Former Heed chief rules out takeover bid

POPULAR former owner and chairman Graham Wood will not be riding to Gateshead’s rescue for a second time.

Wood spent nine years at the Heed helm taking his hometown from the Northern Premier League to the Conference premier.

He also oversaw a change to a professional status in 2010 and saw his beloved Gateshead reach Wembley in 2014.

Wood (below) said: “We were so close to getting back into the Football League that day and if we had I’d still be at Gateshead now.

“Had James Curtis’ late header gone in I believe we would have gone on to beat Cambridge as the momentum was with us.

“It wasn’t to be and we lost the impetus we had built up when we failed to make the play-offs the following season.”

Wood sold the club to Richard and Julie Bennett, who ploughed in almost £3m during their three-year tenure.

It then went all wrong when the Bennetts sold the club to Indian businessman Dr Ranjan Varghese in the summer.

Colourful Italian Joseph Cala was installed as Varghese’s righthand man – but within months the pair are looking to offload the club.

Gateshead was officially put back on the market, once again for just £1, with Wood having been sounded out on three occasions.

They were all in the first half of the season, but Argentinian Gustavo Moure and Scot Colin Piechniczek have been in talks with Gateshead, who host Sutton United today, since November.

The process regarding another takeover of the National League is now ongoing, but former club supremo Wood has ruled himself out of a sentimental return.

“I’ll be 75 this month and having been at Sunderland, Gateshead and Hampton and Richmond I’ve put in a few million into the game,” he added.

“My time in football is coming to an end as I’m not getting any younger and want to maintain my standard of living. “It is obviously disappointing to see my home town club in difficulty again – hopefully there will be a happy ending.”