Heed believe Williamson will stay in charge of club
We’ll be retaining everyone we want to retain. The lads have had a fantastic season, so it’s good to keep so many on board
Neil Pinkerton
GATESHEAD remain confident that player-manager Mike Williamson will still be in situ to lead the club on their return to the National League.
Williamson is on short odds for both the vacant managerial posts at League Two clubs Hartlepool and Barrow.
The 38-year-old already has one title on his fledgling managerial CV after he guided Gateshead to the National League North championship.
The former Newcastle defender has already spoken to Hartlepool, but is understood to be committed to the project at Gateshead.
The Tynesiders Estonia-based chairman Neil Pinkerton acknowledged the speculation and Bookies odds but said: “Williamson still isn’t leaving Gateshead for Hartlepool.
“He is committed to continuing the job he has started so impressively with us.”
Barrow have announced that they contacted a club earlier this week for permission to speak to their main target and agree appropriate compensation.
Pinkerton insists that club is not Gateshead, where Williamson is on a 12-month rolling contract.
That effectively means that if he moves on any new club would have to pay Gateshead the big defender’s yearly wage in compensation.
Likewise Gateshead would have to pay Williamson his contracted wage if they were to relieve the former Premier League man of his services.
Gateshead have still to announce their retained list, but a healthy number of players are already on the books for next season.
“We’ll be retaining everyone we want to retain,” added Pinkerton. “The lads have had a fantastic season, so it’s good to keep so many on board.”
Now that the Heed will be plying their trade back in the fifth tier of English football they will be a more attractive prospect for loans.
That could include their neighbours from over the water, Newcastle United, who haven’t provided any players for some time.
Williamson is likely to go down the loan route for a new goalkeeper with James Montgomery set to stay on as cover while continuing as goalkeeping coach.
Gateshead, meanwhile, will be keeping a close eye on today’s National League North play-off final between York City and Boston United.
If York prevail at the LNER Stadium they would be the nearest National League club to Gateshead and likely to be the Heed’s opponents twice over the festive period.
The Minstermen would travel in good numbers, though they will be a rival in the summer transfer market, if they are promoted.
Gateshead face a lot more travelling next season, overnight stays alone costing in the region of £34,000.
“It will be good in the play-offs if York go up and Halifax stay down, and York would be a good one for over Christmas,” said Pinkerton.
“We are in competition with York for players but we’ve got a lot going for us and we’ve beaten them to a couple of players over the past 12 months.
“As regards the travelling we have budgeted for 14 overnight stays for those trips that are over four and a half hours travelling.
“That could change during the season depending on where we are in the table and whether we could do more elsewhere with the money.”
If, as expected, Williamson stays he will have to work cleverly with what is likely to be one of the bottom three budgets in the National League.
“The budget will be very similar to the one we won the league on this season, unless something changes in our circumstances.
“It will be one of the lowest in the league, unless we can get some fresh investment, something we are working on.”
Gateshead will have a completely new reseeded pitch next season and the floodlights should also be back up to speed.
Most of the home pre-season friendlies will take place on local out grounds, though a couple may be squeezed in late on at the International Stadium.