With 1,516 fans gathered through the gates, many proudly supporting the colours of both clubs, there is no doubt that this second friendly between Hartlepool United and FC Hartlepool was a huge success.
While the final score saw new Pools boss Simon Grayson’s side secure a 3-0 victory, the occasion was a powerful demonstration of unity for the town’s football scene, with both managers expressing their desire to see the unique relationship flourish.
The visit from the professional National League side provided a crucial financial boost to Ebac Northern League Division Two neighbours FC Hartlepool. But beyond the monetary benefits, the match served as a positive symbol of community spirit too.
“This occasion was about more than football,” said FC Hartlepool boss Terry Hill. “As a club, we have come miles. Last year we lost the same game by conceding eight goals, with five steps on the footballing ladder different.
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“But with more than 1,500 people here, and I am sure Pools will play away games with less than 1,500 people, that shows we are doing alright. To have a full-time pro side come to us is amazing.”
FC Hartlepool have undergone a remarkable transformation since taking over Grayfields in 2021. The club boast over 900 registered children and 50 teams.
Hill said: “The club is run by volunteers. It is a charity at the end of the day. You look around, we have the stands, the food and it looks the part. It stands up to anything else in the Northern League.
“The way we have pulled this off, I don’t think we have let anyone down and we can be proud to have hosted a team like Hartlepool here, when three or four years ago it would have been unimaginable.”
For Grayson, the much-travelled former Leeds United and Sunderland boss, taking charge of his first Hartlepool United game, the friendly offered valuable insight into his squad, featuring a number of new recruits.
Brad Walker and Jay Benn impressed in the first half, while Reiss McNally looked strong and composed after the restart. Five trialists were also given an opportunity, with one of them netting the opening goal.
Grayson, an experienced manager who made nine changes at half-time, said: “I have always mixed with other local clubs when I have been at other clubs throughout my career.
“It is vital for the community that they all thrive off each other, with 1,500 people through the door on a Tuesday night here, it’s fantastic.
“We should be doing things like this in the community. A lot of those who were playing against us are probably Hartlepool fans as well, so it is so important we bounce off each other and get positivity around the town and in the area, events like this and others in the future bode well for that.”
North Yorkshireman Grayson, new to the Teesside area but aware of the transformation under FC Hartlepool at Grayfields, added with a chuckle: “It’s a great facility here, I have been really impressed. I have been managing in Nepal, remember, so this is like Wembley for me!
“These centres are the hub of the community, so people have a place to go and a football club that hopefully will have a really good season this year. We all feed off each other, positivity, relationships going forward can help you feed off each other in general.”
He added: “It is easy for clubs to lose togetherness that an area needs, demands and wants. I am more than happy to build more relationship with this club and other clubs in the area.”
FC Hartlepool fielded four new signings – Scott Close, Callum Williams, Harry Pilkington and Fin O’Gorman – in their starting line-up and put up a resilient defensive display against their higher ranked neighbours.
“The first two pre-season games have been about getting our defensive shape right,” Hill said.
“The lads played how I wanted them to play. Defensively I think they showed more maturity and professionalism than they probably should.
“We conceded the first goal in the 45th minute and if I am being hyper-critical then we should have defended that better. But after that point we probably frustrated them a little.”
The first half saw Pools create several chances. Mikey McGee fired wide for FC Hartlepool early on, while Adam Campbell, Luke Charman and Tom Parkes all had efforts denied or go wide for the visitors.
FC Hartlepool’s goalkeeper George Briggs made crucial saves from Parkes and Walker headers. The deadlock was finally broken in the 45th minute when a long ball from Cam Darcy played in Pools’ trialist number 12, who expertly lobbed the keeper to put the visitors 1-0 up.
After the break, Grayson’s nine half-time changes quickly made an impact.
In the 54th minute, the lively Sam Folarin turned his man on the edge of the area and fired low past Briggs to make it two.
Just two minutes later, locally produced Kian Foreman, who impressed throughout his 45 minutes on the pitch for Pools, added the third.
Folarin got to the byline and after his cross was blocked, Foreman fired in to extend Pools’ lead to 3-0 in the 58th minute.
Briggs continued to deny Folarin later in the half, while Lewy Green’s effort for FC Hartlepool was saved by Pools keeper Adam Richardson, preventing a consolation goal late on.
Satisfied boss Hill, who played two years at Pools after leaving school, captaining the same youth team as Adam Boyd, said: “This has been unbelievable.
“Pools have been around 117 years, and to think of all the good grassroots, even non-league clubs that have come from this town, I don’t think any other team has ever faced a Hartlepool United first XI before. I certainly can’t remember any.
“Hartlepool United is the town’s club, they say, and everyone in this neck of the woods is behind it, we are behind it. A successful Hartlepool United helps us.
“We want to play a part in it and give the community something else to be proud of and I don’t think we are a million miles away because things are going well.
“I want most of our kids here to feed into Pools’ academy system, I would love to get players on loan from Pools. We need an EFL club, it is important for the whole town.
“Good luck to Simon Grayson this season, it’s been a privilege having him and his players here at Grayfields.”
