Gateshead F.C.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gateshead
Gateshead FC Logo
Full nameGateshead Football Club
Nickname(s)The Tynesiders, The Heed
Founded1977
GroundGateshead International Stadium
Capacity11,800
ChairmanNeil Pinkerton
ManagerRob Elliot (interim)
LeagueNational League
2022–23National League, 14th of 24
WebsiteClub website

Gateshead Football Club is a professional association football club based in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system, as of the 2023–24 season. The team play their home matches at the Gateshead International Stadium.

Established in 1977 after Gateshead United folded, the club are known as the "Tynesiders" or the "Heed". There had been a Gateshead A.F.C. in the Football League from 1930 to 1960, which had folded before Gateshead United had been established. The current incarnation of the club began life in the Northern Premier League, winning Premier Division titles in the 1982–83 and 1985–86 seasons. However they were relegated from the Football Conference in 1984 and 1987. They secured promotion back to the Conference at the end of the 1989–90 season, though would remain there until another relegation in 1998. The club were further relegated from the Northern Premier League Premier Division in 2003. They won the First Division play-offs in 2004 and the Premier Division play-offs in 2008, before winning promotion from the Conference North with a second-placed finish in 2008–09. Gateshead spent the next decade in the top-flight of English football's non-League system, losing a play-off final in 2014, before they were demoted into the National League North in 2019 due to financial irregularities. They returned to the National League after winning the National League North in 2021–22.

History[edit]

The original Gateshead club was formed in 1899 as South Shields Adelaide and became members of the Football League in 1919. In 1930 financial problems saw the club moved to Gateshead, where they adopted the name of their new town.[1] However, the club was voted out of the Football League in 1960 and folded in 1973. History repeated itself as the South Shields club formed to replace the original one was also moved to Gateshead, becoming Gateshead United in 1974. However, they were dissolved at the end of the 1976–77 season. A new club was established, taking over from United in the Northern Premier League.[1] After three seasons in the bottom half of the table, they finished eleventh in 1980–81, also reaching the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 1–0 at Lincoln City. The club finished fourth in the league the following season.[2]

The 1982–83 season saw Gateshead win the Northern Premier League with a record points tally (100), scoring 114 goals in the process.[1] As a result, the club were promoted to the Alliance Premier League. After a sixteenth-place finish in their first season in the league, they finished second-from-bottom in 1984–85 and were relegated back to the Northern Premier League.[2] The following season saw the club win the Northern Premier League title and the league's Challenge Shield,[3] earning an immediate return to the (now renamed) Football Conference. However, they lasted only one season in the Conference, and were relegated back to the Northern Premier League after finishing bottom of the table.[2]

With the Northern Premier League having gained a second division, Gateshead became members of its Premier Division upon their return to the league. They finished eighteenth in 1987–88 and second-from-bottom the following season, but avoided relegation to Division One as no team was relegated to the league from the Conference. After this reprieve, the club were runners-up in 1989–90 and were promoted back to the Conference,[2] as champions Colne Dynamoes were ineligible for promotion. The following seven seasons saw them in mid-table every season, but after finishing in the relegation zone in 1997–98, they returned to the Northern Premier League.[2]

After two top-five finishes following their return, Gateshead finished in mid-table in 2000–01 and 2001–02.[2] Although they were relegated to Division One at the end of the 2002–03 season,[2] a sixth-place finish in 2003–04 was sufficient to secure a return to the Premier Division due to the creation of the Conference North and South leading to many clubs leaving the Premier Division. A third-place finish in the Premier Division in 2007–08 saw the club qualify for the promotion play-offs, and after defeating Eastwood Town 4–0 in the semi-finals, they beat Buxton 2–0 in the final to earn promotion to the Conference North.[4]

In the 2008–09 season, Gateshead were Conference North runners-up.[2] In the subsequent play-offs, they beat Southport 2–1 on aggregate in the semi-finals, before a 1–0 win over AFC Telford United in the final saw them promoted to the Conference National.[2] The club adopted a full-time squad for the first time for the 2010–11 season.[5] In 2013–14, the club finished third in the league, qualifying for the promotion play-offs. They beat Grimsby Town 4–2 on aggregate in the semi-finals, setting up a Wembley final against Cambridge United, which they lost 2–1.[6][7] In the following season the club reached the third round of the FA Cup for the first time; wins over Norton United in the first round and Warrington Town in the second led to a third-round tie with Premier League side West Bromwich Albion, with Gateshead losing 7–0.[2] The club were suspended from the National League in May 2019 due to financial irregularities,[8] and were demoted to the National League North the following month.[9]

