The Hartlepool football team which stormed through every competition

The powerful former centre forward still remembers the 1966-67 season when they conquered all.

They became the first local Church League side to lift the prestigious Durham Minor Cup in a year when they also won the league, the Church League Cup – and the Memorial Shield for the third year running.

John, now 77 and a former joiner who ran a joiner shuttering company with two friends, remembers it all well.

There was the historic Durham Minor Cup Final in which Athletic came up against Wingate Wanderers. The match was played out at Victoria Park, the home of Hartlepool United.

Peter Tose led the way for Athletic with a hat-trick in a memorable 4-2 victory.

Other finals would often be played on Boxing Day and Athletic were often there. What was even more remarkable was the team was only formed four years earlier.

That season, the club won 47 out of 51 league and cup games. They scored 217 goals with only 69 conceded.

Athletic changed divisions the next year and moved to the Hartlepool and District League. In the years to follow, further success followed and that was under the leadership of John West and Ray Stamper.

John added: “I played for the team from 1966 for I don’t know how long. Then I took the team over later on after I packed in playing.”

He admitted they were “good times” and reeled off some of the names of his former playing colleagues.

There was Hughes, Tose, Allen and Joyce.

There was Duncan, Day, Venus and Cooper and there was Johnson and Borthwick.

During five matches in the Memorial Shield alone they notched up 28 goals and only conceded four as they overcame Grange YC, Seaton HT, Stranton, St Josephs and Pegasus.

The game against Pegasus was a ticketed affair at one shilling a ticket with pensioners getting in free. John still retains the evidence of that great day. Pegasus were no match for John and his teammates who ran out 4-1 winners.

And when Athletic reached the Memorial Shield Final in 1967, Grayfields welcomed them back once more.

Their performance in the Durham Minor Cup was just as impressive.

There were wins against Sunnybrow CW (4-2), Darlington GSOB (5-4), Fiesta United (2-1 at the Grayfields Enclosure) and Wingate Wanderers (4-2 at Victoria Park).

In the league, the team names read like a who’s who of Hartlepool’s past.

There was Cerebos, Grays, Head Wrightsons, and Oxford Street Old Boys, and plenty more besides.

We would love to hear from other members of that Athletic team. What do you remember of those days?

Get in touch by emailing [email protected]