Heed fans despair as play-off dream ruined
DEVASTATED Gateshead FC fans have hit out at the “sickening” decision to block the club from the National League play-offs.
The Heed have been denied the chance to compete for promotion to the English Football League (EFL) amid a dispute over their lease at Gateshead International Stadium. News broke on Sunday that Rob Elliot’s team would be kicked out of the play-offs after being deemed ineligible for promotion as the club was unable to meet an EFL requirement to secure a 10-year lease on their ground, which is owned by Gateshead Council.
The council is in the process of seeking a new operator to take over the stadium in an effort to cut costs and, despite civic centre leaders insisting they offered assurances the club would be granted the 10-year lease if promoted, the uncertainty over the venue’s future has proved too great for the football authorities.
Dozens of loyal Heed supporters staged a protest outside Gateshead Civic Centre on Monday afternoon and were planning another at the stadium last night, when their team should have been taking on Solihull Moors in the play-offs.
Fan Stuart Allan told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he felt “let down” by the club, the EFL, and the council.
The 67-year-old, who lives in Bensham, said: “I was totally devastated. I had only just booked my ticket for Solihull on Tuesday in the play-offs, then suddenly we got this news.”
He added: “Who do you pass the blame to until we get the whole story? We have bits and pieces from different statements. This has been going on for months or even years and I don’t know who to hold responsible.”
Mr Allan questioned why the Gateshead International Stadium’s future was at risk due to funding problems when plans are in the works for a £350 million arena complex on the Quayside.
He added: “My heart goes out to the players, they have grafted so hard to get to this position and they might never get the chance again.”
Johnny Gray, who began taking his young daughters to Gateshead matches after the Lionesses’ Euros win inspired them to get involved with football, called the EFL decision “sickening”.
Mr Gray, from Felling, said: “It is a lovely local club on our doorstep and we have been welcomed into the club by all the fans, the staff, and everyone involved.”
He added: “To have the rug pulled out from under you for non-footballing reasons... you can take getting hammered 5-0 or whatever, you hold your hands up and say you weren’t good enough on the day. But this has happened through bureaucracy and paperwork.”
Stephen Frost moved to Gateshead from Kent three years ago and adopted the club as his local non-league team.
He said: “Gateshead is a smashing, family club. I do feel different parties are to blame for what has happened here.”
Council service director Michael Lamb said the authority had “recently provided a letter which would give the league the assurances they were seeking, whilst at the same time protecting the interests of the council” – including a 10-year lease agreement containing a break clause to enable a new stadium operator to negotiate fresh terms with the club.
He added: “Unfortunately, this does not seem to be enough for the English Football League.”
Gateshead FC has vowed to challenge the EFL and National League and said it would not be commenting further “due to the legality of this matter”.