Gateshead FC are once again in crisis. I say that because this isn’t the first time the Heed have found themselves in dire straits in recent years.
Whether it be the turmoil that struck back in 2019, the failed takeover just last year that saw the club struggling to secure investment, or the current situation: the southern side of the River Tyne is no stranger to a battle to keep its football club alive.
But something about this one feels particularly poignant.
Players unpaid, long-term investor Mark Nellist withdrawing support and a regulatory hurdle that has prevented another shareholder, Stephen Paylor, from taking on Nellist’s shares. Not to mention the recent sacking of Lee Cattermole and the club sitting rock bottom of the National League with just four points to their name.
It is a sobering situation for a football club to be in and, when looking at the facts, it’s difficult to see where on earth the club can turn next. My question is, can Newcastle United provide a helping hand?
Newcastle already connected
The interesting thing is that Newcastle United are already pretty closely connected to Gateshead, particularly through the women’s team.
Newcastle United women now play their home games at the Gateshead International Stadium and have a 10-year agreement to continue using the venue. Newcastle have also invested in the stadium, with improvements to the pitch, seating and changing rooms all made in tandem with the agreement. Gateshead FC also receive the concession made from the lasses’ games that are held there.
So this already isn’t a case of two clubs who have nothing to do with each other. In fact, the Magpies have quite a strong presence in Gateshead across a variety of sectors, including Newcastle United Foundation and work with other organisations in the borough.
So, with the Magpies already doing a good chunk for Gateshead, you may be thinking it shouldn’t be on Newcastle United to do more. But this isn’t a case of supporting a club anymore, it is becoming a case of keeping one from extinction.
So how can Newcastle do more?
Obviously it’s easy to suggest simply sending a few players there on loan to aid the on-pitch performance, but that’s actually the least of the Heed’s issues right now.
The question is probably more about whether the current mutually beneficial partnerships can be furthered or improved upon to help stabilise a club staring into the abyss.
That doesn’t mean that Newcastle should just be expected to throw millions of pounds at Gateshead, nor should the Premier League club be expected to become responsible for every struggling side in the north east.
But would it be too far-fetched to suggest that a club with the capabilities and resources of Newcastle United could perhaps find a middle ground between not doing anything to pull Gateshead from the edge, and taking full responsibility for all of their problems?
A helping hand, not a takeover
Obviously, the most simple option in principle would be to just buy Gateshead outright and bring them into Newcastle’s broader footballing structure. But, unfortunately, that simply isn’t possible with the rules that exist.
Whilst it would have to be carefully done, the much more plausible option is using the Magpies’ vast commercial network to aid with attracting sponsorship, possible investment and making whatever small contribution they can to help a community keep its football club from extinction.
Given part of the reason that these clubs in lower divisions struggle is actually because the systems in place to help money funnel down through the pyramid are dysfunctional, it does feel as though the least a Premier League club could do is provide a little bit of commercial support to ensure those worse off have a future.
Newcastle don’t have to save Gateshead. But if the club genuinely is at risk of disappearing, the Magpies are arguably in a unique position to help give their neighbours a fighting chance.
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