Gateshead 1-1 Eastleigh, Tuesday 6th February 2024

Gateshead 1-1 Eastleigh, National League, Gateshead International Stadium, att. 855 (14 away)

It’s midweek and I’m up in the north-east on business. I considered the Northern League, but I’ve been reading an article about Gateshead’s possession-based football leading to manager Mike Williamson being poached last month by MK Dons (booooooo!). And with The Heed challenging for a play-off spot, times haven’t been this good for a while. Plus it’s an easy half an hour up the A1 from my abode. That’s the thing about where I live now, in the West Yorkshire Pennines...you get nowhere fast. From Ferryhill in County Durham, there must be 50 grounds within half an hour or so.

With a smallish crowd expected, there’s no problem getting parked in the academy adjacent to the stadium. Free too, which is just as well as I’m stung for twenty quid admission. 20 quid? That’s what I paid to see Everton v Palace in the cup the other week. Still, this’ll be a better game to watch. Easy in, and, as mostly, only one stand open, the Tyne and Wear (West) Stand. It’s a large propped cantilever stand which affords great views despite the running track, due to its steepness.

A similar stand lies opposite, albeit with only the skeleton of a roof frame. When the opposition bring numbers, it’s open. Tonite, Eastleigh bring fourteen whole supporters, and well done them, I could hear them. Behind either goal are more open seats, with the north end being slightly larger. I’m not sure when they’ll ever be used again. Does Gateshead still host Diamond League athletics meetings, now we have the ‘London Stadium’, nee the 2012 Olympic Stadium? I dunno, I don’t really follow athletics.

Pre-match, I head for the ‘Old Goat’s Bar’ under the stand, for a craft ale refresher. Last time it had a few choices from a local brewer. Not this evening. It’s Stella or Strongbow (dark or original...wooo!) or some other non-descript beverage. I decide to keep my powder dry and pick a pew. I could enjoy a padded VIP seat on the halfway line, but I choose a higher perch, for the view, just in front of a stanchion.

The game is a throwback. In the modern era, where the high press rules, Eastleigh simply retreat into their own half every time they lose possession, which is every time. Gateshead easily enjoy over 80% possession, but despite the probling of midfield pair Whelan and Francis, Eastleigh’s rigid defensive lines of a 5 and 3 are difficult to thread a pass through. They also cede the wide areas to Gateshead, confident that any delivery will be comprehensively cleared. And this works for 95 minutes (Eastleigh one up before the hour with a rare counter attack).

Then, with seconds to spare (the minimum 5 mins of injury time the ref had signalled is up), a corner is lofted in and the ref points to the spot. No-one in the stand has any idea what the offence is, and only one Spitfire (great nickname) complains until he’s booked. Foul? A push? Handball? I have no idea, and neither do two other blokes I listen in on as I leave. But who cares. Gateshead snatch the point as Luke Hannant despatches the pen, reward for an interesting piece in the programme. Although in his second spell with The Heed, he initially came to the north-east to study (choosing Newcastle cos it had the best nightlife!) and, after a spell in the Northern League for Northumbria University, was spotted and signed. Good on the lad, it lead to a spell at Port Vale and now he’s back as an influential older head.

The Damage:
£20 ent
£3 programme
= £23

Gateshead 2-3 Stevenage, Saturday 5th November 2022

Gateshead 2-3 Stevenage, FA Cup 1st Round, Gateshead International Stadium, att. 1,059 (149 away)

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)

Gateshead 2-1 Altrincham, Tuesday 18th October 2022

Gateshead 2-1 Altrincham, FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round Replay, Gateshead International Stadium, att. 585 (58 away)

After Saturday’s shock win for South Shields over Scunthorpe, it’s a 4th round FA Cup replay tonite between National Leaguers Gateshead and Altrincham. The draw has been made and the sides are vying for a 1st round tie at home to Stevenage. I’m not sure if that’s appetising or not, but fair play to the away fans this evening, making the journey midweek and making plenty of noise, at least in the first half.

I arrive expecting a bigger crowd. The ‘car park’ (American football pitch behind the ground) is closed, so I squeeze in to the sports centre car park. Full-time proves most of the cars belong not to ‘Heed’ fans, but folk playing ACTUAL sport. It’s gone from full to virtually empty. Gateshead FC must be expecting a small crowd though, as ‘programmes are online’. Disappointing. But the club has the sense to house both sets of fans in the Tyne and Wear (West) Stand, or ‘the stand with a roof’. Alty are to my left, while the home ultras make an equally good noise away to my left. Whatever Gateshead’s crowds, whatever that they play at an athletics’ stadium, the atmosphere has still been excellent in the 3 times I’ve been here.

