The Vic, as it’s known to Hartlepool supporters, is built on ground that used to be a limestone quarry that was owned by the North-Eastern Railway Company. It was bought by West Hartlepool Rugby Football Club in 1886 in order to be used for their stadium. It was named The Victoria Ground after Queen Victoria who was celebrating her Diamond Jubilee at the time.

The rugby club went bust in 1908 and the ground was soon registered under the name of The Hartlepools United Football Athletic Company Limited. The newly formed football club was to represent West Hartlepool and Old Hartlepool and, eventually, became the Hartlepool United that we know and recognise today.

Stats

Victoria Park Stats
Year Opened	1886
Capacity	7,856
Average Attendance	3,788
Record Attendance	17,264 (Hartlepool v Man United (1957))
Pitch Size	103 x 70 (7210)
Nickname	The Vic
Owner	Hartlepool United F.C.
Clubs Hosted	Hartlepool United F.C., West Hartlepool R.F.C.
First Fixture	Hartlepool United v Newcastle United (02/09/1908)

Hartlepool United Stats
Year Founded	1908
Nickname	Pools
Club Mascot	H'Angus the Monkey
Rivals	York City
Kit	Blue & White Stripes (Home) / Yellow (Away)
Training Ground	Maiden Castle
Shirt Sponsor	Utility Alliance Ltd
Team Owner	HUFC Holdings Ltd
Record Goalscorer	Joshie Fletcher (111)
Record Appearances	Ritchie Humphreys (511)

Victoria Park Photos

• Victoria Park Victoria Park
• View of the stands View of the stands
• Gloomy Day at Victoria Park Gloomy Day at Victoria Park
• H'Angus the Monkey H'Angus the Monkey
• Hartlepool Flag Hartlepool Flag
• Exterior View of Victoria Park Exterior View of Victoria Park
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Victoria Park Seating Plan & Where to Sit

The Prostate Cancer UK Stand is where the most vocal Pools fans stand, whilst the opposite end of the ground houses the away fans in The Smith and Graham Stand. The Camerons CK Stand includes the family enclosure, whilst The Niramax Stand is part terrace and part seated area.

Hartlepool United Ticket Prices

There are different prices for tickets depending on where in the ground you want to go and how old you are, but apart from that it's pretty standard stuff, and the price doesn't vary too much. Have a quick look below:

• Adults: £18.00 - £20.00
• Concessions: £9.00 - £10.00

How To Get Hartlepool United Tickets

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.

Where to Buy

• Stubhub

Getting To Victoria Park

Train - Hartlepool Railway Station is roughly half a mile from the ground so it will be walk-able from there for most.

Bus - Buses 1, 3 and 7 are amongst those calling near to the stadium.

Car - From the North, take the A19 onto the A179 until you get to the city centre, then follow the signs to the ground. From the South exit the A19 onto the A689 then the A179 and follow the signs.

By Air - Durham Tees Valley International Airport is the closest to Hartlepool.

Taxi - A taxi to Victoria Park from the train station will take less than five minutes and cost about £4.50.

Parking Near Victoria Park

There is a car park at the ground with limited spaces on match days, or Millhouse Car Park is located behind The Niramax Stand.

• See Available Parking Near Victoria Park

Useful Resources

• Train Times & Tickets - Train Genius
• Coach Travel - National Express Coaches
• Parking - Just Park

Victoria Park Hotels

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

Pubs & Bars Near Victoria Park

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:

Hospitality

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.

Private Hire

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.

About Hartlepool United

Known to most football fans as the team supported by Soccer Saturday’s Jeff Stelling, Hartlepool also have famous fans in the form of the musician Meatloaf and the film director Ridley Scott. In 2002 Hartlepool United’s mascot, H’Angus the Monkey, was actually elected as mayor of Hartlepool after the man who portrays him, Stuart Drummond, decided to run as an independent under the slogan ‘free bananas for schoolchildren’.

Away from the whacky and cooky side of life in Hartlepool, the club has led a solid if uninspiring existence since its formation in 1908. Brian Clough began his managerial career at The Vic, despite saying ‘I don’t fancy the place’ when offered the job. Up until 1968 the club was still officially called Hartlepools United. It dropped both the ’s’ and the ‘United’ that year when West Hartlepool, Hartlepool town and the village of Hart were all incorporated into one borough. The ‘United’ was restored to the team’s name in 1977.

Victoria Park History

During the First World War the ground was bombed by a German Zeppelin, resulting in the destruction of The Main Stand on Clarence Road. It was replaced by a temporary wooden stand that actually ended up staying there until the late 1980s. The wooden stand was in turn replaced by a number of portacabins until The Cyril Knowles Stand was erected in 1995.

The ground has twice been used by West Hartlepool Rugby Football Club with the most recent time being from 1998 until 1999. 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.

Future Developments

There are plans to develop the away end at Victoria Park, extending capacity to 3000 and adding a hotel as well as some ‘world class facilities’. These plans are currently on hold.