Former Hartlepool United favourite Graeme Lee 'parts company' with Spennymoor Town

Former Hartlepool United defender Graeme Lee has parted company with National League North club Spennymoor Town after just over two years in charge at The Brewery Field.

After making over 200 appearances for Pools during his playing career, Lee returned to Victoria Park to take charge of first-team affairs in December 2021 and led the club into the semi-final of the EFL Trophy before a penalty shoot-out defeat against eventual winners Rotherham United ended their Wembley dreams. The FA Cup also provided fond memories during Lee’s five-month reign as Pools reached the fourth round of the competition before suffering a defeat at Premier League club Crystal Palace.

After spending 12 months out of the dugout, Lee returned to management with Northern Premier League club Marske United in May 2023 before moving on to Spennymoor in the first week of 2024. The former Pools stalwart guided the Moors away from the bottom end of the National League North table and a stunning run of seven consecutive wins saw Lee’s men narrowly miss out on a play-off spot. Last season proved to be just as memorable as Lee and his side saw off a trio of National League sides to reach their first ever FA Trophy final - but a Wembley defeat against Aldershot Town ended any thoughts of silverware.

Despite helping his side to the first round of the FA Cup this season, the campaign has been one of ups and downs for the Moors as they struggled to find consistency. They suffered a 4-0 home defeat against local rivals Darlington on Saturday that left them sitting in 13th place in the table and eight points from the play-off places. The loss against the Quakers will now go down as the final game of Lee’s reign after Spennymoor confirmed his departure less than 24 hours later.

Parted ways

A club statement released on Sunday lunchtime read: “Spennymoor Town can confirm that it has today parted ways with Manager Graeme Lee following a run of disappointing results in recent months. Lee arrived as boss at the Club in January 2024, following in the footsteps of his late father Tony in taking to the dugout at The Brewery Field. He immediately set about driving the team clear of relegation trouble and an astonishing seven-game winning streak almost saw Moors snatch a play-off place on the final day of 2023/24.

“As well as keeping Moors in the hunt for a top seven finish the following year, Lee also guided the Club to a historic appearance at Wembley in the FA Trophy Final in May 2025. Under his leadership, the players and supporters enjoyed many incredible moments during that run and created memories which will last a lifetime. Lee, along with Assistant Manager Ian Clark, leaves the Club with everyone’s thanks for their hard work and sincere best wishes for the future. A further announcement will be made in due course.”

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