Tsi wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2019 4:14 pm
Just read this article on the plight of Gateshead
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/f ... l-16212565
As Dunston is my non league team i've just been a casual observer of what's happening at the Heed but i didn't realise it was this f***ed up.
Hopefully some good can come out of this mess and there will still be a Gateshead FC.
https://www.gofundme.com/save-football-in-gateshead
Small summary of events for those who don't know.
March/April last year Bennett's put the club up for sale, deal agreed with unknown buyer a couple of months later but fell through due to buyers failure of fit and proper test. Some weeks later a Ranjan Vargehse (sp) takes over the club.
Steve Watson, with the lowest budget in the league assembles a cracking young side full of local talent who push for the play offs, besting Salford who have players on Gateshead's entire weekly budget. Watson leaves for York in the league below, in November (I think), volunteers who have manned turnstiles for decades are sacked and lifelong president Graham Wood, ex owner who made the modern Gateshead FC what it is today relinquishes his honorary post.
Recalled loan players can't be replaced due to a transfer embargo and two more players are sold behind new manager and Heed legend Ben Clarks back. 15 senior players remain on the books. Incredibly we still had a shot of the play offs with two games to go.
Players aren't paid in March, club is kicked out of the International Stadium, bills to local companies left unpaid.
Season finishes, no players offered new contracts all non playing staff, including the manager let go by a copy and paste text/email.
Turns out the guy who originally failed the fit and proper test is one Joe Cala. Vargehse is just a front, Cala 'volunteers' as a financial adviser and thus does not have to fulfil any of the FAs fit and proper tests. He's ruined or tried to a Serie C/D team, Belper Town and Morecambe. He's currently got a man named Nigel Harrop on the board of directors who liquidated Ilkeston Town.
There are now rumours of a name change and move to Kingston Park.
The above isn't even the half of it, there is a guy called Michael Di Stefano an adviser and intermediary for Varghese who mouths of about the fans/manager/council on twitter another guy called Michael Williams who's vanished.
Google the names, look them up, read the full story. Most importantly though try and give a few quid to a local club in need, there's not many of us who support Gateshead and we normally support Newcastle or Sunderland as well but we love our club annnd f*** any club that these bastards call their own, do not go near it.