By The Shaggy Dog
September 26 2002

The Shaggy Dog delves into the archives again, and comes up with a possible reason for IOR owning Hartlepool United. As usual, it's something that may raise one or two eyebrows.... The early history of the town of Hartlepool may be boring to some, but it can throw up some very interesting questions for the discerning Football Fan. As I will show, some of these questions have serious implications for the future of Hartlepool United.

One of the questions that Hartlepool Fans have been asking over the last few years is "Why is a Norwegian Oil Company interested in owning a Football Club?" A very good question, and one that has perplexed many. After all, why should anyone from Norway suddenly buy Hartlepool United? It's a complete mystery - or is it?

My extensive research and historical knowledge have gone some way to solving this conundrum. The fishing village that grew up close to the Monastery founded in the 7th Century was not without it's share of visitors; and not all of them were peace-loving pilgrims, or even Darlington fans.

It's hardly a big surprise to discover that some of the most unwelcome visitors to the coast were Viking Raiders. In fact, it is believed that the Monastery was in fact finally destroyed by the Danes sometime in the 9th Century. But this was only the tip of the Iceberg.

As late as 1153, Hartlepool was raided by Norwegian Pirates under their leader King Eystein, with a number of boats and much plunder carried off. And it is this raid that is the key to the mystery of IOR's support for Hartlepool United.

Pools are well known for their tenacity in trying to obtain reparations for War Damage; witness the attepmts to get money from the German Government following the Zeppelin attacks on the Vic during the First World War. Nothing was forthcoming, except a few more Luftwaffe-arranged explosions in the Second World War, and so the club decided instead to look back at other conflicts.

They discovered the raid in 1153, and after much detective work came up with a case that was presented in secret to the Norwegian Government. Remarkably, the Norse Raiders being officially sanctioned by the then King of Norway meant that we had a strong case; and to avoid creating a diplomatic incident a covert deal was arranged to support the Football Club until the debt was paid off.

Almost 850 years of Compound Interest have made the initial sum of 500 Groats and five fishing boats escalate in value considerably, and so the Norwegians have agreed to pay off the sum over a period of years. So the bad news is that the current financial support will not last forever. The good news is though that at the current rate it will take until about 2043; and there are also moves afoot to try and recover similar damages from Scottish Raids in the 1300s now that there is a proper Scottish Assembly once more. The money from those actions should see the club secure well into the 22nd century.

It just goes to show how innovative the club is in raising money, and all credit must go to them for realising the opportunites that the town's long and glorious history has to offer.