Last week the Heed Army Website was received contacted from the programme editor of Guildford City FC.
The Editor Chris Pegman, is a Northerner living down south and wrote an article about a recent trip back north, during his visit he took in Gateshead’s recent Conf North match against Southport.
Chris has been kind enough to send us a copy of his article, where he talks about his visit back to gods country.
From the
Guildford City match day programme
versus Hartley Wintney FC
Combined Counties League Premier Division
Gateshead v Southport
Saturday 18 October 2008
Long before the threat of Andy Lunn's departure from City I had laid plans for a weekend back in the north east. The cunning plan (aside from visiting the folks) was to take in Gateshead v Southport in the Blue Square North on the Saturday, then attend the Newcastle United v Manchester City match on the Monday night. As disappointing as it was to miss Guildford City's trip to Bedfont Green (well, Windsor really but you know what I mean), I was looking forward to my trip home, home is still how I think of the north east even after 20 years living in Guildford, plus it had been the best part of a year since my last trip to watch the two Tyneside clubs. As a lad growing up in Washington, I always went to St James's Park when United were at home, but in the days before I became a regular away traveller with the Magpies I always went to watch Gateshead in the Northern Premier League every other Saturday. My first season of regularly watching The Heed, as they are nicknamed by their fans, was 1982/83 when an exciting and talented team won their first Northern Premier League championship.
Gateshead's International Stadium home is not to everyone's tastes. In fact it can be argued that the clubs own supporters have a mild dislike of it whilst visiting fans just hate it. Hmm, sounds rather familiar to a Guildford City supporter! Of course who really likes watching their football in a athletics venue, very few I suspect. To be fair the International Stadium is not that bad. The main stand (the only part of the ground open for league games) seats over 3,000 fans and is big enough, if you get at least halfway up, to give a decent view of the action. The other three sides contain around 4,000 more seats, uncovered. These stands only open for big matches, usually for The Heeds regular friendlies against the Magpies or the Mackems.
Last season Gateshead were pipped at the post for what would have been their third Northern Premier League title, having to gain promotion the hard way via the play-offs. Despite losing a few key members of that squad to local rivals Newcastle Blue Star, The Heed have had a steady start to the season and currently sit in mid-table. The visitors for this match was Southport, with only one league defeat to date the Seasiders from Lancashire were top of the table.
The match itself was fairly low key, until Southport scored with their first real attack on about the 30 minute mark. Gateshead didn't look like scoring in a month of Sunday's until the Southport keeper was sent off half way through the second half for deliberate hand ball outside his box. The next 15 minutes were all Gateshead as you would expect. With no substitute goalie on the bench a defender went in goal and made several top notch saves. Eventually Gateshead scored and the game evened itself out and I suspect both sides were glad of the point by the end.
Newcastle United v Manchester City
Monday 20 October 2008
The recent problems at St James’s Park are well documented by now and I won’t bore you by going over the details. Suffice to say United needed to stop the rot and after a good fight back at Everton the previous week confidence was fairly high that a result could be on the cards against Citeh.
An extremely dodgy refereeing decision after only 12 minutes gave Citeh the chance to open the scoring. A well timed (and successful) Faye tackle was penalised by whistler Rob Styles and saw the defender sent off (the red card was later rescinded by the FA) to add to the injustice (when you’re down you get kicked, end of story). However United dug in and fought back and deservedly equalised just before half time and then took the lead mid-way through the second half. Unfortunately, a bit like Guildford against Raynes Park, legs tired and the visitors came back to deny the home side the win (hang on, didn’t Raynes Park have the 10 men??).
