Author hoping to remind people of what makes Hartlepool United so special with upcoming book on the club

Stephen, who has been a Pools supporter ever since he moved to the area shortly after leaving school, has been commissioned to write Poolies at Heart: Celebrating Hartlepool United's Finest by Pitch Publishing and is inviting supporters to contribute and get involved.

The book is set to detail the rich history of Hartlepool United through reflections and recollections from players, managers and supporters through the ages.

And Stephen, who already has promotion-winning manager Danny Wilson and legendary midfielder Brian Honour on board, is hoping fellow Poolies will contact him with their own personal memories of the club.

"I think a lot of people have been a bit concerned and disheartened about the club's non-league status," he said.

"I wanted to inject a bit of celebration and optimism into the conversation.

"We might not be about to win the Champions League - but it's still a great club and I wanted to celebrate that."

Like a lot of Poolies, Stephen admits he cannot get enough of watching current midfield maestro Anthony Mancini, and feels one of the things that makes the club so special are the supporters.

He said: "It's the town's club.

"It is a one-club town and we have every right to be really proud of that."

Stephen is hoping to include the stories of as many Poolies as possible in the book with their unique tales from the terraces.

"I'd love to hear from lots of supporters," he said.

"I want to emphasise that spelling and grammar don't matter at all - that's my job.

"A lot of people love this club and it's fantastic to hear about all their adventures."

Stephen has published a wide variety of books, covering topics as diverse as faith, fatherhood and, of course, football.

Although he's now based in Hertfordshire, the North East is never far from his mind and he admits his new project helps him feel connected to the club.

He is above all else a lover of the beautiful game and even had a trial at Burnley alongside future England international Trevor Steven.

He said: "My wife keeps asking me when I'm going to get a proper job but it's a great privilege to be able to start writing about football.

"I was 16 in 1982 and living in Morecambe. I used to play football with my brother in a disused gasworks.

"We didn't know but the man in the corner shop overlooking where we were was Bryan Capper, who used to play for Everton and did some scouting for Burnley.

"He offered me a trial but I completely fluffed it, you'd have thought I'd never seen a football in my life.

"Brian Miller was the manager at the time and he wrote to me and said 'thanks for coming, we'll let you know'.

"I'm 58 now and I'm still waiting."

Stephen will be hoping he has more success with the pen than he did on the pitch as he sets to work on his Poolie project, which he hopes will be published in the summer of 2025.

For anyone interested in getting in touch and sharing their own memories and stories, email [email protected].