What can Hartlepool United learn from previous League Two strugglers of recent years?

It is tough going for Hartlepool United at the moment as they hope to avoid a painful return to the National League.

But what chance does history suggest Pools have of climbing out of trouble?

Pools aren’t unfamiliar with Great Escape stories, having written one of their own nine years ago, when Ronnie Moore performed the seemingly impossible to keep the club in the Football League.

It isn’t yet at that stage, of course, but we’ve crunched the stats of more recent seasons to see how likely it is that Curle can lead the club to safety from the bottom of League Two at this stage of the season.

2021-22

Bottom of the Football League this time last season, with just two wins and five draws but seven defeats from 14 games? Scunthorpe United.

Bottom of the Football League after matchday 46? Scunthorpe United . . . having picked up just two more victories in the intervening 32 games.

2020-21

After 14 games two seasons ago, Southend United were even worse off than Pools are now, having suffered 11 defeats and picked up just five points.

But although the Shrimpers picked up slightly from that point, moving off the bottom of League Two above Grimsby Town, a 23rd-place finish meant – as it would this season – that they were relegated.

2019-20

This season DID see League Two’s bottom club after 14 games make an escape.

Stevenage capitalised on the decision to cut short the campaign due to Covid-19 – and other unexpected events – to save their skin.

Having been on the same points total as Pools’ current tally after 14 games, Stevenage would still have finished bottom when the season was cut short and the decision made to base league positions on points won per game.

But a points deduction for Macclesfield Town, and the decision to promote four clubs from League Two to League One after Bury went out of business, meant Stevenage somehow survived.

2018-19

You have to go back three years for a genuine source of hope for Pools, and Macclesfield’s Lazarus act.

Two points worse off at the same stage as today’s Pools side, the Silkmen earned 37 points from their remaining 32 games to reach safety by three points.

A run of six wins in 11 games either side of Christmas saw Macclesfield lift themselves above Yeovil Town – who finished bottom – and Notts County.

2017-18

Chesterfield were also worse off than Pools are now when bottom of the Football League at this stage in 2017.

But the rest of their season offers no comfort to Curle and Pools fans, as they remained bottom of the pile throughout, finishing eight points from safety.

2016-17

A season which brings back painful memories at Pools . . . but also offers a ray of hope.

Newport County sat at the foot of the table after 14 games, with just six points.

But having gradually picked up momentum, the Exiles gave themselves a shot at survival going into the final game.

Mark O’Brien duly scored an 89th-minute winner against Notts County to complete Newport’s Houdini act – and relegated Pools to the National League for the first time in their history.