Gateshead FC

No way will we be able to maintain this form throughout the season.  I'm fully expecting Fleetwood or someone to come in with a ridiculous offer for Shaw in January.

 

Luton offered to treble his wages.

 

True, the bloke does love it up here though.

Aye. His mam's lived in Ryton for years.

We face Wrexham at home tonight (7:45pm) in a top of the table clash.

We lost both centre-backs (Curtis & Clark) on Saturday through injury, and had 2 points stolen by the referee when he decided a penalty needed retaking because Farman was an inch off his line. Wrexham have a couple suspended and injured.

Gateshead FC 1-1 Tamworth FC

£14 to watch Gateshead get beat 4-1 of Wrexham, not one of my better ideas....prices are fking  mental. I'd go much more often if they were reasonable...

£14 to watch Gateshead get beat 4-1 of Wrexham, not one of my better ideas....prices are fking  mental. I'd go much more often if they were reasonable...

Fair enough, we hear that one a lot. But bottom line is modern football is a rip off. We're one of the cheapest in the Conference, with places like Luton, Darlington, Lincoln amongst others charging £18 on the day.

Shocking defensive display from us last night.

£14 to watch Gateshead get beat 4-1 of Wrexham, not one of my better ideas....prices are fking  mental. I'd go much more often if they were reasonable...

 

Fair enough, we hear that one a lot. But bottom line is modern football is a rip off. We're one of the cheapest in the Conference, with places like Luton, Darlington, Lincoln amongst others charging £18 on the day.

 

Shocking defensive display from us last night.

What sort of crowd do the others get though? Fair enough if they all got the same as Gateshead but if its much more then theres a justification that the price/demand is fair enough. Havent seen Heeds attendances this season mind but it was usually about 500 wasnt it in previous years?

£14 to watch Gateshead get beat 4-1 of Wrexham, not one of my better ideas....prices are fking  mental. I'd go much more often if they were reasonable...

 

Fair enough, we hear that one a lot. But bottom line is modern football is a rip off. We're one of the cheapest in the Conference, with places like Luton, Darlington, Lincoln amongst others charging £18 on the day.

 

Shocking defensive display from us last night.

 

What sort of crowd do the others get though? Fair enough if they all got the same as Gateshead but if its much more then theres a justification that the price/demand is fair enough. Havent seen Heeds attendances this season mind but it was usually about 500 wasnt it in previous years?

We're averaging 1018 at the minute.

Of the £18 chargers, Luton are averaging 5943, Grimsby 3046, Lincoln 2141, Darlington 1909.

I personally think a lot of it has to do with how non-league clubs are viewed in the north-east. It's different in other areas of the country, but I'd say your general person on the street doesn't really understand the difference between the level say Whitley/Ashington/Bedlington etc play (Northern League) and Gateshead play (They'd have to get promoted 4 times to play in the Conference, the same as Gateshead would to play Newcastle & Sunderland in the Premier League), it's all just non-league to them.

Hopefully with Gateshead doing well over the next few years, and the local media starting to pay more attention, things will change on that front for us.

Must admit i'd go to watch Gateshead when NUFC aren't playing if the prices were reasonable. Me and the missus often take in a local game, usually at our local team, Newcastle Benfield where it costs a fiver to get in, or North Shields where it costs £4 or £2 if you show a NUFC season ticket at the turnstile, or at Whitley Bay, who have a cracking side and they charge £6.

If we went to watch Gateshead it would cost us £28 just to get in and by the time you factor in travelling costs a couple of pints and a burger or pie we've spent the best part of £50 to watch a Conference match, as opposed to £20 for admission, beers, food, programme and raffle tickets at a Northern League game.

Obviously i'm aware that running costs at Gateshead are massive in comparison to any NL club and that's why they have to charge what they do but it will always be difficult to attract the floating fan who isn't really a Gateshead supporter but who just likes to watch grass roots football at those prices.

Blyth Spartans started charging a tenner a couple of seasons ago and lost around 200 fans (or 33% of their average gate) overnight. Must be a struggle for clubs to get the balance right.

