With the Premier League pausing for the international break, supporters can still enjoy live football at Damson Park as Solihull Moors host Boreham Wood on Saturday 26th September. For this fixture only, adult and 65+ tickets have been reduced to jus t £15, givin g supporters the perfect opportunity to get behind the Moors and enjoy an afternoon of National League action. Tickets for younger supporters will also remain available at the Club’s reduced prices: Adults: £15 65+: £15 Ages 16–24: £11 Ages 12–15: £7.50 Under-12s: £1 The match kicks off at 3pm , and we want to welcome as many supporters as possible to Damson Park. Whether you’re a regular Moors supporter or looking for your live-football fix during the international break, secure your ticket and join us for the visit of Boreham Wood. Solihull Moors v Boreham Wood Saturday 26th September 3pm kick-off Damson Park
Solihull Moors suffered late, late heartbreak at Gateshead International Stadium, conceding a last-gasp equaliser to deny us our first win of the season. New signing Ryan Woods came straight into the starting 11, bringing vast experience to the midfield and shielding the defence well on his debut. The Moors started the game on the front foot and threatened the home sides goal on several occasions. A cross from Matty Carson almost caught out Gateshead goalkeeper Peter Jameson, narrowly floating past the far post. Joe Sbarra looked lively and put several dangerous balls into the box, none of which came to anything, but it showed great attacking intent from Chris Millington's side. Captain Alex Whitmore denied the home side from getting a shot away when they broke on a counter-attack, but the majority of the half belonged to The Moors. Ben Wodskou had the best chances of the half, the first effort was just off-target following a good ball into the box from Jamie Andrews. The striker then had two glorious opportunities, first getting on the end of a deflection to get his shot away, which was magnificently saved by the keeper, and then his second attempt was also brilliantly kept out as Jameson desperately clung on to his clean-sheet. Gateshead made a double substitution and changed their formation at the start of the second half, with the Tynesiders looking to break up the momentum Solihull were building up before the break. The opening stages were much more even than the first half, with Lee Cattermole's side seeing a lot more of the ball in the middle of the park. The Moors were forced into a change shortly after, Whitmore, who had been involved in several heavy challenges, made way for Tyler French, only just returning from injury himself. Carson put in several dangerous corners that Solihull just couldn't get on the end of, and also had a free-kick well cleared away from danger as we pushed for a much-needed opening goal. Gateshead sub Spellman came on and added more creativity the home side, creating a couple of openings for his team-mates, who were unlucky not to make more of the chances. Scott High hit a half-chance high over the bar, following another good run down the left by Sbarra, who had cut the ball back to the midfielder 10 yards out. Andrews was forced into pulling a Gateshead player down as they had the Moors outnumbered at the back, the yellow card he received was the epitome of taking one for the team. Callum McFarlane was introduced for the final half an hour as Millington's men looked for that elusive winning goal. Max Metcalfe, who had much quieter afternoon in goal than previous games, did very well to rush out and collect a through-ball that was destined for the Gateshead striker about 8 yards out. Jacob Wakeling couldn't believe he hadn't given his side the lead when Jameson was yet again the hero for the home team, the goalkeeper somehow finger-tipping the attackers shot onto a combination of post and crossbar. Desperately unlucky from our number 9. Another dangerous corner caused confusion in the Gateshead box, High skewing his shot straight to Tyler French, who's effort was scooped over the bar and onto the roof of the net. Shortly after, Wakeling beat his man down the left, and put an almost inch-perfect cross in for McFarlane, the substitute going painfully close to poking the ball into the net. Jevon Mills, solid at the back throughout, also came within inches of getting a touch on the ball from a few yards out from another corner. A long throw ended up at the feet of Gateshead's Holgate, but he couldn't keep his shot down. Mills had a good header well saved following a cross into the box, the defender stooping down to get his head to the ball at the far post, whilst doing well not to be wrestled to the floor by the defender. PENALTY - 86' Sbarra took a great touch in his stride to get into the box, before laying the ball to Wakeling, and just as he set himself to hit a left-footed shot inside the area, the striker was clumsily taken down. Penalty to The Moors! GOAL - 87' Moors. Callum McFarlane took the responsibility and calmly tucked the penalty away into the left-hand corner, sending the keeper the wrong way. 0-1 The Moors, within touching distance of those precious three points, looked to be heading for that first win, Wakeling dispossessing a defender before firing low effort at the feet of the goalkeeper. After a Gateshead attack, French went down with a worrying looking injury, the defender, in only his first game