Gateshead is a town and Metropolitan Borough, south of the River Tyne, only a Rory Delap throw-in away from the city of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, although that’s stating the obvious, everyone knows that now, however there was a time when no one knew where Gateshead was.
For example, if you were on holiday and were asked where your from, then replied with “Gaytesheed” you’d be acknowledged with a vacant stare, either the person hadn’t heard of the place or struggled to understand what the hell you’d said in the first place, so the easy option was always to say ‘I’m from Newcassell”
That’s all changed now, as Gateshead is well and truly on the map, thanks to some of the town’s famous sons. Brendan Foster brought athletics to the town with the Gateshead Games before the stadium became International, hosting meetings featuring the world’s top athletes. The town has also gave the world, many England soccer stars including Waddler and Gazza, the singer from AC/DC, Animal the drummer (or is it the drummer from The Animals!) and that voiceover gadgey off Big Brother!
However the towns most famous son, or should that be daughter, is a big lump of metal, standing 20 metres high on top of a hill on the site of a former colliery - ‘The Angel of the North’ which attracts visitors from far and wide, every time I pass ‘The Angel’ there’s always parked cars lined up, that ice cream man parked outside must have made a killing judging by the number of tourists it attracts.
Gateshead’s other recent developments, include The Baltic, The Sage and the award winning Gateshead Millennium Bridge, erected in 2001, if you’ve yet to see this award winning piece of excellent architecture then have a look through the pound coins in your pocket, as the bridge was England’s representative in a collection of coins from the Royal Mint.
The town centre currently isn’t the prettiest, once described by some quack as “a dirty little back lane out of Newcastle” while Priestley wrote in “An English Journey” that it must have been designed “By an enemy of the human race” in our defence though, that was written in 1934!
All that’s about to change as work has begun on regenerating the town centre, which includes the demolition of the famous ‘Get Carter’ car park and a new shopping centre, bringing the town into the 21st Century.
The town’s football club isn‘t so renowned, unless your getting on a bit and remember the club playing in the Football League for 30 years before harshly falling through the re-election trapdoor at only the second time of asking in 1960.
Since then the club soldiered on playing Non-League football, died in 1973, resurrected courtesy of South Shields as Gateshead United, left us and returned again in 1977 as the Gateshead FC we have today.
Since then the last 30 years has witnessed a couple of promotions, successful spells in the Conference with two top 7 finishes, FA Trophy quarter finalists three times, more relegations, promotions, and almost going out of business.
Those dark days now look well behind us and there’s new found optimism amongst Gateshead supporters. We have a very ambitious chairman in Graham Wood, a class manager in Ian Bogie, a team to be proud of and the promise of a new ground on the horizon, the future certainly looks a helluva lot brighter for Gateshead FC.
The Tynesiders supporters are the famous ‘Heed Army’ which isn’t the biggest platoon of football supporters, but what a loyal band of followers we are. Our theme song isn’t The Blaydon Races, it’s Laurel & Hardy’s - Trail of the Lonesome Pine, a rendition of this classic you’ll most likely hear belted out buy the Geordie contingent this afternoon at Haig Avenue.
The Heed Army’s numbers have grown over the last couple of years, mainly due to the teams success on the field, other clubs fans may view this extra support as glory seekers or bandwagon jumpers, but not at Gateshead, where new faces are welcome additions amongst the foot soldiers of the Heed Army ranks.
So that concludes my rough guide to Gateshead and the Heed Army, we know how lucky we are and feel truly blessed, living next to the one of the biggest party towns in the world, eight miles from the coast, on the doorstep of wonderful countryside and with a huge Angel to protect us, there certainly isn’t many better places to live than Gaytesheed!
Heed Army! Howay The Lads!
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