 Main entrance to the stadium | |
 Interactive map of Gateshead International Stadium | |
| Full name | Gateshead International Stadium |
|---|---|
| Former names | Gateshead Youth Stadium |
| Location | Neilson Road Gateshead Tyne and Wear NE10 0EF |
| Coordinates | 54°57′40″N1°34′47″W / 54.96111°N 1.57972°W /54.96111; -1.57972 |
| Owner | Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council |
| Operator | Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council |
| Capacity | 11,800 |
| Record attendance | 14,797 (sports),[3] 30,000 (various concerts) |
| Field size | 100 by 64 metres (109.4 yd × 70.0 yd) |
| Acreage | 24.4 hectares |
| Surface | Synthetic running track, grass inner |
| Scoreboard | Yes – by HS Sports[1] |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1955 |
| Built | 1955 |
| Opened | 27 August 1955 |
| Renovated | 1974 |
| Expanded | 2010 |
| Construction cost | Originally £30,000 (1955)[2] |
| Tenants | |
| Gateshead A.F.C. (1973) Gateshead United (1974–1977) Gateshead F.C. (1977–present) Gateshead Harriers (1956–present) Gateshead Senators (1988–2012) Gateshead Thunder (1999) Gateshead Thunder (2001–2014) Newcastle United W.F.C. (2025–present) | |
Gateshead International Stadium (GIS) is amulti-purpose,all-seater venue inGateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. Originally known as theGateshead Youth Stadium,[4] the venue was built in 1955 and has since been extensively redeveloped on three occasions. Its capacity of around 11,800[nb 1] is the greatest in theMetropolitan Borough of Gateshead, the third-largest in Tyne and Wear (behindSt James' Park and theStadium of Light), and the sixth-largest inNorth East England.[6]
The main arena is principally used for athletics. The inaugural athletics competition at the redeveloped venue, the 1974 "Gateshead Games", was instigated byBrendan Foster, a Gateshead Council employee at that time. By breaking the world record in themen's 3,000 m, Foster brought international publicity to the new stadium and began a tradition of athletics competitions at the venue, which has since hosted theBritish Grand Prix (2003–10) and theEuropean Team Championships in 1989, 2000 and 2013. It is the only venue to have hosted the latter event three times. Five world records have been set at the stadium, including two bypole vaulterYelena Isinbayeva and a tied100 metres record byAsafa Powell in 2006.
Although Gateshead International Stadium primarily caters for athletics, it is the current or former home to teams in several sports. It has been used byGateshead F.C. and its predecessors since 1973. It was home to theGateshead Thunderrugby league club during their spell in theSuper League, and the replacementGateshead Thunder club played home games in the main arena, which was known as theThunderdome when used by that team[7] until the club relocated to Newcastle in 2015. It has also been the home ofWomen's Super League 2 sideNewcastle United Women since 2025.[8] Gateshead Harriers Athletic Club, which includes Foster andJonathan Edwards among its life members, are the oldest tenants, having used the site since 1956. The stadium has also been used as a concert venue by numerous musical artists, includingLittle Mix,Guns N' Roses,Bon Jovi,Bryan Adams andTina Turner.
