HEED EYE END TO STADIUM WOES

CHAIRMAN Neil Pinkerton is confident Gateshead “will be in a position to be promoted next season” having been controversially stripped of a play-off place this term.

- Andy Mitchell

Rob Elliot’s men finished sixth but got mercilessly booted out of the end-of-season shoot-out within 24 hours of the regular season-ending because the club did not have a 10-year lease on the council-owned Gateshead International Stadium.

An EFL statement said they had worked with Gateshead to find a solution over the past two seasons but that “avoidable circumstances” had led to their omission, a call that was backed by an independent arbitrator when the club appealed.

Gateshead expressed “gratitude to the National League for supporting our challenge to the EFL” but vowed to “continue to challenge both on their decisions” and “endeavour to ensure that footballing matters are decided on the pitch”.

Gateshead Council service director Michael Lamb said the authority was in the throes of appointing a new provider for its leisure services, which includes operating the stadium.

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