back since his previous injury, then had to be replaced by Justin Hanks. Goal - 93' Gateshead. An attack down the Gateshead left looked like it had been cut out, Hanks taking control of the ball and laying back to what he thought was his own man, only to see Micky Spellman racing through to collect the ball, before rounding Metcalfe and slotting into the net. 1-1. Utter devastation for The Moors. Full time, it ends all square, 1-1 Once the dust settles, and as much as the ending will hurt, it's as close to a win as we've been all season and that first point is on the board. The fight, determination and attitude from every single player cannot be doubted, and as their reaction at the end showed, they're all gutted. One thing that today proved yet again is we're all in this together. Moors fans, you were incredible yet again today, all 59 that travelled the 3 and a half hour, 200+ mile journey, we appreciate each and every one of you. Attendance Travelling Moors fans - 59 Total attendance - 596 Next up for The Moors is a return to Damson Park ahead of a double header of home games, first we face Leeds United U21's in the National League Cup on the 8th September, 7pm kick-off, followed by a visit from Aldershot Town on the 12th September, 3pm kick-off. We look forward to seeing you there! Tickets for the Leeds United U21's are free, but still need to be claimed. To claim your tickets, please visit the link below - https://solihullmoorsfc.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/solihull_moors_v_leeds_national_league_cup?version=m Ticket details for the Aldershot fixture will be announced in due course. COYM!💛💙 Written by Scott Cattell
Chris Millington’s Solihull Moors side are set to resume their National League Cup campaign with a fixture against Leeds United Under 21s, who are led by their manager Scott Gardner on the evening of Tuesday 8 th September 2026 at Damson Park. The Moors will be hoping to secure victory after being beaten by Middlesbrough’s Under 21s side last time out. The most recent game for Gardner’s Leeds side was in the Premier League 2, where they faced Liverpool away from home. It was a tight 2 – 1 defeat at the hands of the Reds, with Carrick Njinko scoring the only goal of the game for the away side. In their previous game in the National League Cup, Leeds were emphatically beaten 5 – 2 by the hands of Boreham Wood at the Mangata Developments Stadium Meadow Park. Regan Booty, Lewis Richardson, Tarryn Allarakhia, and Farhaan Ali-Wahid were all on the scoresheet for the hosts that day. As for Leeds, they scored their goals through the likes of Sam Chambers and Josh McDonald. As of the time of writing, the Leeds United Under 21s side currently sit in 14 th place with 3 points to their name. Last season, they ended up with a 25 th place finish after being able to accumulate 18 points overall with a goal difference of -12. Leeds United are one of the oldest and most famous clubs in English football, founded in 1919. Their formation came about after the original club of the city, Leeds City, was officially disbanded by the Football League after the club had received allegations of illegal payments to players over the course of the First World War. United were formed at Salem Chapel and were voted into the Midland League. Shortly after their founding, they were able to acquire Elland Road as their stadium, which is, of course, where their first team plays their football to this day. It was bought for as little as £250 in the early stages of the 20 th century. No name is more synonymous with Leeds United Football Club than the legendary football manager Don Revie. Revie was in charge of the Yorkshire-based club for a period of thirteen years between 1961 and 1974. During his time in charge, he led the club to two First Division titles, the FA Cup, a League Cup, the FA Charity Shield, a Second Division title, and two Inter-Cities Fairs Cups. Revie’s first trophy with Leeds was won in 1964 when the Second Division title was won, followed by his first Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and a League Cup title in 1968. In 1969, they won the First Division. In 1971, their second and final Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was won. This was quickly followed in 1972 by the FA Cup crown after they were able to beat Arsenal 1 – 0 at Wembley thanks to a winning goal from Allan Clarke in the early stages of the second half. Another First Division League title was promptly won in 1974. He then left for the England job. The key players for Revie’s Leeds during this period included several names who are club legends, including the likes of Billy Bremner, Johnny Giles, Norman Hunter, Jack Charlton, Peter Lorimer, Eddie Gray, the aforementioned Allan Clarke, Mick Jones, Paul Reaney, and Terry Cooper. In the early 2000s, Leeds United entered a period of turmoil. In an effort to make the Champions League for its revenues and sponsorship rights, then owner Peter Ridsdale took out large loans against the club to aid this effort. However, they missed out for two seasons running, and this led to financial troubles that meant the sale of some key players, including Rio Ferdinand, who went to Manchester United. Jonathan Woodgate was also sold, with the central defender moving on to Newcastle United in the end. Leeds were finally relegated to the Championship in 2004, reaching the