The stadium is built on the site of two large chemical works opened in 1827 and 1834.[9][10] These works initially thrived, but by the early part of the 20th century, both were in terminal decline[11] and were demolished in 1932 to leave behind a 2-million-tonne heap of spoil.[9][12] This land, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) east of the centre of Gateshead,[13] was cleared in 1942 but continued to lie derelict until the mid-1950s.[12]
In early 1955, Gateshead Council began work on transforming this land. The Gateshead Youth Stadium, built on the site of the old chemical works, was opened byJim Peters on 27 August 1955.[2] Costing £30,000, the original venue contained little more than a cinder running track and an asphalt cycling track, though floodlights and a seating area were added soon after.[2] On 1 July 1961, the arena hosted its first major competition—theVaux Breweries International Athletics Meet[14]—but according to sportswriter John Gibson, the Youth Stadium remained "little more than a minor track with a tiny grandstand and open terraces".[15]
According to author Thomas Telfer, by the turn of the 1970s, the town of Gateshead was suffering from "the classic symptoms of decay in its inner-city areas". The response during the 1960s had been a programme of systematic derelict land reclamation and environmental improvement.[16] While these measures did not have an immediate positive impact on the perception of the town, Gateshead Council pressed ahead by looking to develop existing infrastructure with a view to overall regeneration.[17] One such opportunity was identified at the Gateshead Youth Stadium, where the council believed that investment might raise the region's profile and bring international recognition.[18] In April 1974, Gateshead Council inaugurated a "Sport and Recreation" department.[15] In July 1974, the council appointedBrendan Foster—a former schoolteacher turned athlete and a native ofTyne and Wear—as the council's sport and recreation manager.[19][20] Foster, who according to Gibson became "the father of Gateshead athletics",[19] had been forced to train inEdinburgh during 1973 as a result of the poor condition of the Youth Stadium track.[21] In December 1973, he had been invited to a civic reception to celebrate his breaking of the two-mile world record earlier that year at Crystal Palace. At this reception, Foster was told that a newsynthetic track was being laid at Gateshead Youth Stadium. His response was a promise that, if the council was serious, he would run at the stadium and break a world record (Foster later offered an explanation of that promise: "You know how it is when you've had a few drinks—you promise the world!").[15] When the track was laid in early 1974, Foster became convinced of the council's sincerity.[15] He was interviewed for the managerial position[15] and, upon appointment, became the "driving force"[20] behind the programme of improvements to the Youth Stadium, which included the building of the main, covered Tyne and Wear stand in 1981[22] and three accompanying stands; the venue was renamed the Gateshead International Stadium.[2][20] This first tranche of improvements cost around £8 million,[23] and Foster's proposal to commemorate the re-opening with an athletic event was approved, allowing for the first "Gateshead Games" to be held in 1974.[19][24]
The success of the first Gateshead Games and their subsequent annual renewal raised the profile of the stadium and caused Gateshead Council to further their financial investment. During the 1980s, additions were made to the site infrastructure, including the building of an indoor sports hall, outdoor football pitches and a gymnasium.[2] In 1989, the running track was again relayed,[25] and Gateshead confirmed its reputation as a top-class athletics venue by hosting theEuropa Cup (forerunner to theEuropean Team Championships).[26] In the 21st century, the site has been the subject of two major redevelopment projects. The first was completed in 2006, when two artificial outdoor football pitches, indoor athletic training facilities, sports science provisions and conferencing rooms were added at a cost of £15 million.[27] The revamped stadium, funded by collaboration betweenOne NorthEast,Sport England, andGateshead College, among others, was opened on 12 May 2006 bySebastian Coe.[28]
A second tranche of development, undertaken in two stages, was approved in November 2009.[29] This included a general refurbishment and improvement of the existing facilities at the stadium, adding cover, better toilets and new refreshment facilities to the exposed East Stand, improving wheelchair access, adding extra catering and conferencing facilities, and a new media and management centre.[30][31] This was funded by collaboration between Gateshead Council, local development funds and Gateshead College.[30] The covering of the 4,000-seat[29] East Stand with a new canopy roof[32] was completed in July 2010, immediately prior to Gateshead hosting aDiamond League event.[33] The second stage of redevelopment—the building of the corporate and media facilities—commenced on 6 September 2010 and was completed on time in summer 2011.[30] The total cost of the work was estimated to be £7.6 million.[31]
