National League board approve Hartlepool United fixture rearrangement against Weymouth to final day as fans could return to Victoria Park

As it stands, Pools and Weymouth are currently without a game on May 29, the final day of the regular 2020-21 season due to their respective fixtures against Dover Athletic and Macclesfield Town being cancelled after the initial fixture schedule was published in August 2020.

With Hartlepool set to host Weymouth at Victoria Park on Saturday, April 24, it now looks likely that the fixture will be rearranged for May 29 following the green light from the National League board, The Mail understands.

Pools are strongly in favour of the rearrangement as it allows them to play at the same time as their promotion rivals on the final day of the season but it still requires Weymouth to agree to the change as well.

And there remains no official confirmation from the league or either club at this stage.

“We’ve put our case forward to the National League and it will be their decision that they’ve got to sort out with Weymouth but we haven’t heard anything yet,” Hartlepool manager Dave Challinor told The Mail.

“Whether it’s fair or sporting integrity, whatever you want to call it, it’s a difficult scenario that no one wanted to happen.

"In the event the game isn’t rearranged, we’ve just got to make sure that the last game we have against Sutton is an important one with lots riding on it.”

Another bonus of the Weymouth match being rearranged is that it will allow fans to return to Victoria Park before the end of the regular season.

From May 17, supporters are set to be allowed back into sport stadiums across the country in limited numbers for the first time since March 2020.

Based on the current fixture schedule, Pools’ final match will take place away at Sutton United on May 22 with limited supporters.

Pools fans are unlikely to be allowed to attend the match at Gander Green Lane under current guidelines.

Should Hartlepool be able to secure a top five place, fans would be permitted to return to The Vic for a play-off match with a maximum crowd of 3,932.

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