Gateshead F.C. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gateshead

Full name	Gateshead Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Tynesiders, The Heed
Founded	1977
Ground	Gateshead International Stadium
Ground Capacity	11,800
Chairman	Bernard McWilliams
Manager	Alun Armstrong
League	National League North
2018–19	National League, 17th of 24 (demoted)
Home colours Away colours

Gateshead Football Club is a professional football team from Gateshead, England. They are often called "The Tynesiders" or "The Heed." The club plays its home games at the Gateshead International Stadium. They compete in the National League North, which is the fifth tier of English football.

The club started in 1977 after an older team, Gateshead United, stopped playing. Before that, there was another team called Gateshead A.F.C. that played in the Football League from 1930 to 1960. The current Gateshead FC began in the Northern Premier League. They won this league twice, in 1982–83 and 1985–86.

Gateshead FC has moved up and down through different leagues over the years. They reached the top non-League division, the Football Conference, several times. In 2014, they almost got promoted to the Football League but lost in the play-off final. In 2019, they were moved down a league because of money problems. However, they bounced back, winning the National League North in 2021–22. In 2023–24, they won their first ever FA Trophy title, a big cup competition for non-League teams.

History of Gateshead FC

Early Days and Promotions

The story of football in Gateshead goes back a long way. An early club, formed in 1899, moved to Gateshead in 1930 and became Gateshead A.F.C.. This team played in the Football League but stopped in 1960. Another club, Gateshead United, then formed but also stopped playing in 1977.

That's when the current Gateshead Football Club was created. They joined the Northern Premier League. After a few years, they started to do well. In 1980–81, they reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time. The team finished fourth in the league the next season.

The 1982–83 season was amazing for Gateshead. They won the Northern Premier League with a record 100 points. They also scored 114 goals! This win meant they were promoted to the Alliance Premier League.

Moving Up and Down the Leagues

After one season in the Alliance Premier League, Gateshead was relegated back to the Northern Premier League in 1984–85. But they quickly bounced back! The very next season, 1985–86, they won the Northern Premier League again. This earned them another promotion to the (now renamed) Football Conference.

However, they only stayed in the Conference for one season, getting relegated again in 1986–87. Back in the Northern Premier League, they struggled for a couple of years. But in 1989–90, they finished second and were promoted back to the Conference. They stayed in the middle of the table for seven seasons. In 1997–98, they were relegated to the Northern Premier League once more.

Return to Success

After a few years, Gateshead started climbing again. In 2002–03, they were relegated to Division One. But a good finish in 2003–04 helped them return to the Premier Division. This was because new leagues, the Conference North and South, were created.

In 2007–08, Gateshead finished third in the Premier Division. They entered the play-offs and won, earning promotion to the Conference North. The next season, 2008–09, they were runners-up in the Conference North. They won their play-off games and were promoted to the Conference National, the highest non-League division.

Recent Years and Cup Glory

Gateshead became a full-time professional club in 2010–11. In 2013–14, they finished third in the league. They reached the play-off final at Wembley Stadium but lost 2–1. The next season, 2014–15, they made it to the third round of the FA Cup for the first time. They played against Premier League team West Bromwich Albion but lost.

In May 2019, the club faced problems and was moved down to the National League North. Despite this, they reached the play-offs in the shortened 2019–20 season. In 2021–22, Gateshead won the National League North championship, getting promoted back to the National League.

The 2022–23 season saw them reach the FA Trophy final at Wembley again, but they lost 1–0. In 2023–24, they finished sixth in the National League. However, they could not compete in the play-offs because of a stadium issue. Despite this, they reached their second straight FA Trophy final. This time, they won the competition by beating Solihull Moors on penalties after a 2–2 draw.

Team Colours and Crest

Gateshead FC first played in an all-red kit with white and blue stripes. In the mid-1980s, they changed to white shirts, black shorts, and black socks. These have been their main colours ever since. Since 2011, the club has used their original claret and blue colours for their away kit.

The club's badge, or crest, features the famous Angel of the North statue.

Home Stadium

Gateshead FC has played at the Gateshead International Stadium since the club started. The biggest crowd ever at a Gateshead FC match was 11,750 people. This happened during a friendly game against Newcastle United in 1995.

The stadium planned in 2009

In 2009, Gateshead announced plans for a new stadium in the town centre. It was meant to hold 8,000 fans and be a training base for teams in the World Cup. However, England did not win the bid to host the World Cup, so the stadium plans were put on hold. Later, the club's chairman said a new stadium wasn't as important. In 2015, the new owner said they were looking for a new stadium location again.

Recently, in 2023–24, Gateshead qualified for the National League play-offs. But they were not allowed to play. This was because the local council did not give the club a long-term agreement for the International Stadium. This agreement is needed for teams to join the Football League.

Current Players

No. Position Player 1 GK Tiernan Brooks 2 DF Callum Johnson 3 DF David Ferguson 4 MF Jacob Butterfield 5 DF Kenton Richardson 10 MF Max Sheaf 12 FW Kain Adom 18 DF Joe Grayson 20 MF Fenton John xx DF Carter Millmore

No. Position Player 23 MF Tyrelle Newton 26 MF Connor Pani 29 FW Frank Nouble 31 DF Ben Williams 39 FW Oli Thompson 41 GK George Shelvey 42 MF Tim Akinola 45 FW Jovan Malcolm xx FW Lucas Lowery

Players on Loan

No. Position Player xx GK Peter Jameson (on loan to Darlington) xx MF Will McGowan (on loan to Darlington)

Club Staff

This section lists the people who work behind the scenes at Gateshead FC.

Managers Through the Years

Here is a list of all the managers who have led Gateshead FC.

Club Achievements

Gateshead FC has won several important titles and awards:

• FA Trophy
  • Winners 2023–24
• National League
  • National League North champions 2021–22
• Northern Premier League
  • Champions 1982–83, 1985–86
  • Challenge Shield winners 1985–86

Club Records

Here are some interesting records for Gateshead FC:

• Best FA Cup performance: Third round, 2014–15
• Best FA Trophy performance: Winners, 2023–24
• Record attendance: 11,750 vs Newcastle United, friendly match, 7 August 1995
• Biggest win: 8–0 vs Netherfield, Northern Premier League
• Heaviest defeat: 9–0 vs Sutton United, Football Conference, 22 September 1990
• Most appearances: James Curtis, 596 games (2003–2016)
• Most goals: Paul Thompson, 130 goals (1995–1997, 1999–2004, 2005–2008)
• Record transfer fee paid: £9,000 to Dagenham & Redbridge for Paul Cavell, 1994
• Record transfer fee received: £250,000 from Peterborough United for Marcus Maddison, 2014

More About Gateshead FC

• Gateshead F.C. players
• Gateshead F.C. managers

See also

In Spanish: Gateshead Football Club para niños