playoff final in their first season in the second tier under the ownership of Ken Bates, though they did go on to lose to Watford in the end. By May of 2007, the club was entered into administration, which incurred a ten point deduction that officially relegated them to League One, though they began season one in the third tier with a 15 point deduction. They went on to spend three years in that league before securing their return to the Championship in 2010 as runners-up to Norwich City. During that final season in League One, they famously beat fierce rivals Manchester United, then led by the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, at Old Trafford. The winning goal came from Jermaine Beckford in the early stages of the first half. Their stay outside of the top flight lasted for another ten years, with Leeds finally gaining promotion under the management of modern day club legend Marcelo Bielsa, emphatically winning the league title in 2020. Under Bielsa, they were able to achieve what was a credible top half finish in their first season back in the Premier League, with their points tally of 59 being the best since Ipswich Town 20 years earlier. The Tractor Boys had got a total of 66 back in the 2000/01 campaign. Bielsa left the club in February 2022, and he was succeeded by the American Head Coach Jesse Marsch, who left in February 2023 after he also had a poor run of results towards the end of his tenure at the club. They were still relegated back to the Championship under successor Sam Allardyce. Daniel Farke, the First Team’s current boss, was appointed back on 4 th July 2023. At this time, the 49ers Enterprises completed a takeover of part of the club. Leeds United won the title in the 2024/25 English Football League Championship season, secured by a win against Plymouth Argyle on the final day of the season. The 2025/26 Premier League season, the first since they returned to the top flight, saw them avoid relegation with a 14 th place finish, accumulating 47 points from their 38 games in total. Their safety was secured on 10 th May 2026 after Arsenal defeated West Ham United at the London Stadium. In the 2026/27 Premier League season, Daniel Farke and his Leeds United side will be hoping to climb up the table with the hopes of a potential top half finish in the league, with the squad being improved over the summer window. In the opposition dugout – Scott Gardner Scott Gardner, who is the current Head Coach of the Leeds United Under 21s side, has been in charge of the side, at first temporarily in November 2023 after Michael Skubala, now Bristol City boss, left for the managerial post at Lincoln City. Gardner then became Leeds United Under 21s manager full time in November 2024, with Stewart Downing joining the club as his assistant manager. Gardner had a short career as a player that spanned four years between 2006 and 2010. During this period, he represented the likes of the aforementioned Leeds United (2006 - 2009), Farsley Celtic (Loan, 2008), Mansfield Town (2009 - 2010), and finally Eastwood Town (Loan, 2010). Key Player – Carrick Njinko Forward Carrick Njinko is perhaps the standout player for Leeds United’s Under 21s side so far this season, with him being their leading goal scorer in all competitions to date with as many as four goals to is name so far, scoring a hat-trick against West Brom at Thorpe Arch Grange. Njinko has been at the club for his entire playing career to date. Opposition Overview written by Adam Holt
Solihull Moors are delighted to announce the signing of experienced midfielder Ryan Woods on loan from Oldham Athletic until 5th December. The 32-year-old arrives at Damson Park with more than 500 senior appearances to his name across the English Football League, including extensive experience in the Championship. Known for his composure in possession, passing range and ability to dictate play from midfield, Woods will add further quality and experience to Chris Millington’s squad. A product of the Shrewsbury Town Academy, Woods made his senior debut in 2012 and went on to make more than 100 appearances for the Shrews before earning a move to Brentford in 2015. He quickly established himself as an important part of the Bees’ midfield, making 128 appearances and scoring three goals during a successful three-year spell at Griffin Park. Woods joined Stoke City in 2018, initially on loan before completing a permanent move. He later gained further Championship experience during spells with Millwall, Birmingham City and Hull City. Loan moves to Bristol Rovers and Exeter City followed before Woods joined the Grecians permanently in 2024. He made 37 League One appearances during the 2024/25 campaign, contributing two goals and two assists, before moving to Oldham Athletic in July 2025. Speaking about Woods’ arrival, Moors first team manager Chris Millington said: “Ryan’s experience and quality will be a valuable addition to the group. “He is composed on the ball, possesses an excellent passing range and has the ability to control the tempo of a game from midfield. “To have made more than 450 senior appearances across the EFL demonstrates the consistency he has shown throughout his career. We’re delighted to bring him to the Club and look forward to working with him during his time with us.” Welcome to the Moors, Ryan! 💛💙 The deal is subject to the relevant league and FA clearances.
