A Hartley Welcome

PETER Hartley came through the youth ranks at Sunderland when former Argyle manager Peter Reid was in charge at the Stadium of Light.

He made just one, substitute, appearance for the Black Cats, in the New Year’s Day 2007 Championship win at Leicester City, and enjoyed a successful loan spell at League 2 Chesterfield the following season.

Despite being offered a new contract by Sunderland at the end of the 2008-09 campaign, he elected to move to his semi-eponymous home-town Hartlepool, where he developed into a more than useful left-sided centre-back.

His contributions to the cause at Victoria Park saw him win the club’s Player of the Year award and his vocal input resulted him being a natural for the Pools captaincy.

As well as his defensive input to Pools, he scored ten goals, the most famous of which was the opener in a 2-1 home League 1 victory over Notts County in February last year.

Not only did Hartlepool register back-to-back victories for the first time in 17 months but, as their other scorer was James Poole, it meant Hartlepool won with goals from Hartley and Poole.
 
After 181 career games for Hartlepool, and one at the beginning of last season, Peter joined Sky Bet League 1 Stevenage, playing 38 times before being released by Boro as they look to restructure after relegation.

He will have an early potential reunion with his former team-mates who remain at Broadhall Way, with Stevenage scheduled to come to Home Park in the second week of the new season, on Tuesday August 19.