He joined the club on a free transfer in the following month. He was a regular for Darlington for the following season-and-a-half, making over 60 league and cup appearances, but fell out of favour in the first half of the 1998–99 season and joined Northampton Town on loan in December 1998, which was quickly converted to a permanent signing a week later.
Hope made over 150 appearances in four-and-a-half seasons at Northampton, helping the club to automatic promotion to the Second Division in 2000. Following the club's relegation to the Third Division at the end of the 2002–03 season, Hope was released by Northampton in August 2003.
Hope joined York City on a one-month contract in August 2003. He then signed a three-month contract in the following month. He stayed at York for the rest of the season but after the club was relegated to the Conference National at the end of the 2003–04 season he left the club.
He then signed for Conference champions Chester City on a two-year contract. Hope made 28 appearances in League Two for Chester in the 2004–05 season, helping the club to avoid relegation. He also scored in Chester's memorable Football League Trophy win over Sheffield Wednesday.
Shrewsbury Town signed Hope on free transfer in August 2005 after being allowed to leave Chester as he did not feature in manager Keith Curle's plans for the 2005–06 season. He became a regular for Shrewsbury and was made club captain. He made over 75 appearances in two seasons, helping the club to the League Two play-off final in May 2007. Following defeat in the play-off final, Hope was released by Shrewsbury.
His next port of call was to sign for Wrexham in June 2007. He made 35 league and cup appearances for Wrexham in the 2007–08 season but was transfer listed in May 2008 following the club's relegation to the Conference.
He returned to League Two with a move to Grimsby Town after being handed a two-year contract by Alan Buckley in June. However, after struggling to hold down a first team place, his contract at Grimsby was cancelled by mutual consent on 7 February 2009, departing Blundell Park after only featuring seven times during the 2008–09 season.