A third programme of expansion was initially mooted in 2008. The aim of this programme was to expand the stadium into an all-embracing "sports village",[34] replete with an ice rink, indoor golf course, restaurants and shops. Gateshead Council invited tenders in August 2008 from commercial organisations interested in undertaking the development.[35] A formal draft development brief was compiled and published in November 2009.[36] A report to Council in December 2009 noted that there had been "a reasonable level of interest at the preliminary stage" from private investors, but that only one detailed proposal had been submitted, which had been declined by the Council on financial grounds.[37] The report also noted concerns that the original centrepiece of the proposed village, the ice rink, may have been deterring investors and that a similar proposal to redevelop land at theStadium of Light inSunderland was detracting from what councillors had hoped to be a unique feature of the proposed village.[38] The result was that a fresh proposal was raised to remove the ice rink from the brief in an attempt to "stimulate the market".[39] A public consultation was undertaken, and in May 2010, the council reported that 327 of the 375 responses received were in favour of the amended proposal.[40] As a result, notice was given to developers that the council intended to market the site, and ten responses were received.[40]
In 2024,Greenwich Leisure Limited was appointed byGateshead Council to run the stadium as well as other facilities.[41]
Gateshead International Stadium and its facilities occupy 24.4 hectares (60 acres) of land.[43] The main athletics arena at Gateshead International Stadium is anall-seater, bowl-shaped arena consisting of four stands of seats.[22] The precise capacity of the venue is uncertain; some sources claim it to be 11,750,[5][44] others 11,762,[25] and some provide a figure of 11,800.[45][46] The main stand is the Tyne and Wear Stand, a steep,cantilevered structure[22] seating 3,300 spectators.[47] This stand contains toilet and catering facilities and a bar area.[22] Opposite is the East Stand, a 4,000-seat structure that was uncovered until 2010, when a cantileveredcanopy roof was added. A bespoke design by Fabric Architecture, the roof is a 30 metres (98 ft) structure incorporating fivebarrel vault forms.[48] Part of the same improvement plan added toilet and catering facilities to the East Stand.[33] The South Terrace, sometimes referred to as simply the South Stand,[49] consists of a continuous, uncovered bank of seating in eight blocks with access through fourturnstiles.[42] The North Terrace is opposite and consists of two blocks of uncovered seating separated by a large scoreboard.[42]
The athletics track in the main arena was laid in 2003 and is anInternational Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) standard 400m eight-lane oval. It is a polymer synthetictartan track with a depth of 3 centimetres (1.18 in). The sprint straight consists of eight lanes and is situated in front of the Tyne and Wear Stand, adjacent to thelong andtriple jump area. A height-adjustable water jump, for use insteeplechase racing, is located on the inside of the track.[25][42][50]Floodlights allow athletics events to be held at night.[25] The inner track area, which is floodlit, is an IAAF standard-sized grass surface used for athletics field events, rugby and football.[50] When used for the latter, the pitch dimensions are 100 by 64 metres (109.4 yd × 70.0 yd).[22]
The main arena is supplemented by other facilities. To the rear of the North Terrace are twothird-generation artificial pitches that areUEFA licensed, fully floodlit and full-sized for use in competitive rugby, football and American football.[27] Alongside them are two grassed and one sand-dressed playing areas, which are also floodlit.[27][50] Behind the Tyne and Wear Stand is an indoor sports hall, which contains a 33 by 44 metres (36.1 yd × 48.1 yd) playing area marked out for various sports, including badminton, netball, and tennis.[50] A retractable indoor athletics facility was previously housed alongside the sports hall, consisting of a 50 metres (55 yd) long synthetic sprint straight and areas for throwing and jumping events, but its mechanical operation proved problematic,[51] and a more modern structure replaced it in 2006. This facility has a 60 metres (66 yd) sprint straight in an 82 metres (90 yd) hall, throwing and jumping facilities, a weights room, and a gymnasium.[50]
| World record performances at Gateshead Stadium | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Athlete name | Event | Record mark | Date |
 Brendan Foster (GBR) | 3000m | 7:35.20 | 3 August 1974[19][21] |
 Daniela Bártová (CZE) | Pole vault | 4.14m | 2 July 1995[52] |
 Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) | Pole vault | 4.82m | 13 July 2003[53] |
| Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) | Pole vault | 4.87m | 27 June 2004[54] |