TICKETS Season Tickets Season tickets are NOT valid for this fixture. All tickets are free and can be claimed here . Opening times and turnstile access The car park will open at 5pm The box office for ticket collection will be open from 5:30pm The turnstiles will be open from 5:30pm for home and away supporters to gain entry into the stadium. When you purchase a match ticket, you must sit or stand in the area where you bought your ticket. The Main Bar will be open at 5:30pm. Hospitality/Executive Boxes Hospitality doors for this fixture will open at 5:30pm. Junior Tickets 16-year-olds and under must be accompanied by a full-paying adult on the day of the match; otherwise, U16 ticket holders may be refused entry to the venue: turning up to the match without a full-paying adult is a safeguarding issue. All supporters wishing to purchase a ticket in one of these age categories must register for the Club’s free Young Supporters Membership Scheme. SAFEGUARDING RE ADMISSION: Note for reference, those supporters aged 15 and under MUST be accompanied by an adult to enter the ground, i.e. the individual must be 16 or over. Matchday Entry Supporters must present their valid membership card when entering Damson Park using a young supporter ticket. Under-12s and ages 12–15 must enter through Turnstiles 1 or 2 alongside their parent or guardian. Supporters aged 16–24 must enter through Turnstile 3. Under-16s must attend with a responsible adult (at a ratio of 2 children per one adult) and will not be permitted to enter the stadium unaccompanied. Any more than two children per one adult, please email ticketing@solihullmoorsfc.co.uk in advance to organise this request. To find out more about the admission & Young Supporters Membership: https://www.solihullmoorsfc.co.uk/solihull-moors-reduces-matchday-ticket-prices-for-young-supporters REFRESHMENTS Supporters can purchase alcohol and refreshments from the Main Bar, There will be food available at: Hot Food Bar in the old reception Terry's Burger Van GETTING HERE PARKING The Car Park is open from 5:pm Please do not park on the Damson Parkway dual carriageway – this is a red route and parking here is strictly prohibited. Supporters will receive tickets for parking illegally, so we stress the importance of utilising the NCP Car Park and planning your journey well in advance. If fans forget to pay before leaving, they will still be able to pay via Post Pay within 24 hours of exiting the car park however this will charge them the original tariff. Failure to pay will result in a Parking Charge. To learn more, including tariffs and PostPay, please visit: https://www.birminghamairport.co.uk/parking/freeport-car-park . Any Fans using the Car park can use the code ‘MOORS26’ to receive the discounted Rate of £6 for up to 5 hours. This Code will need to be used on the Pay Machine near the exit of the Car Park. Any supporters' coaches must drop fans off at the NCP parking point, as the Damson Parkway dual carriageway is a red route. It is at the coach driver’s discretion to drop supporters off on the red route; supporters must then walk from the NCP Car Park to the stadium. Travel by Bus The X12 bus runs to the ground every 15/20 minutes from Solihull Town Centre, the NCP and Birmingham International. In night matches, this increases to every 30 minutes. Click here to view the X12 bus route, stops and full timetable . Travel by Train Solihull Railway Station is served by trains from Birmingham Moor Street and London Marylebone. The ground is situated two and a half miles away from the station in a roughly north-easterly direction. Birmingham International Station is roughly one and a half miles from the ground and is on the Euston to Birmingham New Street line. Programme The programme can be downloaded here. Kick It Out You can report an incident of discrimination via the Kick It Out App, which can be used on iPhone and Android devices. Phone – 0800 169 9414 Twitter - @kickitout , or by contacting the organisation’s Reporting Officers on @kickitoutreport. Solihull Moors Supporters Association Click here to find out more about the Solihull Moors Supporters Association.
