Response to the National League's statement regarding Gateshead FC
The National League has announced that following a decision of the English Football League (EFL), Gateshead Football Club has failed to meet the entry criteria for membership to the EFL. As a result, Gateshead FC will not be permitted to participate in the play-offs this season.
This decision is based on the club being unable to meet the 10-year security of tenure at Gateshead International Stadium.
In response to the announcement, Gateshead Council Service Director Michael Lamb said:
"We continue to be supportive of Gateshead FC who we have a very good working relationship with. We have offered a licencing arrangement in line with the requirements of its current league, which allows for further negotiations if the club achieves promotion.
However, we are currently working to appoint a partner operator for our leisure facilities - including Gateshead International Stadium. As we are not yet able to confirm how the stadium's operations will be managed in the longer term, it has been difficult to provide the 10-year security of tenure the league is seeking.
We have offered several times to work with all parties to find a solution and we recently provided a letter which would give the league the assurances they were seeking, whilst at the same time protecting the interests of the council. The assurances included a 10 year agreement between the council and Gateshead Football Club, that includes a break clause in the agreement to ensure that any new operator is able to negotiate new terms with the club. Unfortunately, this does not seem to be enough for the English Football League.
Whilst the announcement by the league is extremely regrettable and we understand the club's disappointment, our priority is to ensure that we can provide sustainable and accessible leisure services for all our communities.
We remain committed to working with all interested parties to achieve a positive resolution and will continue to advocate for the success of Gateshead Football Club."
The National League has announced that following a decision of the English Football League (EFL), Gateshead Football Club has failed to meet the entry criteria for membership to the EFL. As a result, Gateshead FC will not be permitted to participate in the play-offs this season.
This decision is based on the club being unable to meet the 10-year security of tenure at Gateshead International Stadium.
In response to the announcement, Gateshead Council Service Director Michael Lamb said:
"We continue to be supportive of Gateshead FC who we have a very good working relationship with. We have offered a licencing arrangement in line with the requirements of its current league, which allows for further negotiations if the club achieves promotion.
However, we are currently working to appoint a partner operator for our leisure facilities - including Gateshead International Stadium. As we are not yet able to confirm how the stadium's operations will be managed in the longer term, it has been difficult to provide the 10-year security of tenure the league is seeking.
We have offered several times to work with all parties to find a solution and we recently provided a letter which would give the league the assurances they were seeking, whilst at the same time protecting the interests of the council. The assurances included a 10 year agreement between the council and Gateshead Football Club, that includes a break clause in the agreement to ensure that any new operator is able to negotiate new terms with the club. Unfortunately, this does not seem to be enough for the English Football League.
Whilst the announcement by the league is extremely regrettable and we understand the club's disappointment, our priority is to ensure that we can provide sustainable and accessible leisure services for all our communities.
We remain committed to working with all interested parties to achieve a positive resolution and will continue to advocate for the success of Gateshead Football Club."
