Pete Wild’s reign as Hartlepool United Head Coach kicks off at Victoria Park on Saturday with an Enterprise National League clash against Tamworth (3pm BST).
The opposition:
Tamworth moved out of the National League relegation zone with a 2-0 home win over Sutton United in their most recent fixture, which also marked manager Andy Peaks’ 250th game in charge.
The result saw the Lambs recover from a 5-1 away defeat at Aldershot Town and climb to 20th in the table, with 11 points from 11 league matches (three wins, two draws and six defeats).
The Staffordshire side have scored 19 goals and conceded 28 so far this season, with forward Kieren Donnelly leading the scoring charts with six goals.
Peaks has been in charge since February 2022 and guided Tamworth to back-to-back promotions, including the 2024 National League North title. Since returning to the fifth tier after a 10-year absence, his side has finished 10th and 11th in the league.
Tamworth were taken over in the summer by American businessman Abdullah Ashraf, who also owns Oklahoma United Football Club, a regional side in the United States.
Club Information:
Nickname: The Lambs
Founded: 1933 (93 years ago)
Ground: The Lamb Ground (Capacity – 4,065)
Chairman: Abdullah Ashraf
Last season: National League (11th of 24)
Pools:
After being appointed Head Coach on Thursday night, Pete Wild will lead Pools against Tamworth.
Newly appointed Assistant Head Coach Dave Conlon will join Wild in the dugout, as Pools hope to recover from five consecutive league defeats.
Despite a much-improved performance, Hartlepool suffered a narrow 1-0 loss against Harrogate Town in midweek, with Bailey Hobson’s second-half goal separating the sides.
Team News:
Jay Benn has been ruled out following surgery to repair a sportsman’s hernia and is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks.
Liam Gibson remains unavailable with a hamstring injury, while Neo Eccleston will miss the fixture after sustaining a knock on his back.
Max Kouogun has returned to running, but remains a few weeks away from a full recovery.
Corey McKeown, Max Merrick and Owen Hampson continue to work their way back from their respective injuries.
Last five meetings:
February 2026: Tamworth 1-1 Hartlepool United
September 2025: Hartlepool United 1-1 Tamworth
February 2025: Hartlepool United 2-2 Tamworth
December 2024 (FA Trophy): Hartlepool United 1-1 Tamworth (Tamworth won 3-0 on pens)
August 2024: Tamworth 0-1 Hartlepool United
Key Information
Turnstiles will open from 1.30pm, and supporters are reminded that we operate a restricted bag policy to help keep everyone at the stadium safe. Please only bring essential items and, where possible, attend without a bag.
Bags will be checked at an outer cordon as you approach the entrances. All permitted bags will be carefully searched before admission.
Please have your bag ready and open when you reach the search point. Staff may ask you to remove items so they can complete the check.
