Gateshead v Barrow

[Ste Story]

Carlisle? it's about half way and a very good pitch, and Carlisle are away on Saturday so time for it to recover for their next match.

Why would they want somewhere halfway? It's their homegame, so you'd have thought they'll want it as close to Gateshead as possible.

[ron bacardi]

Carlisle? it's about half way and a very good pitch, and Carlisle are away on Saturday so time for it to recover for their next match.

Why would they want somewhere halfway? It's their homegame, so you'd have thought they'll want it as close to Gateshead as possible.

Yeah true, but I was thinking along the lines that other potential places over in the north east might have a load of snow? And it would be a compromise they'd make in order to get the game played. Plus, any other ground is still a different ground and not their 'home'

[Ste Story]

Yeah to be honest with gate receipts being split 50/50 there'd be alot more fans at HS watching it then at a neutral ground near them, plus you're right it's still not exactly advantage to them to play at Bedlington Terriers or something.

[Steelworks End]

Why would they want somewhere halfway? It's their homegame, so you'd have thought they'll want it as close to Gateshead as possible.

The Stadium of Light is only a few stops from Gateshead on the Metro. All we'd need to do is take 7,000 supporters there again and intimidate Heed into submission!

[ron bacardi]

Why would they want somewhere halfway? It's their homegame, so you'd have thought they'll want it as close to Gateshead as possible.

The Stadium of Light is only a few stops from Gateshead on the Metro. All we'd need to do is take 7,000 supporters there again and intimidate Heed into submission!

Its a shame Sunderland are already at home that night in their fa cup replay! Boro?

[sempre contigo]

The Stadium of Light is only a few stops from Gateshead on the Metro. All we'd need to do is take 7,000 supporters there again and intimidate Heed into submission!

Its a shame Sunderland are already at home that night in their fa cup replay! Boro?

Its a shame the idea is completely ridiculous to start with

[Bobaleski]

Esh Winning, top ground and we are unbeaten there.

[Rob]

Holker Street would be a sensible solution with snow now on ground in north-east but I can't see that happening. Is Darlington's old ground still usable? That might be a practical short-term solution for Gateshead for a few months if their pitch is in a state. Kingston Park - where Newcastle rugby play- has been used for football before and might work. I imagine Blyth's ground is probably of Conference standard but is a [SwearFilter] to get to. Durham City have an artifical surface - the game could probably be played on it, but I'm not sure if those are allowed in the Trophy?
--
Edit - Pictures of Durham City using their ground for a home Trophy tie here. I reckon that's the most likely option as is all weather.

[Richard Ingham]

Darlo's "Arena" is now a rah rah rugby ground.

[saltcellar]

GATESHEAD are looking at alternative venues after the postponement of Saturday’s FA Trophy third-round clash with Barrow deepened the club’s fixture crisis.

Merseyside match referee Peter Bankes called the game off due to a waterlogged pitch two hours before kick-off – the sixth postponement from the last seven home games.

The Barrow tie has been rescheduled for tomorrow night, but with little prospect of the pitch being playable alternative venues are being looked at.

Saturday’s call-off has forced the postponement of tomorrow’s Conference game at Forest Green and the ever-growing backlog is hitting the club hard.

Chairman Graham Wood said: “It is a very worrying situation for us, and with all the games we have had called off the financial cost is mounting.”

Gateshead had to fork out £1,500 just to cover the cost of Barrow’s and the match officials’ wasted trip to Tyneside, while also losing out on much-needed gate money.

With the weather forecast unfavourable and the pitch struggling badly, the odds are stacked against the tie going ahead at the International Stadium tomorrow.

With the fixture mayhem biting hard, Gateshead are without a game on Saturday and that could see the Trophy tie played the following Tuesday.

Remedial work is urgently needed on the International Stadium pitch to minimise the threat of further postponements, hence the search for an alternative.

Premier League neighbours Newcastle United’s St James’ Park would solve the Heed’s problems in the FA Trophy, the quarter-finals due to take place on Saturday week.

The Magpies have come to their Tyneside neighbours’ aid twice in the past and undersoil heating at Gallowgate would guarantee the Barrow tie would be played.

Gateshead, then in the Football League, took on West Brom in the fourth round of the FA Cup at St James’ in 1952 in front of a 40,000 crowd and played Yeovil Town during the 1990s in a Conference game at the famous venue.

Newcastle host Reading in the Premier League on Saturday but then do not play at home again until January 29.

Wood added: “We are in a very difficult position at the moment.

“However, we will be in the last eight for Wembley if we beat Barrow in the Trophy and we need to get the game played as soon as we can.”

[bobbie moore]

Funny how official website has none of this on ...are we in communication with Gateshead??

[Richard Ingham]

It might just be that our website is only being updated sporadically at the moment with Russ Dodd being in his sick bed. I know other people should be able to do it and probably are, but Russ will be the main point of contact for these things being the club secretary so I suspect most of this news will be going to him first.

[barrowfan]

From the Gateshead Official Website:

There will be a formal pitch inspection at the International Stadium early tomorrow morning ahead of the rescheduled FA Trophy 3rd round tie against Barrow.

The initial tie was called off two hours before kick-off on Saturday due to a waterlogged pitch by match referee Peter Bankes.

Conditions have deteriorated today with snow falling for much of the morning on Tyneside and the pitch is in a very poor condition.

More snow showers meanwhile are predicted for the region tomorrow.

If, as expected, tomorrow's game is postponed a third attempt will be made to stage the tie next Tuesday, 22nd January.

The winners will then travel to Conference North side Gainsborough Trinity in the quarter-final four days later.

Gateshead are, ironically, without a game in the Blue Square Bet Premier on Saturday as the backlog of fixtures mount up.

[Jim]

Minus 4c forecast in n east tonight.

[HenneysKnee]

I imagine they will be trying to find somewhere to play for the next couple of months