Best of luck to Gateshead, hopefully last night was just a blip and they can get themselves back on track.

Prices do seem ridiculous hell we pay the equivalent of 14 pounds for general admission a top flight game in Australia.

Blyth Spartans started charging a tenner a couple of seasons ago and lost around 200 fans (or 33% of their average gate) overnight. Must be a struggle for clubs to get the balance right.

The charges at Blyth have gone up gradually over the seasons, they didn't just whack it up from six quid to a tenner overnight. I think it might have gone from £7 to £9 for the first season in the Conference North, then another £1 after that. I think there is a mental barrier about the round ten- it was certainly robustly debated at the time- but with an underlying hardcore of around 400 at Blyth it probably worked out when it came to the bottom line.

A lot of local floaters headed down to Whitley Bay because they were hammering Twobob Welfare week-in, week-out. I used to see a lot of them at Bedlington in the late 90s. They'll go where there are lots of goals for a few quid, the actual level of football is a secondary concern.

£14 is not unreasonable for Gateshead to charge at all, it's much better value for money than the Premier League.

Blyth Spartans started charging a tenner a couple of seasons ago and lost around 200 fans (or 33% of their average gate) overnight. Must be a struggle for clubs to get the balance right.

 

The charges at Blyth have gone up gradually over the seasons, they didn't just whack it up from six quid to a tenner overnight. I think it might have gone from £7 to £9 for the first season in the Conference North, then another £1 after that. I think there is a mental barrier about the round ten- it was certainly robustly debated at the time- but with an underlying hardcore of around 400 at Blyth it probably worked out when it came to the bottom line.

 

A lot of local floaters headed down to Whitley Bay because they were hammering Twobob Welfare week-in, week-out. I used to see a lot of them at Bedlington in the late 90s. They'll go where there are lots of goals for a few quid, the actual level of football is a secondary concern.

Whitley Bay were one of the lowest scorers in the league at home last season with 29 goals from 21 games which sort of blows your theory out the water a bit and Blyth tried to sign half of Whitley Bays team in the summer is because they must have felt their players were good enough to play in the Blue Square North. In the end Blyth lost possibly their best player to Whitley Bay in Robbie Dale. There's a lot of quality sides in that league, yes there's some dross like Tow Law and Stokesley but in the main the standard is very good, probably the best Step 5 league in the country hence the reason Whitley have won the Vase 3 years in a row but not the league. For between £4-£6 to get in it's great value for money.

The reason that Blyth have been taking Whitley's players this season is because the new Manager and Assistant were Whitley Bay's Assistant and Head Coach last season

The reason that Blyth have been taking Whitley's players this season is because the new Manager and Assistant were Whitley Bay's Assistant and Head Coach last season

So know them well and obviously believe that they're capable of playing in the BQN.

Whitley Bay were one of the lowest scorers in the league at home last season with 29 goals from 21 games which sort of blows your theory out the water a bit and Blyth tried to sign half of Whitley Bays team in the summer is because they must have felt their players were good enough to play in the Blue Square North. In the end Blyth lost possibly their best player to Whitley Bay in Robbie Dale. There's a lot of quality sides in that league, yes there's some dross like Tow Law and Stokesley but in the main the standard is very good, probably the best Step 5 league in the country hence the reason Whitley have won the Vase 3 years in a row but not the league. For between £4-£6 to get in it's great value for money.

No it doesn't blow my theory out of the water.  Whitley have enjoyed big crowds over the last few years where they have been at the top end of the NL. There are boatloads of floaters who will go to whoever's on a decent run of form, including Blyth. You watch Bedlington's gates this season go up, and that won't just be people trying to get a tan off the new scoreboard.

Yes, Cuggy tried to sign 5 or 6 players from Whitley in the summer, but I think that says more about the manager's naivety at that level- only young Mason gets a look in. Dale is a quality player, shouldn't have released him, he loved it at Blyth and the fans loved him.

Prices do seem ridiculous hell we pay the equivalent of 14 pounds for general admission a top flight game in Australia.

Season ticket at my local club(k-league) cost me about 50 quid and includes all league, cup, and ACL matches.

