Hartlepool United

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In 1921, having finished in the top half of the North Eastern League, “Pools” were invited to join the new Football League Third Division (North).

The team made little impression on the league table and, prior to World War II, were forced to seek re-election on three occasions. After the war they continued in similar vein, and in the early Sixties they applied for re-election on five successive occasions between 1960 and 1964.

The appointment of the young Brian Clough eventually brought some success and prior to Clough departing for Derby County he built a side that won promotion for the first time in 1968.

In August 1968, when the twin towns were amalgamated, the club changed its name to Hartlepool FC. However, they were unable to survive at the higher level and were relegated back to the Fourth Division after just one season.

It would be more than 20 years before the club won promotion again, and during that period they had to apply for re-election six times.

In 1977, the club changed its name again, this time to Hartlepool United.

In 1989 Cyril Knowles was appointed manager and built a side which won promotion in 1991 (although sadly Knowles died of a brain tumour shortly before promotion was secured).

In 1993, with a winding up order hanging over them, local businessman, Harold Hornsey stepped in to rescue the club.

Pools were relegated to the new Third Division (formerly Division Four) in 1994, and in 1997 Hornsey sold his interest to an Aberdeen based company, Increased Oil Recovery Ltd.

Hartlepool reached the play-offs three times in succession between 1990 and 2002 before winning automatic promotion in 2003.

They continued to challenge for promotion, reaching the play-offs again in 2004 and 2005 before relegation in 2006 took them back to the fourth tier (League Two).

In 2007, they were runners-up in League Two to win promotion to League One.