Ah, finally a club forum that doesn’t make it nigh-on impossible for away fans to join! Very refreshing.

Speaking of refreshment, as the username suggests I am both a Mariner and an ex-resident of Teesside. I spent a good three years living, regrettably, in Boro in the early noughties but did a fair bit of work in the Church street area of Hartlepool, and I have some fond memories.

Anyway, I digress, I managed to get a ticket for Saturday and planned to make the trip up for old times’ sake, and have a few beers around the ground before the game. I do like a decent pint of beer and I’m aware of some nice spots to drink near Victoria Park, but wasn’t sure how welcoming they’d be to friendly to non-colours wearing, non-aggressive away fans on matchday.

In particular, I was hoping to pay a visit to:

Cameron’s brewery
Anchor tap & bottle shop
Hops & cheese
‘Spoons (because why not?)

Will this be doable, or am I liable to get turfed away / in a scrap? Also, have I missed anywhere else worth a visit?

As an aside, I hadn’t realised how many ex-Town you had in your ranks. Menayese I never got to see play in the flesh due to Covid, but improved a horrible defence that season. Nicky Featherstone was 28 when he was on loan from Hull in 2009, so how is he still playing and how is he only 34? Some sort of witchcraft?

Then there’s Ben Killip. Was only a kid when he was with us and I only saw him play a couple of times, but the last time I paid any attention to his career he was getting relegated from the Conference with Braintree, so I was surprised to see he had played over 100 games for you lot.

I think Gav’s the only ex-Poolie in our side; I had reservations he’d be able to step up given he seemingly hadn’t for you lot, but boy has he been good for us. I know he was popular amongst you monkey hangers, but he’s scored some pretty legendary goals for us since you let us have him and sees a great lad.

Anyways, all the best with the obvious exception of the weekend and the return fixture. Hartlepool’s a convenient one for me as the wife’s family live 40 minutes away so I get to have all of the fun with only a little bit of the grief. Don’t be getting yourselves relegated again. We did that and fun though it was, I think it will be a little while before anyone bounces back quite like we did!

UTM!

Should be alright in them pubs, causeway is round the corner from Anchor, depends on how much time you have for a drink, check opening times, corner flag is good for a pint, I would finish in there as it at the corner of the ground and you dontvhave to walk far. Your choice.

The only Wetherspoons in Hartlepool is Lloyds, the King John was sold as they wouldn’t pay the high businesses rates.

The Ward Jackson was the one I was thinking of. Is that still a Lloyds? Oddly, the only ‘spoons I’ve ever seen that were a Lloyds were in Grimsby, Boro and Hartlepool. Boro also the only place, other than Grimsby, that House of Fraser was known as Binns.

There's a Binns in Darlo.

There was Binn’s stores in Sunderland, Newcastle, South Shields, Darlington, Hartlepool and Edinburgh that I knew of.

Rat Race on rail station but do not ask the landlord for lager.
Real Ale only.There is a blackboard with the beers on the left as you enter.

although the buses told me to shop there i never did.

Tim Martin, that's why not.

Hops & Cheese, Anchor Tap, Rat Race and you're all good. Avoid the gammon palace of 'spoons.

Drinking to forget?

Decent Real ale seems to be getting rare in Hartlepool lately with many pubs opting to serve up so called "craft beers" which are in effect heavily branded/marketed, filtered and pasturised piss. Some of these craft beers can be over £5 a pint and are no better than Fosters or John Smith (if thats possible).

I normally drink Guinness, you either get a good pint or a bad pint, before ordering I always look round to see how many punters are drinking it.

Last drink I had was in 2014, don’t miss it one bit, I even remember the location.

beat you as that millenium bollox put me off going out and i never drunk at home. my ex did enough for both of us as well. the reason she became an ex.

The Corner Flag has a long standing policy of welcoming visiting fans. Over the years fans from over 80 clubs have had pre match drinks in the club, many of them making return visits. Any Grimsby supporter coming to the game on Saturday will be made welcome . The price of drinks is very competitive with Strongarm £3.10 a pint.

Funnily enough, four of us met up at a local pub for a meal one dinner time….. everyone driving so had soft drinks or water with the meal…. The landlord was hovering round as we finished the meal …. He told us we can …. ‘drink alcohol y’know’…. we all just left, never to return.

Yes the Strongarm is excellent in the Corner Flag.

the reason i never go into a pub to eat food. you feel obliged to buy drinks of any sort instead of a cafe where you do not feel pressurised in any way. mind you a few of the up market ones now look down their nose if you just want a cup of instant coffee made with water and not something on the list you cannot pronounce. call these the motchucatuatolini ones.