The curtailed 2019–20 season saw Gateshead finish seventh (with the league table calculated on points-per-game), qualifying for the play-offs.[10][2] However, after beating Brackley Town on penalties after a 1–1 draw in the first round, they lost 5–3 to Boston United in the semi-finals.[11] In 2021–22 Gateshead were National League North champions, earning promotion back to the National League.[12] The 2022–23 season saw them reach the final of the FA Trophy at Wembley Stadium, where they lost 1–0 to FC Halifax Town.[13]

Colours and crest[edit]

The club initially played in all red strip with a white and blue vertical slash on the shirt. Gateshead continued to play in odd-coloured variations until the mid-1980s, when the club changed to the colours of the previous Gateshead incarnation – white shirt, black shorts and socks – and have played in these same colours ever since. Since 2011, Gateshead has adopted their original colours of claret and blue as the club's away strip.[citation needed]

The club's crest incorporates an image of the statue the Angel of the North.[14]

Stadium[edit]

The club have played at the Gateshead International Stadium since their establishment. The record attendance of 11,750 was set in a 1995 friendly match with Newcastle United.[15]

The stadium planned in 2009

On 28 October 2009, Gateshead unveiled plans for a new 8,000 capacity stadium to be built in the town centre, opposite the Gateshead Civic Centre, formerly the home of North Durham Cricket & Rugby Club.[16] However, after the failure of England's bids to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022, the stadium, which would have acted as a training base for teams playing at nearby St James' Park, was put on hold indefinitely. In 2014, it was reported that chairman Graham Wood "no longer considers a new purpose-built football ground vital to the future of Gateshead Football Club".[17] In December 2015, the club's new owner, Richard Bennett, announced that the club had restarted the search for a new stadium location, although he described the International Stadium as "fabulous".[18]

Current squad[edit]

As of 27 February 2024[19]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Wales WAL Eddie Beach (on loan from Chelsea)
2 DF England ENG Robbie Tinkler
3 MF England ENG Regan Booty
4 DF England ENG Callum Whelan
5 DF England ENG Kenton Richardson
6 DF England ENG Louis Storey
7 FW England ENG Tom Allan
8 MF England ENG Ed Francis
9 FW England ENG Marcus Dinanga
10 MF England ENG Greg Olley (captain)
11 MF England ENG Ben Worman
12 MF Wales WAL Kieron Evans (on loan from Cardiff City)
13 GK England ENG Harrison Bond
14 FW England ENG Dajaune Brown (on loan from Derby County)
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 MF England ENG Connor Pani
18 DF England ENG Joe Grayson
19 MF England ENG Luke Hannant
20 MF England ENG Lirak Hasani
21 FW Scotland SCO Connor McBride
22 DF England ENG Will Constantin
26 FW England ENG Kain Adom
27 FW England ENG Lewis Knight
28 MF England ENG Jack Stott (on loan from Middlesbrough)
30 DF England ENG Mamadou Jobe (on loan from Cambridge United)
31 GK England ENG Nathan Harness (on loan from MK Dons)
33 GK England ENG Matty Cassap
37 FW England ENG Lucas Lowery
44 DF England ENG Cole Sharp
- FW England ENG Sonny Fish (on loan from Crawley Town)

Out on loan[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
15 DF England ENG Jordan Hunter (on loan to South Shields)[20]
16 FW England ENG Aidan Rutledge (on loan to Darlington)[21]
39 FW England ENG Oli Thompson (on loan to Blyth Spartans[22]

Non-playing staff[edit]

As of 19 January 2024[23]
Coaching staff
Position Name
Manager Rob Elliot (interim)
Assistant Manager Louis Storey (interim)
First Team Coach Carl Magnay
Goalkeeping Coach Dale Walker[24]
Under-19 Coach Ian Skinner
Community Officer Ben Clark
Physiotherapist Frazer Bell
Kit Manager Mark Walton
As of 12 February 2023[23]
Non-playing staff
Position Name
Chairman Neil Pinkerton
Vice-Chairman Bernard McWilliams
Directors Gareth Mordey, Laurence Dinning, Mark Nellist, Tony Carter
Media manager Jack McGraghan

Managerial history[edit]

Years Manager Ref
1977–1986 Ray Wilkie
1986 Terry Hibbitt
1986–1987 George Smith
1987–1988 Dave Parnaby
1988 Billy Bell
1988 John Carver (caretaker)
1988–1990 Dave Parnaby
1990 Jim Pearson (caretaker)
1990–1991 Tony Lee
1991–1993 Tommy Cassidy
1993–1997 Colin Richardson
1997 Jim Platt
1997–1998 John Carroll
1998 Alan Shoulder, Gary Robson (co-caretakers)
1998–2001 Matt Pearson
2001–2002 Paul Proudlock
2002 Gary Gill [25]
2002–2004 Derek Bell
2004 Alan Bell
2004–2005 Tom Wade
2005–2006 Colin Richardson
2006–2007 Tony Lee [26]
2007–2012 Ian Bogie [27]
2012–2013 Anth Smith [28]
2013 David Rush (caretaker) [29]
2013–2015 Gary Mills [30]
2015 Malcolm Crosby [31]
2015 Ben Clark, Micky Cummins (co-caretakers)
2015–2017 Neil Aspin [32]
2017 Micky Cummins (caretaker) [33]
2017–2019 Steve Watson [34]
2019 Ben Clark [35]
2019–2023 Mike Williamson [36][37]
2023– Rob Elliot (caretaker)

