Thank you to Gateshead FC supporter Alex for answering our Questions ahead of today’s game!
Thank you to Gateshead FC supporter Alex for answering our Questions ahead of today’s game!
How Long Have You Supported Gateshead?
I’ve been supporting Gateshead since 2007. My first game was the NPL Premier Division playoff final vs. Buxton.
Last Season’s League Finish?
Last season we finished 10th on 66pts, joint with Halifax and Wrexham, with a goal difference +4 and a record of 17-15-14.
What Do You Think Of Your (New) Manager?
So far I like what I’ve seen of Malcolm Crosby. He’s recruited well in the transfers, and while his style of play isn’t always pretty it has won us games, and after a year of playing pretty but failing to win it’s nice to know that we are capable of grinding out results. My only criticism of him was his failure to offer Valentin Gjokaj a new contract, who I feel in the only missing link in our team. I doubt Gjokaj would have accepted a new deal, but I wish Crosby would have at least tried to keep him here for another year.
Hopes/Expectations This Season?
I hope we can be in and around the playoff race this year. Obviously it’s early days yet, and our form now may not reflect our form come April, but we have some real quality in the team and the aforementioned ability to grind out results gives me reason for optimism.
One(s) To Watch?
Ryan Bowman has hit the ground running for us. He netted twice on his debut and since added four more, giving him 6 goals in 6 games. He also had a hand in our opener against Guiseley, and his ball control ability is excellent.
Josh Gillies returned to the club this year after a spell away, as did James Marwood. Marzy was in top form during our run to Wembley, and Gillies was a shining light in our nomadic season where we played everywhere except Gateshead. Marwood has pace and energy to drag a back line out of shape and occasionally latch onto a through ball, and Gillies is great at providing said through balls, as well as beating a man and swinging in set pieces. Marwood is unlikely to feature due to an injury, but Gillies has been an ever-present so far this season.
Your Chairman stepped down in the summer, but kept his funding in place for this season while the new owners get their feet under the table. Do you expect this season to be your last chance in the near future to challenge at the top end of the table? Or, going forward, are the new owners going to match his investment of previous seasons?
I’m not too worried about the money side of things. Graham Wood stepping down will be a huge miss, but the man bleeds Gateshead, and I trust him to have sold the club to someone who intends to move us forward. Will the investment be less in future years? Probably, but only because last year we sold a player for a record fee and played a PL team in the FA Cup. There’s definitely some extra money kicking around this year which will eventually run out, but when it does I’m sure the new owners will have a baseline of investment in place.
Has there been any progress on your new stadium plans?
The stadium is a bit of a mystery to all of us. The last I recall hearing about it was that our original site was now no longer suitable, and that Graham Wood wanted to keep us at Gateshead International Stadium for the foreseeable future. Obviously the change in ownership has changed the situation, and I do believe there were some rumblings from the new chairman about the new ground, but I can’t back up that claim. I suppose all we can do is wait and see what develops, but I’m not holding my breath.
Gary Mills left you in the summer. What were the fans thoughts on his departure?
The reactions were mixed, probably due to the complex nature in which he departed. The story apparently goes that Wood told Mills he was stepping down, and Mills decided to apply for the Wrexham job (or Wrexham approached Mills, depending on who you believe), which he eventually took after our final game of the season. This led to some people feeling angry, while others were more understanding. Personally I cannot knock him for wanting a more secure job without having to take a step down, but I am glad to be rid of his tactics. By the end of last season we were painful to watch: boring, spineless tippy-tappy football where we’d have 99% possession but 0 shots and inevitably get beat, with some utterly bizarre tactical decisions such as playing Rob Ramshaw, a midfielder, as a lone striker instead of Jon Shaw or Danny Wright. I get the feeling he was starting to believe his own ‘Clough’s protege’ hype, so that side of him I’m happy to see the back of.
Top Five Predictions?
1. Cheltenham Town
2. Forest Green Rovers
3. Eastleigh
4. Tranmere Rovers
5. Gateshead
Bottom Four Predictions?
21. Guiseley
22. Welling United
23. Bromley
24. Southport
Thoughts on Lincoln City?
Lincoln have always given us a good game. Even if we are in good form I always view them as capable of snatching something from us, such as when you came back from 3-1 down at GIS to take a point. I must admit I have a soft spot for the Imps by virtue of ‘my enemy’s enemy is my friend’ – if we can agree on nothing else then we can bask in our mutual hatred of Grimsby Town!
Score Prediction?
2-2. Lincoln capitalise on a poor first-half performance from the Heed, but Crosby gives them a kick up the backside at half time and we come back to claim a point. That said I’m terrible at making predictions, so I’ll be praying for two extra points!
Random Fact About Your Club?
Gateshead v. Torquay is the third-longest away day of the season, beaten out only by Carlisle and Hartlepool vs. Plymouth. Also, in the 2012-13 season we played more home games away from home than at Gateshead International Stadium.
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