Grounds for optimism over Heed stadium

GATESHEAD vice-chairman Bernard McWilliams is confident problems at the club’s councilowned International Stadium base will be rectified.

There are major concerns with the floodlights at the International Stadium while the East Stand roof has still to be replaced.

Adverse weather conditions on Tuesday saw York City fans rehoused in the covered Tyne and Wear stand so that they weren’t exposed to the elements.

Issues over a number of years involving a bespoke cantilevered canopy roof on the East Stand erected in 2010 saw it taken down a few years ago.

The roof structure remains in place but the planned replacement cover has yet to materialise.

The East Stand is only occasionally used for Gateshead FC home games, with Charlton fans there for last week’s televised FA Cup tie.

The failing floodlights are a more immediate concern, though they do comply with National League North standards – just.

Tellingly, they do not meet the Conference Premier requirements, the Heed well placed for promotion back to non-league’s top flight.

Less than half of the lamps across the four floodlight pylons are now functioning, with just three and five of the 15 lamps on each East Stand corner floodlights working. The opposite pylons are not much better, ITV having to install two pylons of temporary floodlights to be able to beam the Charlton cup-tie out to a national audience.

The gloomy visibility returned for the visit of York on Tuesday.

McWilliams said: “The plan for the roofing of the East Stand has been a long-drawn-out situation contractually.

“There were design issues with the original roof but a new one will go up eventually.

“The floodlights are good enough for the division we play in but they need to be overhauled.

“Improvements have been in the pipeline for more than a year but there have been supply issues complicated by Brexit and the pandemic.”

New LED lights will replace the present lights and that has produced challenges due to their weight and the pylons.

When the lights and roof are upgraded the 11,800-capacity allseater International Stadium will finally be back up to speed.