GATESHEAD are due to play their first league game in six weeks when York City pay a New Year’s Day visit tomorrow.

The Heed have not played a Blue Square Bet Premier fixture since drawing 1-1 at home to Forest Green on November 20 before the big freeze took its grip on the season.

In total, the north-east club have suffered eight postponements this campaign and were bitterly disappointed that Tuesday’s home match against neighbours Darlington was frozen off with a big crowd anticipated.

Ian Bogie’s men have only been able to play one match since the Forest Green clash, drawing 2-2 with Southport in the FA Trophy on December 14.

That result represented the International Stadium outfit’s fourth successive draw, having also shared the spoils at Tamworth (1-1) and Fleetwood (0-0).

Gateshead’s home form, though, is impressive with just one defeat from their last nine in front of their own supporters and only two losses all season.

The lone successful visitors have been Cambridge (3-2) and Fleetwood (2-0).

Less heralded is the Heed’s goal record with a haul of 21 the league’s lowest aside from bottom two Southport (19) and Altrincham (17).

Lying only one place and one point behind the mid-table Minstermen with a game in hand, Jon Shaw is the leading marksman on only seven goals.

Shaw, who failed to net in eight matches while on loan at York from Sheffield Wednesday in the 2003/4 season, has not hit the target, however, in his last four league outings since bagging a brace against former club Mansfield Town in October.

Ex-Newcastle United midfielder Bogie tried to bolster his strikeforce this week by signing Stalybridge’s former Manchester United forward Phil Marsh.

The Blue Square Bet North outfit rejected the offer for their 17-goal marksman but the Heed are not ready to give up on their target and could now make a higher bid for his services.

Aside from Shaw, Gateshead boast five other Minstermen on their books in Phil Turnbull, Craig Nelthorpe, Andy Ferrell, Carl Jones and Ashley Winn.

Midfielder Turnbull has been an ever present in the league this season, while Nelthorpe has also featured in every match although four of his appearances have come from the bench.

Ferrell, though, has been restricted to only six league starts while centre-back Jones spent two months of the autumn sidelined but is now fit again.

Midfielder Winn, who never made a senior appearance for City, has also managed to nail down a starting place since switching from Barrow.

Gateshead will be weakened in the middle of the park, however, with vice-captain Kris Gate still waiting to serve a one-match ban.

Long-serving centre-back James Curtis, though, is close to a return after a foot injury that would have kept him on the touchlines for five weeks but has only seen him miss one match.

Right-winger James Marwood – the son of former Arsenal star Brian – has also used the enforced break to regain fitness and is in contention for a place in the squad.


Match facts

YORK City’s first visit to Gateshead’s International Stadium last season ended in a 2-1 victory, thanks to goals from Richard Brodie and Michael Gash.

The line-up on August 25, 2009, was: Ingham, Purkiss, McGurk (Sangare), Parslow, Meredith, Lawless, Barrett, Ferrell (McWilliams), Pacquette, Gash (Rankine), Brodie.

City made 23 Football League visits to Gateshead’s old home at Redheugh Park, winning four times and drawing on ten occasions.

It happened on New Year’s Day

1938: A run of ten unbeaten League and Cup games ended when City lost 5-0 at home to Rochdale in front of 5,971 and they were mid-table in Division Three North.

1954: Goals from David Dunmore (2) and Campbell Burgess earned a 3-1 victory at Darlington. It was City’s first away success of the season and lifted them off the bottom of the Northern Section.

1955: City won 2-1 at Northern Section leaders Scunthorpe United watched by 10,593 at the Old Show Ground. Norman Wilkinson and Billy Fenton were the scorers and the club were sixth in the table.

1966: City crashed to a 7-2 defeat at Queens Park Rangers and were in the bottom four of Division Three (League One). Paul Aimson netted both the goals.

1983: A 5-2 win over Darlington at Bootham Crescent with Denis Smith and John Byrne each scoring twice. Viv Busby was the other marksman and City were 11th in Division Four.

1987: Third Division (League One) leaders Middlesbrough were beaten at Bootham Crescent 3-1 thanks to goals from Keith Walwyn (2) and Martin Butler. The attendance was 8,611 and City were 18th in the table.

1988: Bottom of the Third Division, City gained only their second win of the campaign when they beat Chester City 2-0 at home in front of 2,686. Tony Clegg and Phil Wilson were the scorers.

1994: Paul Barnes was the scorer in a 1-0 home victory over Port Vale. The crowd was 5,903 and City were in the top half of Division Two (League One).

2007: A 3-1 win at Morecambe and City were in the top four of the Conference. On the scoresheet were Clayton Donaldson, Craig Farrell and Steve Bowey.

2008: Two late goals from Richard Brodie earned a thrilling 4-3 win at Droylsden and City were tenth in the Blue Square Premier. Manny Panther and Craig Farrell were also on target.

Compiled by David Batters