Introduction Solihull head to the north-east on Saturday for a clash with Gateshead at the Gateshead International Stadium. Both sides head into this off the back of defeats, with the Moors falling to a 3-1 home defeat to Fylde, and Gateshead losing 2-1 away to Harrogate. Andy’s Bet Club are on hand to preview all of our games for the 2026/27 season. Their site is packed with free football tips that are updated daily with expert insight. Match Preview Solihull Moors travel to Gateshead on the back of a 3-1 defeat to Fylde on Monday, while the hosts lost 2-1 at Harrogate. Both sides sit in the bottom four of the National League after five rounds, still searching for their first real run of form. The Moors have scored five goals and conceded sixteen so far this season, against four scored and eight conceded for Gateshead. Solihull Moors Form Guide Chris Millington’s Solihull are still searching for their first points of the National League season. One positive is their attacking output, with an xG of 10.39 and five goals scored, indicating Solihull are creating plenty of chances just failing to put them away. Jacob Wakeling has been a consistent attacking threat for the Moors, having taken 22 shots this season, ten of them on target, for an xG total of 4.67. Wakeling has scored four of Solihull Moors' five league goals to date. Where Solihull will need to tighten up is at the back, having shipped 16 goals with an xGA of 11.46. That being said, the underlying attacking numbers indicate positives are there going forward for the Moors heading into Saturday’s clash. Gateshead Form Guide Gateshead themselves are coming off a loss, falling to a 2-1 defeat to Harrogate on Monday. Despite the loss, Gateshead fans could celebrate their goalkeeper Peter Jameson scoring from his own box in emphatic style just after half-time. Their one win of the campaign came 2-0 against Woking on Matchday 2. They have scored four times this season from an xG of 3.62, meaning they are struggling to create chances going forward. Defensively, they have conceded eight goals against an xGA of 9.41, showing that defending has held up better than the shot count against them might suggest. Tactical Insight The most interesting battle should be Jacob Wakeling against the pairing of Kyle Ferguson and Alex Lankshear at the heart of Gateshead's defence. Gateshead have a PPDA (passes per defensive action) of 10.95 this season, meaning they have made a defensive action for roughly every eleven opposition passes in the pressing zones, a sign they engage fairly high up rather than sitting off. Jacob Wakeling's volume of shots gives the visitors their clearest route to goal. Conclusion Solihull create enough through Wakeling to trouble most defences, while Gateshead defend competitively without regularly turning their own chances into goals. Chris Millington’s side have clearly been creating chances, and will see this as a good chance to kick off a positive run of form. Visit Andy’s Bet Club for daily free betting tips as well as stats and tips from all upcoming football fixtures.
A disappointing August has came and went, with Chris Millington’s side hopeful of turning a poor month into motivation for Saturday’s trip to Gateshead. The Moors lost all six of their opening matches in August, the first time they’d managed such frustration since March-April 2017, sitting bottom of the National League table. However, the club have since saw the closure of the EFL transfer window – meaning none of the squad (including top-scorer Jacob Wakeling) would be departing. Saturday 3pm matches are back for Solihull this weekend, and here’s hoping we can celebrate it with our first three points of the campaign. Ahead of Saturday’s kick-off, here is everything you need to know… An overview of Gateshead FC: The Moors face a trip to Gateshead this weekend, with both teams currently finding themselves in the relegation zone – with a combined three points and 24 goals conceded. Gateshead narrowly avoided relegation from the National League last season after pulling off their version of a ‘great escape’ under former manager Rob Elliot. The club have also lost several key players including Keaton Ward, Kenton Richardson and former Moors defender Brad Nicholson. After losing their opening game against Eastleigh, Saturday’s opponents beat Woking 2-0 but have since failed to win any of their four matches – including a defeat to Harrogate Town, despite goalkeeper Pete Jameson scoring. Jameson ironically is the club’s joint-top scorer this season. Head-to-head: The last 15 matches between the two teams have provided an almost equal balance of results. Going back to March, Gateshead won the clash 2-1 on route to securing their survival, following Ben Radcliffe’s late winner from close range. Last season also saw the Moors come out victorious during our last trip to the Gateshead International Stadium, with Brad Stevenson & Jacob Wakeling scoring in a 2-0 win. Famously, Gateshead beat the club on penalties in the FA Trophy final at Wembley – ensuring that there is some continued rivalry between the two teams. Tickets: Tickets for Saturday’s clash against Gateshead are available now via the hosts