Gateshead boss delighted by EFL agreement as promotion bid receives boost

Gateshead manager Carl Magnay has expressed his delight after an agreement was reached that will ensure the Tynesiders are eligible for promotion into League Two this season.

Just six months have passed since the Heed secured a National League play-off spot for only the second time in their history - but they were unable to compete for a place in the EFL as their International Stadium home failed to possess a ten-year security of tenure required to participate. The news provoked anger and frustration from Gateshead players, coaches and supporters alike as Gateshead Council’s decision to seek to appoint a new vendor for their leisure facilities in the area meant a new agreement could not be found.

However, after months of talks between the club, the EFL and the local council came to an agreement ‘in principle’ earlier this week that ensured the Heed will now meet the criteria to compete in League Two should they be successful in their push for promotion. Magnay, who was part of the Gateshead coaching staff when they were denied a place in the play-offs, praised the club’s board of directors for the hard work they have put in over the last six months.

He told The Echo: “I am delighted for the board and the people that work so hard behind the scenes. There was a lot of finger pointing and frustration when the initial decision was taken - but the club have followed all of the right processes to resolve this situation. When you look deeper into the situation, with everything that unfolded, the club has been the victim of politics really. Not going too far into it but we impacted by budget cuts from central government and that filtered down so it’s huge credit for the club and I’m delighted for those involved. The club have tried to do everything right and it’s a great day for them. They deserve to be recognised for what they have done.”

A long trip to Maidenhead United lies in wait for Magnay and his players as they turn their attention towards on-field matters after off-field concerns were eased by the agreement. Despite picking up just one point from their last two league games, the Heed still lie firmly in the play-off mix and will hope to boost their promotion bid with a win against a Magpies side sat in the bottom four. However, Magnay has insisted his players should pay no attention to the league table and should solely focus on that challenge that lies in wait.

He said: “It’s always exciting because we dominated all of the statistics in the game (last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Aldershot Town) and, of course, I know the statistic that matters is the goals scored. But we can go into Saturday’s game with a clear idea of what it is we want to achieve from a tough game. I never look at the league table, I don’t look at where we are or where they are and my approach is to block all of that out. My ethos is to attack every training session as if it’s our last and attacking every game as if it’s our last. I don’t look at the permutations around it or the opposition. It’s a game we are capable of winning, it’s a game we know we can win if we do what we have to do - and that is the bottom line for us.”

Magnay will take a late check on the fitness of defender Dan Jones before finalising his plans for the game.