National League Lowdown: Gateshead

It’s been a summer full of change up North for the Tynesiders, with Rob Elliot’s switch to Carlisle United resulting in Lee Cattermole taking the reins.

Languishing at the bottom of the National League table in February, Gateshead seemed destined for demotion back into the sixth tier for the first time in five seasons. Fortunately for the Heed, the return of Elliot ignited a comeback story as they lost only four of their last 18 matches to eventually stay up by an eight point margin.

Following two seasons of finishing inside the top eight, Gateshead will be hoping the last campaign was merely an anomaly.

Their poor home form can be attributed to their disappointing performance, with only three teams recording less than 22 points during the season.

The Reds will visit Gateshead on Saturday 3 October, with the reverse fixture scheduled for Saturday 19 December.

History

The story of Gateshead’s history is a unique – shaped by several rebirths.

The club’s roots trace back to 1930, when South Shields relocated andd became Gateshead AFC. That version of the team spent three decades in the Football League and even famously reached the FA Cup quarter-finals in 1953 after beating Liverpool.

However in 1960, Gateshead was voted out of the Football League in favour of Peterborough United, despite not finishing bottom of the league. They failed to recover from this decision and folded in 1973.

The present-day Gateshead FC was formed in 1976 and took Gateshead United’s spot in the Northern Premier League following their demise. Within seven years, they won the title and went on to earn several promotions into what is now the National League.

In terms of modern-day success, they reached the  National League play-off final at Wembley in 2014 and narrowly missed out on promotion to the Football League. After financial difficulties and relegation in 2019, a fan-led takeover helped stabilise the club, and they returned to the fifth tier by winning the National League North title in 2022.

One of the most memorable recent achievements came in 2024, as they etched their name onto the FA Trophy – claiming their first major trophy in the club’s history in the process.

That success followed the disappointment of being barred from the National League play-offs because of stadium tenure rules, despite qualifying on the pitch.

Manager – Lee Cattermole

This summer, Gateshead replaced a former Premier League North-East footballer with another, as ex-Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole succeeded old Newcastle shot-stopper Rob Elliot in the hotseat at the .

Cattermole agreed terms on a two-year deal with the Heed and will be tasked with ensuring the club don’t flirt with relegation at any point throughout the course of the campaign.

The UEFA A Licence holder has vast experience in coaching, practicing in craft with spells at Middlesbrough, Bristol Rovers, Burnley and the Northern Irish FA.

However, his appointment at the Gateshead International Stadium a couple of months ago represents the 38-year-old’s first foray into senior management.

As a player, Cattermole established himself as one of the most reliable and consistent defensive midfielders in the Premier League, making almost 300 appearances in the top-flight.

Previous Meeting

This season will be the first time the two clubs cross paths in history, with the Reds and Gateshead never competing in the same league or being drawn against each other in a cup competition.

However there are still some links, as current defender Joe Cook was previously on the books at the Tyne and Wear based club, as was another ex Worthing player – Sam Rents.

Stadium

A multi-purpose sports venue, the Gateshead International Stadium is the third biggest stadium in terms of capacity in the National League with almost 12,000 spectators able to safely attend events.  Only Carlisle United’s Brunton Park and Southend United’s Roots Hall dwarf it in the fifth tier, although the 400-metre athletics track surrounding the pitch limits the generation of atmosphere. 

The ground has hosted numerous major athletics events, including international competitions and several world records have been set there by athletes such as Yelena Isinbayeva and Asafa Powell.