# Hartlepool United F.C. Women

Hartlepool United Women Football Club are an English women's football club affiliated with Hartlepool United F.C. and based in Wolviston, County Durham. They are currently members of the North East Regional Women's Football League Northern Division, the sixth tier of the English women's football league system.
The club were formed in September 2015 and won the North East Regional Women's Football League Northern division in their first year. They achieved back-to-back promotions, defeating Sheffield Wednesday in a play-off final. For the following seasons, Pools would fare well at the top of the fifth tier but were relegated in 2022. Hartlepool would bounce back immediately to the fifth tier after a successful promotion application, before being relegated the following season.

## History

In 2015, a Hartlepool United Ladies team was launched. In their first season, they were crowned Durham FA Women's League 1 Champions and won promotion to the North East Regional Women's Football League Northern division, the sixth tier of women's football in England. They also won the Durham FA League Cup, defeating Bishop Auckland 3–1 in the final.
Hartlepool enjoyed an equally successful second season as the side reached the first round proper of the Women's FA Cup for the first time, narrowly losing to local rivals Middlesbrough 1–0. They also made it back-to-back promotions, defeating Sheffield Wednesday 3–1 in the league's play-off promotion final. Pools adapted to life in the fifth tier well and finished third in the 2017–18 season and runners-up in the 2018–19 season.
The team was twice denied the opportunity to gain promotion to the FA Women's National League in the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons. In the 2019–20 season, Hartlepool were in third position when the season was cancelled in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and had the highest points-per-game record, having played fewer games than the teams above them. However, a decision was made by the FA to have no promotion and relegation for tiers three to seven of women's football.
In the 2020–21 season, despite leading the division before the season was cancelled and having the highest points-per-game in the division, Hartlepool decided not to apply for promotion and third placed team Alnwick Town made a successful application to take the promotion spot.
In the following season, Hartlepool were relegated from the Premier division having finished in tenth place. While the team enjoyed good form in the FA Cup, reaching the first round for a second time where they were defeated by Leeds United, the side won only four of their twenty league games. After finishing third in the 2022–23 season, Pools were granted promotion following a successful application. Towards the end of the 2023–24 season, Matt Gatiss was named as the club's new manager. Twelve days after Gatiss' appointment, the club were relegated on the final day of the season. At the end of the 2023–24 season, it was announced that Hartlepool would no longer play home games at the Grayfields and would instead move to Metcalfe Park.

## Players

    As of 23 December 2024

### Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | ENG | Ella Field |
| — | DF | ENG | Chelsea Basnett |
| — | DF | ENG | Emily Booth |
| — | DF | ENG | Charlie Geary |
| — | DF | ENG | Maddy Hillyer |
| — | DF | ENG | Aimee May |
| — | DF | ENG | Mae Rackstraw |
| — | DF | ENG | Emily Stuart |
| — | DF | ENG | Rachel Tuff |
| — | MF | ENG | Abi Cope |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Anya Geary |
| — | MF | ENG | Maddy Gray |
| — | MF | ENG | Morgan Johnson |
| — | MF | ENG | Rebecca Palliser |
| — | MF | ENG | Katie Robinson |
| — | MF | ENG | Millie Simon |
| — | FW | ENG | Olivia Bell |
| — | FW | ENG | Zara Johnson |
| — | FW | ENG | Libbie Trainor |

## Managers

    As of 26 July 2024.
| Name | Nationality | From | To | Honours |
| Andy Stuart | England | 13 September 2015 | 20 May 2018 | Durham FA Women's League One: 2015–16 Durham FA League Cup: 2015–16 NERWFL Northern League play-off winners: 2017 |
| Craig Devon | England | 24 May 2018 | 15 February 2019 | - |
| Jonathan Gibbon-Hayes | England | 15 February 2019 | 17 March 2021 | - |
| Chris Murphy | England | 27 April 2021 | 1 July 2022 | - |
| Craig Bage | England | 24 July 2022 | 10 December 2023 | NERWFL Northern League Promoted: 2022–23 |
| Andy Stuart (caretaker) | England | 14 January 2024 | 16 May 2024 | |
| Matt Gatiss | England | 16 May 2024 | 25 July 2024 | |
| Alex Curl | England | 25 July 2024 | 20 December 2024 | |
| Gareth Horwood | England | 15 January 2025 | Present | |

## Records and statistics
### Club records

As of the end of the 2023–24 season
* Best FA Cup performance: First round, 2016–17, 2021–22
* Highest winning margin: 12–0
** vs. Prudhoe, 30 October 2016
** vs. Castleford White Rose, 18 February 2018
* Highest league finish: 2nd in NERWFL Premier, 2018–19
* List of seasons spent at level 5 of the women's football league system: 6
* List of seasons spent at level 6 of the women's football league system: 2
* List of seasons spent at level 7 of the women's football league system: 1

### Most appearances

As of 23 December 2024
| Rank | Player | Apps | Goals | Career |
| 1 | Emily Stuart | 166 | 12 | 2016– |
| 2 | Jade Pye | 134 | 41 | 2015–24 |
| 3 | Justine Robinson | 118 | 81 | 2015–23 |
| 4 | Sarah Bartlett | 87 | 5 | 2015–21 |
| 5 | Sarah Rowbotham | 81 | 22 | 2015–21 |

### Most goals

As of 23 December 2024
| Rank | Player | Apps | Goals | Career |
| 1 | Justine Robinson | 118 | 81 | 2015–23 |
| 2 | Caitlin Bates | 69 | 72 | 2015–20, 2020–21, 2024 |
| 3 | Robyn Foster | 65 | 51 | 2019–24 |
| 4 | Jess Dawson | 62 | 42 | 2016–19, 2021–22 |
| 5 | Jade Pye | 134 | 41 | 2015–24 |

## Honours

League
* North East Regional Women's Northern League (level 6)
** Promoted: 2022–23
** Play-off winners: 2017
* Durham FA Women's League One (level 7)
** Champions: 2015–16
Cup
* Durham FA League Cup
** Winners: 2015–16