OTD E0027 - 27 Nov 1916: The Zeppelin, the Bomb & the Broken Stand at Hartlepool

27 Nov 1916: a German Zeppelin raid over the North-East drops bombs across West Hartlepool. One destroys the stand at Clarence Road, future home of Hartlepools United. We trace why L-34 was over Hartlepool, how a stand ended up in the blast pattern, and how pilot Ian Pyott brought the airship down in flames offshore. Then we zoom out to other football grounds hit in wartime – Old Trafford, Upton Park, The Den and modern Ukraine – and follow Hartlepool’s long rebuild and failed bid for reparations.Tips/corrections: [email protected]