Gateshead agree takeover but players still wait for wages
Sunday 11 October 2026 · By Paul Waddington
Gateshead have agreed a takeover deal that should secure the club’s future, but the players were still waiting to be paid as they slipped to a seventh straight league defeat at FC Halifax Town on Saturday.
The club confirmed on Friday 9 October that a sale agreement had been reached in principle with Flacks Group, a US-based private investment company founded by Manchester-born businessman Michael Flacks. The deal is subject to approval by the Independent Football Regulator, and that approval had not been announced at the time of writing.
Minority shareholder Stephen Paylor said in a club statement: “Player and staff wages will be paid immediately and bring to an end what has been an incredibly challenging period over the past 10 days.” Phil Forster, a spokesperson for Flacks Group, added: “Gateshead FC has a tremendous history and we look forward to moving the club forward and to see it realise its true potential.”
But according to BBC Sport, as of Friday evening the squad had still received nothing of their September wages. In a statement, the players said: “Throughout this period, we have continued to train and play, risking injuries and our livelihoods out of love and respect for this club.” They added: “No one can go to work for free when they have bills to pay and families to support.” There had been no confirmation that the wages had been paid at the time of writing.
Interim chairman Graham Wood thanked the players and staff “for their patience and understanding during this most stressful period”. There was also no report that the transfer embargo reported by the Non-League Paper last week had been lifted.
On the pitch, caretaker manager Ben Clark took charge for the trip to The Shay. Freddie Issaka, on loan from Plymouth Argyle, gave Gateshead the lead with a stunning strike on 26 minutes, his first goal for the club. But Halifax hit back after the break, and goals from Raheem Conte (two), Conor Carty and Ben Tollitt earned a 4–1 win for the hosts.
“Credit to Halifax, they deserved to win,” Clark told the club’s website. “The lads gave us everything and that’s where we are with the group.”
Clark has ruled himself out of taking the job permanently. “I’ll do this job as long as the chairman wants me to but I think the group is ready for a new voice,” he said, adding that he would speak to the chairman this week about the next steps. No new manager had been appointed at the time of writing.
Gateshead are bottom of the Enterprise National League with four points from 13 games, eight points from safety. They have scored eight goals and conceded 31. Last season they survived with a run of 31 points from 15 games.
Next up is an FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie at home to Stafford Rangers on Saturday 17 October. The league resumes with the visit of Tamworth on Friday 23 October, with a 7.45pm kick-off, followed by trips to Boston United and Aldershot Town.
For supporters, the hope is that the takeover will be completed quickly, so that attention can return to the fight for survival.
Not a formal seating plan. Colours mark the four stands; the pitch sits north–south inside the running track.
Gateshead Football Club play at Gateshead International Stadium on Neilson Road, Felling, NE10 0EF. It is a council-owned multi-purpose bowl built in 1955 and later rebuilt around an international athletics track. Capacity is about 11,800 all-seated, though football crowds are far smaller and only the two side stands are normally open. Expect a decent view and good facilities, but also a running track between you and the touchline.
Visiting supporters are usually placed in the East Stand, opposite the covered Tyne & Wear (West) Stand used by home fans. The East Stand holds around 4,000 in theory and about 3,160 in practice for football, after the front rows are often closed. A canopy went on in 2010 and came off again from 2019; the structure was later dismantled, so treat the stand as uncovered and dress for Tyneside weather. There are no pillars. North and South terraces sit behind the goals and are rarely used for National League matches unless a large following arrives.
Typical access for away fans is Gate 21 on Neilson Road. You cross the all-weather pitches and climb a stone staircase beside the East Stand. Accessibility routes exist via main reception and a lift to a balcony area; ask stewards on arrival. Tickets are commonly sold online in advance (email or phone barcode) and at the gate by cash or card. Prices change by fixture; recent away guides have listed adults around the high teens, with concessions for over-65s, Blue Light and armed forces, plus cheaper young-adult and youth rates. Always check the home club’s latest note before you travel.
Food is sold on the East Stand concourse — pies, pasties, sausage rolls, burgers, hot dogs and drinks at fairly modest prices. Alcohol is often not served to away fans here because the servery sits in view of the pitch; the Stadium Bar in the main stand is generally home-only. Flags are usually allowed if hung as stewards direct. Drums and other instruments are not. The ground is no smoking and no vaping, with no designated points; if you leave you will normally have to pay again to re-enter.
Free first-come parking sits in the stadium car parks, with extra public spaces signposted nearby. Coaches often drop at Gate 21, then park on Tyne Main Road. By public transport the easiest option is Gateshead Stadium Metro, about a five- to ten-minute walk: leave the station, continue to the main road and cross to the complex. Newcastle Central is the nearest mainline station; change to Metro towards South Shields. The 93/94 East Gateshead Loop bus also stops close by.
Pre-match drink is better found off-site. The old Schooner, now often listed as Fog on the Tyne, sits down towards the river on South Shore Road and has long been the nearest proper pub. Town-centre options include The Tilley Stone (Wetherspoons), Ye Olde Fleece and The William IV. Local pubs are not usually segregated. After the whistle, allow extra time if you are walking back to the Metro with a crowd; the track and the distance from seat to exit make this a stadium that empties a little slowly, but it is straightforward once you know the gate.