Hartlepool United return to action to face Marine AFC at Victoria Park in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round (3pm BST).

The opposition:

Marine arrive at Victoria Park in strong form, having recovered from a difficult start to the campaign, which saw them win only two of their opening eight matches, to go into the FA Cup tie on a five-match winning run in all competitions.

The Mariners, who are based in Crosby, Merseyside, currently sit 13th in the National League North, with forward George Newell their leading scorer on three goals.

Bobby Grant took charge of Marine in the summer of 2025 and guided the Lilywhites to a 12th-place finish in the sixth tier last season.

In qualifying, Marine progressed to the fourth qualifying round with a 3-2 victory over fellow National League North side Radcliffe, followed by a 2-0 win over Step 3 opposition Warrington.

Marine’s best FA Cup runs came in 1992/93 and, most recently, 2020/21, when they reached the third round, losing 5-0 at home to Tottenham Hotspur.

The tie will be the first meeting between the clubs since December 1975, when Pools claimed a 6-3 victory at Victoria Park in an FA Cup second-round replay.

Club Information:

Nickname: The Mariners
Founded: 1894 (132 years ago)
Ground: Marine Travel Arena (Capacity – 3,185)
Chairman: Paul Leary
Last season: National League North (12th of 24)

Pools:

Hartlepool United suffered a 2-1 defeat against Newcastle United Under-21s in the National League Cup in midweek, with Jack Nolan on the scoresheet for Pete Wild’s side.

Last weekend, Pools returned to winning ways in the Enterprise National League with a 4-2 away win over Forest Green Rovers, thanks to braces from Jordan Hugill and Nathan Sheron.

Team news:

New signing Sam Lavelle is available for selection and could make his Pools debut. Jamie Miley, Cam John and Max Kouogun are all in contention to return to the matchday squad after returning to full training.

Defender Liam Gibson and midfielder Corey McKeown have resumed running and ball work, but this fixture will come too soon for both players.

Max Merrick, Owen Hampson and Jay Benn remain out as they continue to recover from their respective injuries.

Last three meetings:

December 1975 (FA Cup): Hartlepool United 6-3 Marine AFC

December 1975 (FA Cup): Marine AFC 1-1 Hartlepool United

November 1932 (FA Cup): Marine AFC 2-5 Hartlepool United