Obviously the circumstances are different, but football in England is pretty ridiculously expensive by any standard.

Prices do seem ridiculous hell we pay the equivalent of 14 pounds for general admission a top flight game in Australia.

 

Season ticket at my local club(k-league) cost me about 50 quid and includes all league, cup, and ACL matches.

 

Obviously the circumstances are different, but football in England is pretty ridiculously expensive by any standard.

Exactly I paid $130 AUD for my season ticket and that includes all friendlies, club merchandise and discounts on away tickets.Just extrodinary to see how much people pay over there.

Who is your team by the way and more importantly do you love the Og Monster.

Jeff Henderson just scored, 1-0 away at Ebbsfleet.

Finished 0-1

Top of the league again! Howay the Heed

Prices do seem ridiculous hell we pay the equivalent of 14 pounds for general admission a top flight game in Australia.

 

Season ticket at my local club(k-league) cost me about 50 quid and includes all league, cup, and ACL matches.

 

Obviously the circumstances are different, but football in England is pretty ridiculously expensive by any standard.

 

Exactly I paid $130 AUD for my season ticket and that includes all friendlies, club merchandise and discounts on away tickets.Just extrodinary to see how much people pay over there.

 

Who is your team by the way and more importantly do you love the Og Monster.

FC Seoul

I was prepared to be rather fond of Ognenovski before he pulled out of a move to us at the last minute a few months ago.

Henderson played well today. Started a little shakey, but quickly found his feet and scored a cracking header.

Ebbsfleet weren't the greatest, so will be a much tougher test at Luton next Saturday. Hopefully he'll have another solid game.

Henderson played well today. Started a little shakey, but quickly found his feet and scored a cracking header.

 

Ebbsfleet weren't the greatest, so will be a much tougher test at Luton next Saturday. Hopefully he'll have another solid game.

You're welcome 

Seriously though, wish we'd make the link between the two club official and support Gateshead with players at a more regular rate. I take it most of our loan lads have turned out well, tav was decent, edmunsson was ok, sure there is more, if not there should be. Campbell and streete next year for me.

Henderson played well today. Started a little shakey, but quickly found his feet and scored a cracking header.

 

Ebbsfleet weren't the greatest, so will be a much tougher test at Luton next Saturday. Hopefully he'll have another solid game.

 

You're welcome 

 

Seriously though, wish we'd make the link between the two club official and support Gateshead with players at a more regular rate. I take it most of our loan lads have turned out well, tav was decent, edmunsson was ok, sure there is more, if not there should be. Campbell and streete next year for me.

Jak Alnwick originally joined on a month's loan too, and he's extended it by another month i think.

Henderson played well today. Started a little shakey, but quickly found his feet and scored a cracking header.

 

Ebbsfleet weren't the greatest, so will be a much tougher test at Luton next Saturday. Hopefully he'll have another solid game.

 

You're welcome 

 

Seriously though, wish we'd make the link between the two club official and support Gateshead with players at a more regular rate. I take it most of our loan lads have turned out well, tav was decent, edmunsson was ok, sure there is more, if not there should be. Campbell and streete next year for me.

 

Jak Alnwick originally joined on a month's loan too, and he's extended it by another month i think.

He's only on the bench for them though.

Henderson played well today. Started a little shakey, but quickly found his feet and scored a cracking header.

 

Ebbsfleet weren't the greatest, so will be a much tougher test at Luton next Saturday. Hopefully he'll have another solid game.

 

You're welcome 

 

Seriously though, wish we'd make the link between the two club official and support Gateshead with players at a more regular rate. I take it most of our loan lads have turned out well, tav was decent, edmunsson was ok, sure there is more, if not there should be. Campbell and streete next year for me.

 

Jak Alnwick originally joined on a month's loan too, and he's extended it by another month i think.

 

He's only on the bench for them though.

Yeah, just getting a bit of experience as cover since we have three goalkeepers ahead of him in the pecking order at the moment.

Here's the highlights from Saturday's 1-0 win, including Henderson's goal.

Ebbsfleet United v. Gateshead (8.10.11)