- Former Newcastle goalkeeper Rob Elliott in midst of great escape
- Gateshead fighting for their future
- Newcastle could learn a few things
Newcastle United may be having problems both on and off the pitch, but that is far from the case just South of the Tyne in Gateshead. Rob Elliott is performing miracles with the National League club and yesterday climbed out of the relegation zone for the first time this year.
Gateshead had been on a 13-game losing streak, 16 games in all competitions, between September and February. It was a run that saw them sit rock bottom and almost certainly condemned to relegation.
But, in recent weeks, former Magpies shotstopper Rob Elliott has turned the tide in a miraculous way. In the Heeds’ last 11 games, they have taken a whopping 21 points out of a possible 33.
This came to a head yesterday when they climbed from the depths of relegation for the first time since that awful run began.
The Great Escape
Gateshead began the season with Alun Armstrong at the helm, following a torrid summer which saw a failed takeover leave the club in limbo.
That uncertainty showed on the pitch too, with the Heed sitting well inside the relegation zone come the turn of the year. But that’s when Rob Elliott arrived.
The former Newcastle man’s second tenure didn’t get off to the best of starts, with Gateshead losing. The first few in charge.
Elliott then began to work his charm, bringing former players back to the club and bolstering the squad to great effect. This marked the beginning of a turnaround when he oversaw his first win over promotion-chasing Halifax Town, a massive result.
Since then, Gateshead have produced a run that many believed impossible, given their position. Only losing two of their next 10 and looking like a completely different side to what they did earlier in the season.
The Famous Victory Over York City
York City’s current situation is well documented. They have already hit over 100 goals in the league with eight games to spare. Yet, there is a real possibility they don’t go up.
With that being said, many expected the game to put a slight spanner in the works of Gateshead’s break for survival.
To most people’s surprise, however, that didn’t materialise. Goals from Keaton Ward, Ashley Boatswain and former Newcastle Elite academy coach Louis Storey wrapped up a famous 3-1 win for the home side.
It was a victory which lifted Gateshead above the struggling Brackley Town and now sees them sitting in 20th, two points above the drop zone.
Elliott’s Newcastle Career
Newcastle are no strangers to Rob Elliott heroics, with the former goalkeeper spending nine years at the club between 2011 and 2020.
Elliott was never really able to establish himself as the starting goalkeeper with the Magpies, but was always a reliable pair of hands when called upon.
He made 55 appearances for the Toon Army, with his most potent run in the side coming in the 15/16 season, with Tim Krul facing injury and Karl Darlow recovering from a long-term ankle knock.
The Gateshead boss starred in a 6-2 win over Norwich and managed successive clean sheets against Stoke City and AFC Bournemouth. He was rewarded with a well-deserved man of the match trophy for his performance.
Newcastle could learn
The fight which Gateshead has shown thus far, on a shoestring budget and with the cards stacked against them, is monumental.
With Eddie Howe’s men lacking any sort of backbone at the current moment, they could learn a thing or two from the plucky underdogs across the water.
To a man, the Heed have been excellent. Understanding the gravity of the situation for the club and playing with the heart and desire needed to get out of a tough spot.
Had Newcastle’s players shown even a morsel of what Gateshead have, we could be looking at some very different conversations about last weekend’s derby.
Survival is crucial for Gateshead
The club were well aware of the struggles they faced this season, as well as the consequences of relegation.
The financial side of things has been rather tight for a while now, hence the agony when the Victor Anichebe-led takeover failed in the summer.
Should Gateshead fail to avoid the drop, it could seriously impact the club’s future sustainability as an entity.
But, should they continue on the current trajectory, Rob Elliott’s men are going to pull off one of the greatest escapes football has ever seen.