website. The prices are as follows; Adults (22-64): £22.00 Concessions (65+): £17.00 Young Adult (17-21): £12.00 Kids (14-16) £7.00 Under 14s: £0.00 Reminder that children U14 need to be accompanied by an adult as per National League stadium regulations. Getting to the Stadium: The Gateshead International Stadium is located on Neilson Road (NE10 0EF). Seating on the official supporters coach is still available via the Solihull Moors website. If you are travelling by train, the closest station is Manors – located roughly 2.1 miles (seven minutes by car / 43 minute walk) from the stadium. There is a local 94 bus service that runs to the stadium, though supporters must check the local timetables for timings and ticket details. In the dugout – Lee Cattermole: The man in the hot seat for the Heed this weekend is former Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole, in what will be the 38-year-old’s seventh match in charge, following his arrival in the summer. Since retiring, Cattermole has had coaching stints with Burnley’s U18s, Bristol Rovers and Middlesbrough’s U18s – but his move to Gateshead is his first taste of managerial experience within a first-team environment. So far, the 38-year-old has managed to establish a points per game rate of just 0.60. We hope to see as many of you as possible in the North East ahead of Saturday’s clash with Gateshead. COYM 🟡🔵
Match Tickets can be purchased here Away Supporter coach tickets run by the SMSA can be purchased here Entry is via turnstiles one and two, which will be open from 1:30pm. Parking is available on site at the stadium as the car park is open publicly with the stadium also open to the general public on match days, but this will be busy so parking isn’t guaranteed.
Chris Millington’s Solihull Moors team are set to travel up north to the Gateshead International Stadium for their latest 2026/27 National League fixture against Lee Cattermole’s Gateshead side on Saturday afternoon. The Moors will be looking for their first three points in this game with a win against The Tynesiders. Gateshead’s most recent competitive game saw them face recently relegated Harrogate Town away from home. This contest at the Marcy Fitness Stadium saw them narrowly lose 2 – 1 to the hosts, but they did take the lead through Peter Jameson just after the half-time break. Harrogate did then win it by completing the comeback through a crucial goal from Josh Hmami as well as an own goal from Gateshead’s Ashley Boatswain in the last minute of the second half. As a club, Gateshead were originally founded back in 1930, when South Shields went out of business whilst playing in the old Third Division North. In the FA Cup, they were able to beat Liverpool in 1953 before losing to a Nat Lofthouse winning goal for the eventual finalists Bolton Wanderers in the end. We now fast forward to 1977 when the current club were founded after Gateshead United, founded to replace South Shields, had been disbanded. Gateshead FC were then able to emerge as a phoenix club in the very same year. Incredibly, after replacing the aforementioned Gateshead United in the Northern Premier League season ahead of the 1977/78 campaign. Years later, they did go on to win the league title in 1982/83 after accumulating a total of 100 points whilst also finding the back of the net as many as 114 times in total as a team as well. After a two year stay in the Conference, they were relegated, but they were immediately promoted back up to the Conference after winning the league title yet again back in 1986. They were then relegated again, this time after a more extended period of 8 years in 1998, when they made their return to the Northern Premier League. Then, after financial troubles, they were further relegated down to the Northern Premier League First Division. Gateshead’s fate was sealed in 2006 when they were taken over by Graham Wood, a wealthy businessman born in the local area. They came in third place in the newly named UniBond Premier Division in 2008 whilst also being the joint top goalscorers in the top ten divisions of the English Football pyramid. They subsequently made it all the way to promotion to the Conference North before then winning the play-off final to secure themselves a place in the Conference Premier in front of a crowd of 4,000. They were able to secure safety on goal difference alone. In 2010, they became a full-time club and finished in 14th place as well as going all the way to the FA Trophy semi-final for the first time in the 2010/11 season. Fast forward to the 2016/17 campaign, they ultimately had a disappointing campaign in the end, being knocked out early on from the FA Cup and the FA Trophy by the start of 2017. The 2018/19 season came off the back of turmoil off the pitch. There had initially been a failed takeover, before a Hong Kong based businessman by the name of Dr Ranjan Varghese bought the club, with Michael Williams taking over as the club’s operations director. Following a points deduction, they ended up down in 18th place after being sat in 9th. Varghese’s time at the club was a short one, with a fan-led consortium that was led by Neil Pinkerton and Trevor Clark taking charge of