As former Newcastle United midfielder, now Hartlepool United manager, Lee Clark, headed back towards the clubhouse at Hornby Park after his first game in charge, fans of all ages, some wearing a half-and-half scarf, asked for photographs.
Nothing was trouble for the new Pools boss and his new-look squad for the upcoming National League season. The sun cast a golden glow over a day that will always be remembered in Seaton Carew.
With those commemorative scarves proudly draped around necks – displaying Hartlepool United alongside Seaton Carew FC – the local football community came together to witness a genuine slice of history.
More than 1,000 people – officially, 1,008 to be exact – flocked through the gates to see Pools face Seaton Carew for the very first time.
It was a pre-season friendly in name, but a festival of local football in spirit in every other sense.
during the Pre-season Friendly match between Seaton Carew FC and Hartlepool United at Hornby Park, Seaton Carew on Saturday 11th July 2026. (Photo: Scott Llewellyn | MI News)
Ex-Pools players such as Brian Honour, Kevin Dixon and Paul Staff, club sponsors, the local business community, and fans of all ages mingled in the clubhouse before and after the whistle. Together they painted a perfect picture of the beautiful game.
The journey to the pitch itself felt like a celebration of local sport.
Fans and directors of both clubs enjoyed hospitality in the clubhouse patio. They then took a stroll down the newly laid path, passing the sight and sound of Seaton Carew Cricket Club’s first team in action against Shildon.
Their destination was the newly-named Phoenix 2 Retail Arena. The ground has undergone a transformation in recent years, building towards life in the Northern League under the chairmanship of Steve Cockrill, the committee and his band of volunteers.
To accommodate the surge of supporters, a temporary car park was created on site, close to Seaton Carew RUFC’s home pitch. Inside the stadium, the community’s heart was proudly on display. Most notably, this was seen at the new behind-the-goal terrace named in memory of Seaton’s former youth player Rhys Hewitt, who tragically lost his life in 2014.
For Seaton Carew, a part-time club gearing up for their first season following last year’s Wearside League promotion party, this was a day to showcase how far they’ve come.
The squad featured new signings like Liam Wright, a lifelong Pools fan, alongside homegrown players Robbie Lithgo and Joseph Cockrill. These are players who have not only come through the ranks at Seaton but can often be found pulling pints working behind the bar.
“This has been a special day and one we would love to see more of,” said Seaton manager Danny Earl.
“We have a chairman and the stadium committee here who have been working hard and silently getting things ready for the visit of Pools and this friendly.
“We now want to follow that up by adding a new set of floodlights. We are in a good place because we hope days like today can bring a few more in through the gates to highlight what we have here.
“This is a fantastic club with a bright future. We are over the moon with where we are and the progress that has been made.”
On the pitch, with Premier League referee Tony Harrington in charge and assisted by former Seaton FC and cricket club player Lewis Hardy, the action delivered exactly what the majority of the bumper crowd came to see. Hartlepool recorded a 3-0 win.
It marked Lee Clark’s first match in charge of Pools. The former Magpies, Sunderland and Fulham midfielder didn’t hold back, bringing a full-strength squad to gain crucial pre-season fitness. The squad boasted a string of new faces.
Among them was Jordan Hugill. The former West Ham United striker, who once commanded a transfer fee worth around £10m, was back in a Pools shirt. He had previously impressed during a loan spell from Preston earlier in his career.
Middlesbrough-born Hugill looked sharp and hungry. He eventually laid on the third goal by squaring across the six-yard box for fellow new recruit Chris Popov to tap in.
It was Will Harris, the former Halifax man, who opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark. He rose to head home a Jamie Miley free-kick.
Fielding a number of his 10 summer signings such as Hugill, Corey McKeown, Neo Eccleston, Terry Bondo and Popov, Clark watched former Leicester City and Morecambe forward Popov steal the second-half spotlight. Popov scored twice – including a low, left-footed finish that beat Seaton goalkeeper Matty Wilkinson, the former Marske and Billingham Town man.
Yet, the final whistle didn’t mark the end of the day. Instead, it signalled a return to the clubhouse, where Clark, his players and coaching staff happily mingled with fans. The sunshine shone on the balcony and patio as the cricket on display reached its close. Even the North Sea breeze stayed away.
“Occasions like this are superb, so important to help the local community and help the smaller clubs around us,” Clark said afterwards.
“The Seaton chairman was telling me how the club here has spent a lot of money, the pitch is in a good condition – even if it was a bit dry, but we haven’t experienced weather like we are getting in the North-East have we!
“Anything we can do to help the local clubs and community around us, we are trying to do. We wish them all the best. Hopefully, they can keep building this football club, and they should be proud of what has already been achieved.”
Looking ahead to his own squad’s campaign, Clark was pleased with the afternoon’s work.
Standing pitch side, chatting to the club’s media channel, he said: “I wanted to win, and it was about setting standards and building momentum. Every pre-season game is about August 8. We scored three, could have scored a few more.
“We want to be good in possession and out of possession, and there were some pleasing things. It was an excellent performance, and we have a lot of new players to gel in too.
“I have loved every day so far, we have been aggressive in the transfer market, and it has been superb. I am enjoying it, though we are still short in a few areas.”
As the sun slowly set on Hornby Park, before England booked a place in the World Cup semi-final later that night, one thing was clear – football is alive and kicking in Hartlepool.
This is a fantastic club with a bright future. We are over the moon with where we are and the progress that has been made.”
-Danny Earl, First Team Manager, Seaton Carew FC
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