AN army of Stormtroopers refused to let a 5-0 defeat spoil their regular end of season party.

Hartlepool United's fans have turned their last away day pilgrimage of the season into a fancy dress trip that has captured the 'force' of their dedication to the club.

Despite Saturday's destination being a far away galaxy - well Plymouth - three coach loads of Stormtroopers braved the near 400-mile trip to celebrate the end of the season in style.

Organisers of the annual event, which has seen fans dressed as Smurfs, Thunderbirds and Bob Marley, believe the effort is worth it.

Ron Harnish, who help organise the annual fun and games, said: "It looked absolutely amazing, everywhere you looked you could see a Stormtrooper.

"The reception from the Plymouth fans was out of this world and everybody got into the spirit of the occasion. I couldn't believe it when you looked on social media - Hartlepool fans was one of the most searched topics.

"When you think that fans have had to make an 800-mile round trip, the effort was amazing and the only let down was the result."