the stewardship of the club. They were unfortunately still relegated to the National League North following what was a 10 year stay in the fifth tier. The 2020/21 campaign was voided thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Gateshead sat in 10th when the season was ended prematurely. Then the following 2021/22 campaign was a historic one for The Heed, who were able to go against the odds to win promotion to the National League after a stay of three years in the sixth tier of English Football. In the end, they were able to win the title with a total of 94 points, winning 18 of their 21 home games whilst also scoring an incredible number of 99 goals over the course of the campaign. In that season, Macaulay Langstaff was the top scorer with 28 goals in the league alone and was named the league’s player of the season, whilst two other Gateshead players at the time, Greg Olley and Cedwyn Scott, were both also in the team of the season. They lifted the title in front of a record league crowd of 4,129. In 2022/23, they were able to avoid relegation in 14th place, even after what was initially having a poor start to the season. In the closing weeks and months of the campaign, they were able to amass 42 points from the final 24 games. They did win the FA Trophy Semi-Final by beating Barnet on penalties in front of a 2,897 strong crowd at the Gateshead International Stadium, though they had been leading 3 – 0 in normal time. They were then narrowly beaten 1 – 0 in the Final at Wembley thanks to a closely fought 1 – 0 defeat in front of a 27,000-strong crowd against Halifax Town. In 2024, they were able to make up for this defeat when in that year’s FA Trophy Final they were able to beat Solihull Moors on penalties at Wembley. Last season, the 2025/26 campaign, Gateshead FC were able to finish in 18th place with as many as 50 points from 46 games, surviving relegation. In the opposition dugout – Lee Cattermole Lee Cattermole is the current First Team Head Coach of Gateshead Football Club, having been in charge since he was appointed by the North East-based club back on 16th June 2026 ahead of the start of the current 2026/27 campaign. This is his first role in senior club management. He began his coaching career by taking charge as the Lead Coach of Middlesbrough’s Under 18s side back in January 2022. After leaving Boro on 10th February 2023, he went on to become a coach at League One club Bristol Rovers, with his main focus on development and set pieces. Four days into his tenure, he became joint caretaker manager alongside David Horseman after the sacking of former boss Matt Taylor. He left following Inigo Calderon’s appointment on 26th December 2024. Cattermole had an extensive playing career, doing so as a midfielder, during which he spent most of his career with Sunderland. Most of his time with the Black Cats was in the Premier League, with him also spending a single season in both the Championship and League One during his ten year tenure at the club between 2009 and 2019. During his career, he also spent time with the likes of Middlesbrough (2005 - 2008), Wigan Athletic (2008 - 2009), and finally Dutch club VVV Venlo (2019 – 2020). He retired from the sport briefly after leaving the Eredivisie club. Key Player – David Ferguson David Ferguson is a highly experienced player who is Gateshead Captain and plays mainly as a left back. He joined the club back in 2025, and he has made 39 appearances for the club so far, as of the time of writing. Earlier in his career, he has also represented the likes of Darlington (2012 & 2017), Sunderland (2012 - 2015), Boston United (Loan, 2014), Blackpool (2015 - 2016), Shildon (2016 - 2017), York City (2017 - 2020), and Hartlepool United (2020 - 2025). He also has 3 caps for the England C side that he got back in 2017. Written by Adam Holt
Solihull Moors suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of AFC Fylde at Damson Park, leaving Chris Millington's side bottom of the National League table after losing each of the first five fixtures in the competition. An even start to the game saw both sides struggle to create clear-cut chances. The only Moors effort of note in the first was a cheeky attempt from Jacob Wakeling from near the halfway line, his effort going just wide, to the relief of AFC Fylde goalkeeper Zac Jones. A neat interchange in midfield saw Greg Olley put through on goal, the Fylde man firing well over from distance. By the 20th minute, Fylde had ready been forced into two substitutions due to injuries, but rather than hamper the away side, it seemed to galvanise them. A flurry of chances fell to Craig Mahon's men, Max Metcalfe dealing with a couple of efforts from outside the box, aswell as the Coasters hitting the woodwork on three occasions as they caught The Moors backline out several times with long diagonals and through-balls. The first effort came from a cross-field pass, and landed at the feet of a Fylde winger. The Fylde man cut inside and unleashed a terrific curling effort that hit the crossbar. The second was Adam Lewis, who found himself in space on the right and poked a shot goalwards, beating Metcalfe, but seeing the ball come back off