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What's Victoria
Park Like?
Cyril
Knowles Stand (photo)
What Is
It Like For Visiting Supporters?
Niramax
Stand (photo)
Where To
Drink?
Looking
Towards The Town End (photo)
How
To Get There By Car & Where To Park
By
Train
Rink
End (photo)
Admission
Prices
Progamme & Fanzine
Ground Layout
Local Rivals
Disabled Facilities
Fixtures 2012-2013
Record
& Average Attendance
Fans Ground Reviews
Hotel Accommodation
Victoria
Park Location Map
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| What's Victoria
Park Like? |
Victoria Park is a traditional
compact ground that was greatly improved in the mid
1990's, with the construction of two new stands at one
end and at one side. One of these the Cyril Knowles
Stand (named after a former manager) was opened in
1995. It is a small single tier covered all seated
stand, raised above the ground level. The other modern
stand is the Town End which as opened shortly later.
It is a covered terrace that is the home end. Opposite
is the Rink End Stand which is a small covered all
seated stand which houses away supporters. On the
remaining side is the Niramax Stand that has
covered seating to the rear and open terrace to the
front. This stand does not run the full length of the
pitch and has an odd mix of orange and green seating,
that clashes with the club colours. It was opened in
1968. The ground has a set of four tall traditional
floodlight pylons.
Derek Hall adds; 'All real
Hartlepool fans nickname the club Pools
(not The Pool). This goes
back to the pre-1967 days when the boroughs of (old)
Hartlepool and West
Hartlepool became amalgamated as just Hartlepool. It
was because of the
existence of the two very separate
towns that the club was actually called Hartlepools
United in the first place. That said though, I'd
prefer to see us called The
Monkey Hangers!'
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| Cyril
Knowles Stand |
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| What Is
It Like For Visiting Supporters? |
Ben Fuggles advised me to
'bring a jumper even in August!'. He was right. The
wind whipping the North Sea goes right through you, so
wrap up well unless there is a heat wave. Away fans
are in the Rink End Stand at one end of the ground,
where up to 967 can be
seated. Unfortunately there are a few supporting
pillars in this stand, which may hinder your view,
especially if there is a large away following. However
acoustics are good even for small numbers.
If you wonder
why Hartlepool are referred to as the 'Monkey
Hangers' then it is because the residents of
Hartlepool are famously said to have
hanged a monkey that was washed up
from a ship that had sunk during the
Napoleonic wars, because
they thought the monkey was
a French spy. The Club take this to
good heart and of course who else would they have as
their club mascot? H'Angus the monkey of course!
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Niramax
Stand
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| Where To
Drink? |
The
Victoria Suite near the entrance to the away end is
for members only. At the same end but at the opposite
corner, is the 'Corner Flag Supporters Bar' that
welcomes away fans. The entrance fee is 50p, but this
basic bar has a good friendly pre match atmosphere and
SKY TV, however it does not serve any food. A little
further beyond the Miramax Stand on Raby Road is the
Millhouse Inn. It too shows football on television and
also offers food. Popular with away fans is the
Jackson's Wharf Pub near the ground. It has good food and real ale on tap. This pub is over the
road from the ASDA store, to the left of the old
sailing ship. Otherwise the ground is not far from the
town centre where there are plenty of pubs to be
found.
Ronnie Chambers adds; 'The Engineers Social Club five
minutes from the ground opposite the police station,
just off the town centre is okay, as is the
Raglan Club just behind the visitors end. Usual club
rules apply regarding entry for these'.
Richard Wakelin informs
me; 'There is a micro pub on the railway station
platform called the Rat Race Ale House, which is listed in the CAMRA
Good Beer Guide. It only serves real ale (no
lager or keg) and only holds about 12 people.
There is no bar as such (the patron disappears
into a room and re-emerges with your pint), nor
music or television. There are also no toilets
inside (you are given a key to the station toilets).
It's rapidly gaining cult status on Teeside'.
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Looking
Towards The Town
End
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Top Of
Page
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| How To
Get There By Car & Where To Park |
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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 (as I did), go past ASDA on your left, left
at the next roundabout and then left at the next
traffic lights for the ground. There is a fair sized
car park at the ground. 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.
Map showing the location of Victoria
Park (at the bottom of this page).
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| By
Train |
Hartlepool railway
station is a ten minute walk from the 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.
Thanks to Richard Brackstone for providing the
directions.
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Rink
End
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| Admission
Prices |
Home Fans:
Cyril Knowles Stand (Seats) Adults £25,
Over 60's/Under 16's £13
Niramax Stand (Seats) Adults £25,
Over 60's/Under 16's £13
Niramax Stand (Terrace) Adults £20, Over
60's/Under 16's £10
Hartlepool College (Town End Terrace) Adults £20, Over
60's/Under 16's £10
Away
Fans:
Rink End (Seats) Adults £25,
Over 60's/Under 16's £13
Students and Under 19's can also qualify for a
concessionary price in the home areas, providing
that the ticket is purchased from the ticket
office and a valid student identity card/proof of
age is produced on purchase.
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| Programme & Fanzine |
Official Programme £3
Monkey Business Fanzine £1.
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Ground
Layout
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| Local Rivals |
| Darlington.
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| Disabled
Facilities |
| For
details of disabled facilities and club contact at the
ground please visit the relevant page on the Level
Playing Field website.
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| Fixtures 2012-2013 |
| Hartlepool United FC fixture
list (takes you to the BBC
Sports Website).
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| Record
& Average Attendance |
17,426 v Manchester United,
FA Cup 3rd Round, January 5th, 1957.
Average Attendance:
2011-2012: 4,961 (League One)
2010-2011: 2,933 (League One)
2009-2010: 3,444 (League One)
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| Fans
Reviews Of Victoria Park |
Callum
Greig (Gateshead) 30/3/13
Paul Willott
(Preston North End) 29/11/11
Teresa Jewell
(Sheffield Wednesday) 1/10/11
Andy 'Addick'
(Charlton Athletic) 15/2/11
Stephen Wooldridge
(Neutral) 19/12/09
Nathan Heywood
(Norwich City) 29/08/09
Daniel Sharpe
(Leicester City) 17/02/09
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| Hotel
Accommodation |
If you require hotel
accommodation in the area then first try a hotel
booking service provided by Late Rooms. They offer all
types of accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets
from; Budget Hotels, Traditional Bed & Breakfast
establishments to Five Star Hotels and Serviced
Apartments. Plus their booking system is
straightforward and easy to use. Yes this site will
earn a small commission if you book through them, but
it will go to help with the running costs of keeping
the Guide going. The Hotels listing also includes
details of how far away the accommodation is located
from the Victoria Park football ground.
Access
their Hartlepool
Hotels and Guest Houses page.
Remember that you can use the above link or panel
below to book any other hotels that you may need
for business or leisure, either in the UK or
abroad.
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| Map showing the
location of Victoria Park, railway station and
listed pubs |
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Instructions for using
the map:
Use the bar on the left of the map to zoom in / out
using the + / - keys.
Click and drag an area of the map to move around or
use the up/down, left/right arrows on the map.
Click the Satellite button to see aerial view
photograph.
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| Feedback |
If
anything is incorrect or you have something to add,
please e-mail me at duncan@footballgrounds.net
and I'll update the guide.
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