As part of my passion for following football and going to live games, I've been following Gateshead FC on and off for about 25 years.
The overriding memory I have of this long established club in the lower echelons of the league's is one of barren emptiness. Not as far as the ground is concerned although due to its geographic proximity to neighbours Newcastle, seldom do crowds exceed 1000 which considering the stadium can hold 25 times that makes the echoes of "we're Gateshead!" sound more desolate than its hardy supporters chanting it deserve. Nor is it that Gateshead is one of the coldest place on earth to watch football ( I'm still thawing out from my first trip to the Heed on a February afternoon to see the home side lose a cup game to Macclesfield Town) - in a temperature of what must have been +3 but felt like -33!
No it's the fact that in all that time I have never seen Gateshead win a competitive game. Seriously. In 25 years! I've seen draws, thrashing, close defeats but never a win. Until last year until I saw a 4-3 victory against a Sunderland select XI in pre season. I know a couple of the current squad in footballing terms quitewell as Carl Magnay and James Curtis currently occupying part of the back 4 at Gateshead were part of my local side Washingtons side when I was on the committee there. Indeed I was chatting to Carl ( who has scored tonight against Chester after 1 minute as I write this - well done mate) a few weeks ago and told him I had never seen a competitive win and he laughed saying stay away then mate! I've news for you Carl I plan to watch Gateshead against Alfreton Town in a couple of weeks ( hope Alfreton have all their starplayers fit ;-) ) so lets see if I can end what surely is one of the longest records of a spectator watching a side without a win anywhere in football!
So come on the Heed do it for me!
Stephen Cox
Memory added on September 24, 2013
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