the post before been cleared for a corner. The resulting corner was played short and laid back to the taker, who took a touch inside, and bent an incredible curling effort off the bar yet again. Jamie Andrews was busy in the midfield, coming out on top of a number of committed challenges, his tireless workrate allowing High and Sbarra to focus more on creating openings for their side. It was a crunching Andrews tackle that led to a decent chance for Jacob Wakeling, the ball got played out to Joe Sbarra who, after some nice footwork, sent the striker through on the left, only for his powerful shot to hit the side-netting. GOAL - 34' Fylde. A corner at the other end of the pitch fell nicely for Rio Shipston, the midfielders attempt was blocked well and collected by Fylde keeper Jones, who then launched a long ball over the top of The Moors defence. Metcalfe raced out of his box and attempted to head the ball clear, but was undone by an awkward bounce, the ball glancing off his head and Fylde's Harvey Broad was more than happy to run past and roll the ball into an empty net. It was very harsh on Solihull's number 1, who has been one of the bright sparks of the season so far. 0-1 GOAL - 42' Fylde. Jack Morris was played through one-on-one with Metcalfe and made no mistake as he calmly slotted into the bottom corner to put his side two goals ahead. 0-2 Scott High sent a free-kick inches over the post as we looked to halve the deficit just before half-time. GOAL - 51' Moors. The second half kicked off with Solihull knowing they needed something special to turn the game around, and as he has so many times already this season, Wakeling was the man to produce it. The forward headed in from close-range following a flick-on from a corner. The home crowd, who unfortunately haven't had too much to cheer about so far this season, began to believe the comeback was on, turning the volume up as The Moors drove forward. Wakeling in particular, playing like a man possessed, pressed the Fylde defence and started to get some joy and force mistakes. Whatever Millington had said at half-time clearly worked wonders as his side were transformed. A superbly timed challenge by Andrews in the box denied a great Fylde chance about 10 yards out, the ball then finding its way to Wakeling, who charged up the pitch on a one-man mission, before cutting in and unleashing a fierce low drive that was well held by the keeper. Wakeling was at the heart of everything, forcing a mistake from the central defender before racing down the left and having a powerful strike well saved by Jones. High then had the goal at his mercy as the save landed at his feet, only to smash over the bar from 8 yards out. GOAL - 59' Fylde. Luca Thomas scored Fylde's third goal on the counter. They worked the ball into the box, and after failing to be cut out, it fell nicely to Thomas, one of the enforced early substitutes, who thundered home, leaving Metcalfe with no chance. 1-3 With the steam knocked out of the Moors after the goal, Wakeling dropped deeper to get himself on the ball more now that Ben Wodskou and Callum McFarlane were on the pitch, with our goalscorer intent on inflicting more damage on the Fylde defence in another lively performance. McFarlane created another good chance for Wakeling, the forward attacking the ball at the near post and seeing his shot deflected out, only for the officials to give a goal kick rather than a corner. Tyrell Warren did well to chip a cross onto the head of Joe Sbarra, who was desperately unlucky to see his header hit the bar. A couple of ferociously whipped in corners from substitute Matty Carson led to scrambles in the box, but the Moors were unable to find a finishing touch. Jevon Mills had a goal bound effort cleared off the line, the ball then falling to Wodskou who smashed narrowly wide as another good chance went begging. Justin Hanks came on in the 80th minute to make his Moors debut. His first action of note was a missile of a throw, that was flicked onto Wodskou, the striker heading over the bar when well placed, before another throw-in led to a half chance for High, but the ball bounced awkwardly. Hanks, a summer recruit from Nottingham Forest will surely be looking to put those long-throws to good use after causing so much havoc with them in the oppositions box. The last Moors attack saw Andrews swing a dangerous cross in from the right that was well dealt with by Jones in the final minute of added time. Ultimately it was another frustrating afternoon for Solihull, but the second half performance in particular will be hugely encouraging in this tough period. Thank you as always for your unwavering support. We look forward to to welcoming you back to Damson Park💛💙 Sponsors man of the match - Jacob Wakeling Our next National League fixture is an away game that sees us make the trip up to Gateshead on Saturday 5th September. Kick-off - 3pm. To purchase coach tickets for this fixture, please visit the link below - https://solihullmoorsfc.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/gateshead_coach_away_travel_2627?version=m Coach Prices - 18-21 Coach Travel £27.00 Adult Coach Travel £32.00 U18's Coach Travel £22.00 COYM💛💙
