'Home' and Change Colours 2015-16 #6: Hartlepool Petrochemical

 

 

Hartlepool Petrochemical are another of the new season's new entities, formed from the merger of Hartlepool United and Red Star Sunderland, both of last season's Championship, and sponsored by local industry from which they take their name.

 

Both clubs were founder members of the Football Alliance, Hartlepool in the First Division (second tier) and Sunderland in the Second. Hartlepool United achieved promotion to the Championship in 1984, quickly establishing themselves to become champions four times in eight seasons, '86, '87, '90 and '93, after which they have been less successful but are still one the Alliance's great historical clubs.

Sunderland had spent seventeen consecutive seasons in the Championship prior to the merger, last term as 'Red Star' (which features on the kit, of course), achieving three second-place finishes during that time.



Major Merger News!

News today of the announcement of a merger between two of the north-east’s Championship clubs, Hartlepool United and Red Star Sunderland. The new club will be known as Hartlepool Petrochemical, based in the town and who will assume the history of United, four times winners of the Football Alliance Championship in its first 13 seasons, and thus end three and a half decades of underachievement at Sunderland, who at times promised much, occasionally challenging for the title, but ultimately failed to deliver on the trophy front. By way of a curious coincidence, Hartlepool United and Red Star Sunderland met in what proved to be their last ever matches as such, ending in a 5 - 0 victory for the 'Pool in the final round of Championships fixture of last season.

The club colours will be closely related to Hartlepool United’s - light blue and white halved shirts with Sunderland’s red star on the left, white panel, white shorts and red socks with white tops.

Being an amalgamation of two clubs from the same division, Hartlepool Petrochemical will take a place in the Championship, but the equation of two-into-one means that a place in the top flight becomes vacant, of course, which the governing body have announced, somewhat opaquely, will be allocated “after due consideration of a number of factors”.

League Cup First Round 3rd Replay

Hartlepool United  3   Newcastle United  2 (aet)

(at Hartlepool)

Finally, after 7 and a half hours' play, this epic tie produces a winner - it's been emotional.

League Cup First Round 2nd Replay

Newcastle United  3   Hartlepool United  3 (aet)

(at Newcastle)

League Cup First Round Replays

Audenshaw Dynamo  4   Crewe Alexandra  2 (aet)

Burnley  3   Gateshead Dynamo  0

Hartlepool United  2   Newcastle United  2 (aet)

Archive #3: Championship Results & Final Table 2013-14

By way of a little contextual information in relation to the current league season, and how the teams are performing so far, here's how last season's Championship played out and concluded:

As can be observed, current new league leaders Stalybridge Celtic achieved a steady, mid-table finish, an improvement on the previous season (their first back in the top flight after a few years' absence, having won the Second Division title to earn promotion) which saw them end in 13th position, a couple of places and points clear of the relegation spots.

Of the different names from last season to this, Marine (currently leading the second tier, despite a wobble that has brought them 3 defeats in 4 games) and Wimbledon were relegated, the latter leaving the league altogether, as did Shrewsbury Town, who failed to earn the necessary licence to continue in the revamped two-division structure. In their stead were promoted Hartlepool United and rapidly-rising Northwich Victoria, with third placed Audenshaw Athletic, as they then were before the brave-new rebranding as 'Dynamo', subsequently filling the vacancy created by Shrewsbury's demise. Oxford United as was have also undergone a name change, to 'Excelsior', although as they have recently slumped to the bottom of the Championship, they seem to be having trouble living up to such a billing.

West Ham United merged with Walthamstow Avenue, having some years ago done likewise with Dagenham, and the decision was taken to honour both clubs' historical association with the East End's Hungarian community (I make this stuff up, but it's good enough for me) by taking the name 'Hungaria', who are at the moment tentatively trying to find their feet in the competitive environment of the Championship.