notorious incidents of crowd trouble came in 2000 during Hartlepool’s play-off match against Darlington. In this match Darlington manager Dave Hodgson
Dave Hodgson
Dave Hodgson is the directly elected mayor of the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England. Hodgson is the second elected mayor to represent the Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom....
was struck with a coin and Marco Gabbiadini
Marco Gabbiadini
Marco Gabbiadini is an English former footballer whose career lasted 18 years from 1985 to 2003. He totalled nearly £3 million in transfer fees and played for 12 different clubs, scoring a total of 226 league goals.-York City:...
was reportedly punched by a fan after the match http://football.guardian.co.uk/Match_Report/0,1527,-27700,00.html. There have also been some Health and Safety issues regarding fans refusing to sit in the seating areas. This has forced the club to employ strict ground regulationshttp://www.hartlepoolunited.premiumtv.co.uk/page/GroundRegulationsDetail/0,,10326,00.html.
Victoria Park has hosted some famous games over the years. In 1957 it attracted its record attendance of 17,264 for 3rd Round F.A Cup Game against a Manchester United team managed by Matt Busby
Matt Busby
Sir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby, CBE, KCSG was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–1971 season...
which Hartlepool narrowly lost 4-3 http://www.ciderspace.co.uk/ASP/opposition/hartlepool.asp. This was regarded by Sir Matt Busby in his biography as being the most exciting matches he had ever witnessed. Manchester United later returned later to Victoria Park for a heavily attended friendly and only to lose 6-2. The highest attendance since the 1990s was 7,784 against Leeds United on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
in 2007.
In recent times it has been rumoured that the Rink End will be extended higher and will house the home supporters and the Town End will be offered to away supporters. It has also been said that the Rink End and the Cyril Knowles Stand will be joined together.