NEW-LOOK HEED READY TO HOG THE SPOTLIGHT
IT has all the makings of an FA Cup classic. A Friday night tie under the floodlights pitching an in-form National League North club against a former Premier League side now struggling for consistently in League One. That’s without throwing into the mix an expected crowd that is rising significantly in number and the presence of live television cameras.
The story of Gateshead’s recent plight has been wellversed. As such, it is easy to frame this week’s second round tie with Charlton Athletic as a sign of how far they have come since their former owners took them to the brink of going out of business. However, the unscrupulous individuals that held the Heed in their grip three years ago have already been given more column inches than their callous actions deserve.
No, Gateshead’s moment in the limelight should be a celebration of the momentum they have gained under the control of the supporter-led consortium that hauled them back from the precipice. It should be a celebration of the stability they have put in place, despite the unpredictability cast by the Covid-19 pandemic. It should be a moment to honour the healing of relationships with their local community and with businesses across the north east that had been damaged almost beyond repair. It should be used to mark the introduction of a successful academy that has already produced players of first-team quality and the ladies’ team that earned a promotion during a historic first season. It should be used to hail the brave decisions to remain as a full-time club, to hand Mike Williamson his first opportunity in management and keep faith with the backroom staff that served the likes of Steve Watson and Ben Clark so well.
The rewards are already being reaped with the Heed being viewed as one of the most attractive sides in Non-League’s second tier and a challenge for a return to the National League looks very much on the cards.
But most of all, Friday night should be a celebration of the reconnection of the Gateshead supporters with their beloved club after a period of disconnect. I witnessed at first-hand the relief and delight that washed over the Heed Army as the supporter-led consortium took control of the club and the rebuilding process got underway. Even being kept at a social distance throughout the pandemic could not dwell their reinvigorated enthusiasm.
Friday night’s tie also represents an opportunity to showcase the new Gateshead to not only the north east region but to the nation as a whole with the game at the International Stadium beamed out live on ITV4.
It promises to be a celebration for all of the right reasons, not the ones that should be long forgotten.