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.
In June 2026, Hartlepool were initially relegated from the NERWFL Northern Division, having finished tenth in the 2025–26 season. This decision was later overturned with the club taking the place of Berwick Rangers.
Recent seasons Statistics from the previous decade. YearLeagueLevelPositionFA Cup 2016–17 NERWFL Northern 6 16 12 1 3 62 16 46 37 2nd of 9 R1 2017–18 NERWFL Premier 5 16 11 1 4 73 27 46 343rd of 9 QR3 2018–19 NERWFL Premier 5 18 14 1 3 82 34 48 43 2nd of 10 QR2 2019–20 NERWFL Premier 5 7 6 0 1 30 11 19 18 3rd of 9 QR3 2020–21 NERWFL Premier 5 6 4 2 0 27 14 13 14 1st of 10 Extra preliminary 2021–22 NERWFL Premier 5 20 4 2 14 32 63 −31 14 10th of 11 R1 2022–23 NERWFL Northern 6 22 13 3 6 73 32 41 42 3rd of 12 QR1 2023–24 NERWFL Premier 5 22 3 2 17 26 85 −59 11 11th of 12 QR3 2024–25 NERWFL Northern 6 22 6 5 11 37 58 −21 239th of 12 QR1 2025–26 NERWFL Northern 6 20 4 1 15 29 63 −34 13 10th of 11 QR2
Players
Current squad
Managers As of 20 April 2026. NameNationalityFromToHonoursNotesAndy StuartDurham FA Women's League One: 2015–16Durham FA League Cup: 2015–16NERWFL Northern League play-off winners: 2017Craig Devon-Jonathan Gibbon-Hayes-Chris Murphy-Craig Bage NERWFL Northern League Promoted: 2022–23Andy Stuart (caretaker)-Matt Gatiss-Alex Curl-Gareth Horwood-Ben GarrityPresent-
Records and statistics
Club records As of the end of the 2025–26 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: 4 List of seasons spent at level 7 of the women's football league system: 1
Most appearances As of the end of the 2025–26 season RankPlayerGoals1Emily Stuart187132016–2Jade Pye134412015–243Justine Robinson118812015–234Sarah Bartlett8752015–215Caitlin Bates83772015–20, 2020–21, 2024, 2026–
Most goals As of the end of the 2025–26 season RankPlayerGoals1Justine Robinson118812015–232Caitlin Bates83772015–20, 2020–21, 2024, 2026–3Robyn Foster65512019–244Jess Dawson62422016–19, 2021–225Jade Pye134412015–24
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
See also Hartlepool United North East Regional Women's Football League
Notes
References
External links