It’s double bubble for me in the FA Cup today. After seeing South Shields succumb to Forest Green Rovers in the midday kick-off, I travel the 5 miles or so down the A184 to Gateshead International Stadium for Gateshead v Stevenage. Can ‘The Heed’ pull off a shock against Football League opponents who’re going well this season?
I turn off for the stadium, aiming for the artificial American football pitches used as a car park behind one goal. Closed, as they were for the last round replay v Altrincham. I’m starting to think that when I parked here v Spennymoor last season, it was a one-off, local derby and all. Thankfully, there was space in the adjacent sports centre car park. Was this a sign of a poor crowd today? Yes.
It appears the 1st round hadn’t gripped the locals. Stevenage were hardly the draw of Charlton (who Gateshead got last season). Their fans must have thought similar, 149 loyalists making the journey. Were they to know the match would be played in constant drizzle while they (mostly) huddled at the back of a stand without a roof? Very probably. It IS November. It IS the north-east of England.
Knowing the size of the crowd, Gateshead could have done worse than to admit Stevenage fans to the covered Tyne and Wear (West) Stand, as they did for Altrincham in the last round. And whilst it was nice to have fans on 2 sides of the ground rather than the usual one, it’s no good if the away fans make no noise. Again, I don’t think conditions were conducive to the mood. The East Stand has the roof structure in place, but no roof. There is more uncovered seating behind both goals, behind the curve of the athletics track. Sounds grim. However…
…the Tyne and Wear Stand offers a great view, far better than the Olympic (London) Stadium. With seating being unallocated, I sat high up, but not so high up that the stanchions would restrict the view. About a third of the stand was partitioned off (again, why not let Stevenage sit in the dry?) so I felt quite cosy, actually. First half, I had the chirp of young kids behind me, with one constantly calling their centre forward ‘Salah’, presumably cos of his race and hair. I’d have said a bastardised version of the ‘King of Egypt’ and Tom Huddlestone. Anyway, he scored.
Stevenage were all over The Heed, 1st half and were rightly two goals up at the interval. I saw no way back, the home side being played off the park. So it was some surprise Gateshead pegged it back to two-all 17 minutes into the second half, a couple of long rangers taking deflections. ‘If you don’t shoot, you don’t score’ etc. You could see the surprise in Stevenage’s players, so it was with some relief when, 10 mins later, the Heed centre halves crashed into each other, gifting the centre forward a tap-in.
The drama wasn’t quite complete. With around 10 minutes left, the away side were reduced to 10 men, Jordan Roberts kicking out after a challenge left him on the floor. Manager Evans blamed the 4th official, rather than the ref, which was noble of him, considering the player was guilty as charged. Roberts had had a second to think about it, before he kicked out with his studs. Brainless. Luckily for him, the 10 men held out, relatively easily.
The Damage:
£18 ent
£3 programme
£3.50 savoury mince pie
£4.50 Tyne Bank West Coast IPA
= £29
The Tunes:
For Lack of a Better Name (Deadmaus)
BBC Radio Newcastle (Sunderland fans ringing in to moan about a home defeat to Cardiff)
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