Honours[edit]

  • National League
    • National League North champions 2021–22[2]
  • Northern Premier League
    • Premier Division champions 1982–83, 1985–86[2]
    • Challenge Shield winners 1985–86[3]

Records[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Our History". Gateshead F.C. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Gateshead at the Football Club History Database
  3. ^ a b "Club information and contacts". Gateshead Fc.
  4. ^ "2007–08 Northern Premier League". Football Club History Database.
  5. ^ Bowron, Jeff (28 April 2010). "Gateshead confirm Ian Bogie as full time manager". Gateshead F.C. Archived from the original on 26 August 2012.
  6. ^ Joe Townsend (4 May 2014). "Gateshead 3–1 Grimsby Town (agg 4–2)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  7. ^ "Cambridge United 2–1 Gateshead". BBC Sport. 18 May 2014.
  8. ^ "Gateshead: Club suspended from National League after 'multiple breaches' of financial rules". BBC Sport. 24 May 2019.
  9. ^ "Gateshead relegated to National League North after financial breaches". BBC Sport. 8 June 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  10. ^ "Barrow promoted back to English Football League after National League vote". BBC Sport. 17 June 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  11. ^ Craig Singleton (25 July 2020). "Match Report: Boston United 5–3 Gateshead". Boston United F.C. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  12. ^ Jeff Bowron (2 May 2022). "Gateshead clinch promotion to National League as Chorley draw seals title". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  13. ^ Luke De Costa (21 May 2023). "FA Trophy final: FC Halifax Town 1–0 Gateshead". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  14. ^ Passionate People, Passionate Places: Our Angel of the North Chronicle Live, 6 December 2020
  15. ^ a b c d e f g Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2016) Non-League Club Directory 2017, Tony Williams Publications, p32 ISBN 978-1869833695
  16. ^ Gateshead FC unveil new stadium site Gateshead F.C., 28 October 2009
  17. ^ Book reveals Gateshead might ditch new stadium plans Chronicle Live, 27 July 2014
  18. ^ Brown, Steve (13 December 2015). "Gateshead have restarted the search for a new home, says Tynesiders owner Richard Bennett". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  19. ^ "First Team Squad - Gateshead FC". Gateshead FC. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  20. ^ "Jordan Hunter joins South Shields on loan until end of the season". 9 February 2024.
  21. ^ "Aidan Rutledge joins Darlington on loan". 22 March 2024.
  22. ^ "Oli Thompson joins Blyth Spartans on loan". 2 February 2024.
  23. ^ a b "Club Information & Contacts". Gateshead F.C. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  24. ^ McGraghan, Jack (21 July 2023). "Dale Walker joins as Goalkeeping Coach". Gateshead FC. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  25. ^ Chronicle, Evening (8 February 2002). "Gary Vows To Get Gateshead Back On Track". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  26. ^ "Tony Lee gets Gateshead job". 1 July 2016. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  27. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20230407000000*/http://www.gateshead-fc.com/2760/gateshead-confirm-ian-bogie-as-full-time-manager[bare URL]
  28. ^ "Gateshead appoint from within". 28 March 2014. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  29. ^ "Smith Resignation Accepted". 18 August 2013. Archived from the original on 18 August 2013. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  30. ^ "Gateshead appoint Mills as manager". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  31. ^ "Gateshead appoint Crosby new manager". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  32. ^ "Aspin appointed Gateshead manager". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  33. ^ "Gateshead 1-2 Bromley". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  34. ^ "Watson named new Gateshead manager". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  35. ^ "Clark named permanent Gateshead boss". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  36. ^ "Gateshead appoint Williamson player-boss". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  37. ^ "Mike Williamson: MK Dons appoint Gateshead manager as head coach". BBC Sport. 17 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  38. ^ "Gateshead release defender Curtis". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  39. ^ Marcus Maddison sale can help Gateshead thrive – Gary Mills BBC Sport, 28 August 2014
  40. ^ Gateshead receive another cash windfall after Marcus Maddison plays his 20th game for Peterborough Chronicle Live, 10 February 2015

External links[edit]