The rest of the ground is empty, save for the odd ballboy. (It’s a long way from the posts to the open seating behind the goal.) It’s strange, but the game keeps me focused. I’m willing the home side on, being local, yet still find the 1st half highlight was a home player injuring himself diving into a tackle following his own miscontrol. Anyway, said player came up and joined us, second half. I didn’t say owt…

Otherwise, the Heed won it with a couple of goals in the first half from Andrew Campbell. A high press and underhit backpass left Campbell clear for the first, while his 2nd, 3 mins later in the 37th minute, came from a long ball over the top. Still, well-controlled and a composed finish. Alty pulled one back before the interval, a rebound from a spilled shot. The second half looked all set, but no-one brought the matches and the home side comfortably saw it out. Bring on Stevenage!

The Damage:
£15 ent
£4.50 Tyne Bank West Coast IPA
= £21.40

The Tunes:
Wet Leg (Wet Leg)

Gateshead 2-1 Spennymoor Town, Saturday 19th February 2022

Gateshead 2-1 Spennymoor, National League North, Gateshead International Stadium, att. c.800

Back on my tour of north-east non league grounds and today I’ve eschewed a visit to the Ford Quarry hub for the groundshare derby between Washington and Sunderland West End, for a 1st ever visit to the International Athletics Stadium (IAS), Gateshead. ‘The Heed’ have a derby of sorts themselves, against Spennymoor Town, less than 20 miles down the A1. Easy journey, and easy parking, as an artificial (American) football pitch at the north end of the ground was utilised as an extra car park. Free, too.

I also brought my prejudices with me. I detest having to view football over an athletics track, but this was no ‘London Stadium’. The rake of the seats in the Tyne and Wear Stand was such that, from the back at least, I had a perfectly good view across the pitch. Indeed, as I stood in the north car park, part of the reason for choosing to go in the (home) T&W Stand was because it looked like it had a steeper rake than the (away) East Stand. The former had a roof too, not essential given it was a bright, sunny day, but you never know. This IS the north-east. But why does the East Stand have a frame and no roof? At least it looks pretty…

I also imagined a poor atmosphere, but, actually, a large group of home fans made plenty of noise throughout. Not sure about their efforts to goad the 120 or so from Spenny across the pitch though. ‘You’re just a small town in Durham’ is technically correct if we presume Durham is a COUNTY as well as a city. (And in the days before the formation of the artificial entity that is ‘Tyne and Wear’, it’s also the county Gateshead stands in.)

I also missed out on a programme. I saw plenty of folk carrying one, but never saw any on sale. I suspect they were to be had from the counter marked ‘Gateshead Football Club Official Merchandise’ at the top of the stairs. A couple of folk had some empty plastic tubs and were sporting fistfuls of notes. Actual ‘Gateshead Football Club Official Merchandise’ on sale? None, though I could get a pint of ‘larger’ at ‘Clarky’s Café’. I guess that’s a bigger pint.

I dunno if segregation is a thing at the IAS normally either, or whether it was because the game was local…ish (less than 20 miles apart). Gateshead entertained Charlton the other month in the FA Cup with similar segregation. (I’d have gone to that game, had I not learnt on the day that tickets were advanced sales only…despite the attendance being less than half capacity. Note to football clubs: it’s difficult being able to make a decision in advance when you’re a carer and have other people to rely on you.) Anyway, there was no chance of trouble today, neither side caring about t’other.

It was an excellent game. Gateshead, top of the league and looking to return to the National League were ran ragged by a midtable Spenny side who still hadn’t returned to their early season form despite replacing the management team. However, the match was characterised by profligate finishing from the away side. Chances went begging, Spenny only having an early penalty to show for 5 or 6 great chances, while The Heed scored two from their one chance. The winner, a cut inside and 20 yarder into the far corner was fitting to win any match. Spenny still managed to squander a late chance, sub Oyibo (‘Look! It’s Allan Saint Maximum!’) running clean through, the keeper saving his scuffed shot before the rebound was neatly dinked over him….and wide. It was that sort of day for Spenny.

The Damage:
£15 ent= £15

The Tunes:
Time High Fiction (Richard H. Kirk)
Hippopotamus (Sparks)