Gateshead F.C. new stadium
Encyclopedia
Gateshead F.C.
Gateshead F.C.
Gateshead Football Club are a professional Association football club, based in Gateshead, England. They currently play in the Conference National, the fifth level of the English football league system.Ian Bogie is the current manager....

are a football team based in Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...

, England, who are developing their yet to be named new stadium on Prince Consort Road. The club hope to move to this stadium for the start of the 2012/2013 season.

Location

The new stadium will be in the town centre, on Prince Consort Road opposite the Gateshead Civic Centre. The derelict land was formerly used by the North Durham Cricket & Rugby Club.

The second-ever football club to be set up on Tyneside, Rangers AFC played their first season there (then known as the Drill Field) in 1879–80 before relocating across the river Tyne to found Newcastle United's St. James' Park. They later returned to Gateshead, where they became Gateshead Casuals and then Gateshead Association, playing back at the Drill Field before going out of existence.

The 1890s and early part of the 20th century saw the North Durham ground be used for athletics and cycling events, with the running events taking place on a grass track and the cycling on a banked ash oval. The advent of the Second World War saw the location return to military hands to once again become the Drill Field.

North Durham Rugby and Cricket Club made it their home for the second half of the 20th century. The pavilion was burnt down in late 2000 after North Durham Rugby Club merged with Gateshead Fell to become Gateshead RFC, subsequently moving out in 1998. Since then North Durham has mainly been used for youth football as a covenant decrees the land can only be used for sporting purposes, blocking attempts to sell the land for property development.

New stadium

The club had been making plans to move out of the Council-owned stadium, Gateshead International Stadium
Gateshead International Stadium
Gateshead International Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. The stadium is primarily set up for athletics, with a running track, but it is home to Gateshead Thunder rugby league club, Gateshead Senators American Football and Gateshead FC. It has also held a...

, since 2008. Chairman Graham Wood had noted in December 2008 that they were close to purchasing the land for the new stadium.

On 28 October 2009 Gateshead unveiled plans for a new football stadium to be built in the town centre. Just under 8,000 capacity, the stadium will be covered on all four sides. The Main East Stand will consist of 2,000 seats, the West Stand will be seated whilst the two end stands behind the goals will be covered terraces with the ability to be converted to seating. Should the stadium be converted to all-seater the capacity would be 6,000.

Other uses

The Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...

has noted that they are impressed with the proposed new stadium, which will form part of the 2018/22 Newcastle/Gateshead World Cup bid.

The stadium will include reception and club offices, dressing rooms, a medical room, press and spectator facilities. There will also be executive suites and boxes and multi-functional space for match day hospitality and lettable business space.

External links

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