Editing Hartlepool (section)

===Football===
[[File:Hartlepool United Football Club - geograph.org.uk - 3243112.jpg|thumb|[[Victoria Park, Hartlepool|Victoria Park]]]]
[[Hartlepool United]] is the town's professional football club and they play at [[Victoria Park, Hartlepool|Victoria Park]]. The club's most notable moment was in 2005 when, with 8 minutes left in the [[2005 Football League One play-off final]], the team conceded a penalty, allowing [[Sheffield Wednesday]] to equalise and eventually beat Hartlepool to a place in the [[Championship]]. The club currently play in the [[National League (division)|National League]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/|title=Hartlepool United F.C.|access-date=17 October 2024}}</ref>

Pools are affiliated with a women's team called [[Hartlepool United F.C. Women|Hartlepool United FC Women]]. They were formed in 2015 and currently play in the [[North East Regional Women's Football League]].

Supporters of Hartlepool United bear the nickname of [[Monkey Hangers]]. This is based upon a legend that during the Napoleonic wars a monkey, which had been a ship's mascot, was taken for a French spy and hanged. Hartlepool has also produced football presenter [[Jeff Stelling]], who has a renowned partnership with [[Chris Kamara]] who was born in nearby [[Middlesbrough]]. [[Jeff Stelling]] is a keen supporter of Hartlepool and often refers to them when presenting [[Sky Sports News]]. It is also the birthplace and childhood home of [[Pete Donaldson]], one of the co-hosts of the Football Ramble [[podcast]] as well as co-host of the [[Abroad in Japan]] podcast, and a prominent radio DJ.

The town also has a semi-professional football club called [[FC Hartlepool]] who play in [[Northern Football League|Northern League]] Division Two.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/sport/football/fc-hartlepool-in-bid-to-claim-towns-first-northern-league-spot-in-decades-4107013 |title=FC Hartlepool in bid to claim town's first Northern League spot in decades |publisher=Hartlepool Mail |date=20 April 2023 |accessdate=17 July 2023}}</ref>