IT’S PAYBACK TYNE!
Watson set to land new deal with Heed
GATESHEAD manager Steve Watson is set to be rewarded with a new and improved contract on Tyneside.
The former Premier League star has been working without a long-term deal since Hong Kongbased businessman Dr Ranjan Varghese took over the National League club in the summer.
But Watson’s stock has since risen to new heights having led the relegation-tipped Heed into the play-off places.
The Tynesider had to completely rebuild the squad in the summer after 17 players left, leaving the club in limbo for seven weeks.
The 44-year-old also had to deal with a budget that was halved by the previous owners and was the lowest in the National League.
Yet he has still managed to put together a promising group of players with a nice blend of youth and experience.
Given the circumstances and an average gate of below 800 – the second lowest in the division – he has performed admirably.
Gateshead went into yesterday’s game at Wrexham seventh in the table and with the fourth best defensive record.
Sustainable
“It has gone very well so far and everyone deserves credit,” said Watson. “It’s a work in progress and the players have the ability to continue to improve.
“I’m enjoying my time at Gateshead. It was a challenge in the summer, but we managed to put together a good squad.
“It was a worrying time for everyone associated with Gateshead during the close season and thankfully the club was taken over. We got off to a flying start and have progressed nicely; hopefully I’ll get my own situation sorted out soon.”
Despite being an outpost club, the Heed have only three overnight stays penciled in this season when in the past it has been half of their away games.
That’s just another hurdle for Watson and his men to overcome, some trips requiring a 6am departure from Tyneside – hardly ideal preparation.
The Heed travel to League One Rochdale in the FA Cup this weekend with £36,000 in prize money at stake, and they could do with pulling off a Cup shock.
There is concern, meanwhile, among some in the Heed ranks whether the current owner is in it for the long haul.
Varghese suggested so in during his week in the North East – but with a caveat.
“The key is to keep football sustainable, because now you see many owners are going bankrupt and not able to support the club very well,” he said. “This is not what we want to end up in. We want the club to grow and become larger.
“We will bring in all kinds of expertise and resources to move forward.
“We can definitely do that with the support of the fans and Steve is doing an excellent job.”