 Asafa Powell (JAM) | 100m | 9.77 | 11 June 2006[55] |
The first major athletic event held at the stadium was the Vaux Breweries International Athletics meet in July 1961. According to its sponsors, the highlight of this meet was the team three-mile race, won by the Blackpool and Fylde Athletic Club, which was awarded a gold tankard as its prize.[14] Attracted by a prize fund of £500 and the imminentAAA Championships in London, the event attracted several athletes from New Zealand, includingreigning 5000m Olympic championMurray Halberg andPeter Snell, thereigning 800m Olympic champion.[3] Watched by a capacity crowd of 10,000 spectators, the men won their respective races; Halberg placed first in themile with a time of 4:03:70, and Snell led aNew Zealand one-two in the 880-yard event, finishing ahead of teammate Gary Philpott in 1:50:40.[3]
When the comprehensive refurbishment of the stadium was completed more than a decade later, Brendan Foster (by this time a Gateshead Council employee) proposed an international athletics meet. On 3 August 1974, the first "Gateshead Games" were staged in front of around 10,000 spectators.[19][21] Four weeks before he won the European 5000m title at the1974 European Athletics Championships in Rome, Foster kept his earlier promise to run in the men's 3000m and won the race in a new world-record time of 7:35:20. According to journalist John Gibson, Foster's performance gave the meet, broadcast live byTyne Tees Television, "landmark status".[19][21] A plaque commemorating the record was later placed at the entrance to the stadium.[15]
The Gateshead Games became an annual event, which gave the stadium credibility as a major sporting venue.[15][19] In his managerial capacity with Gateshead Council, Foster was increasingly able to attract athletes to the games. In 1977, Foster had to intervene whenBBC Radio Newcastle provided the wrongEthiopian national anthem, which, when played, offendedMiruts Yifter sufficiently that he and his teammates started off towardsNewcastle International Airport. The intervention worked—in the end, Foster asked Yifter and his teammates if they would sing the anthem themselves, which they did in the middle of the stadium—and Yifter returned to outclass a field includingSteve Ovett over 5000m.[56] The track was resurfaced by Regisport in 1982,[25] and the venue's profile was further raised in the summer of 1983, when Gateshead-born athleteSteve Cram[nb 2] faced Sebastian Coe over 800m in the Gateshead Games. In front of a reported crowd of 15,000 who were "shoehorned into the bowl" and millions more watching on BBC'sSunday Grandstand, Cram prevailed to spark "pandemonium" in his final race before winning the gold medal at the1983 World Athletics Championships in Helsinki.[60]
In 1989, Gateshead hosted theEuropa Cup. The men's competition was won for the first time by a Great Britain team captained byLinford Christie and which includedKriss Akabusi andJack Buckner; the event was described a decade later as having had an "invigorating effect" on those who were in attendance.[26] Four years later, on 30 July 1993, a stadium-record crowd of 14,797[3] watched Christie, by this timethe reigning 100m Olympic champion, in action again – this time against his old rivalCarl Lewis in a race where both men were reportedly paid £100,000 irrespective of the result.[61] Christie won in a time of 10.07 seconds, ahead ofJon Drummond in second and Lewis, who finished "a distant third".[62] The 100m race was the highlight of the "high-profile" Vauxhall Invitational meet, which was televised in the UK byITV and watched by around 10 million viewers.Michael Johnson,John Regis, and Steve Cram competed in various events at the Vauxhall Invitational.[61]
In August 1998, Gateshead was selected to host the2000 Europa Cup after theEuropean Athletic Association switched the event from the original host venue,Martinique, to avoid athletes travelling long distances in an Olympic year.[63] This made Gateshead the first venue to host the event twice.[64] On 16–17 July 2000, spectators at Gateshead once again saw Great Britain's men's team take the title, this time by half a point from Germany in second place; the British victory came despite missing ten first-choice team members. The women's event was won by Russia, who defeated second-placed Germany by thirteen points.[65]
Foster's "Gateshead Games" had become theBritish Grand Prix by 2003, and on 13 July, 21-year-oldYelena Isinbayeva set anew world record of 4.82m in the women'spole vault event. Isinbayeva's achievement in the last event of the meet was so unexpected that only 1,000 of the 10,000 spectators witnessed it, the rest having left early. For her achievement, she was given a bonus cheque for $50,000.[53] On 27 June 2004, Isinbayeva returned to Gateshead. This time, the event organisers decided to schedule the pole vault event earlier and were rewarded when Isinbayeva defied extremely windy conditions to post a new record mark of 4.87m.[54] Isinbayeva was the second woman to set a world record in the pole vault at Gateshead;Daniela Bartova did so in 1995.[64] In 2006, a crowd of 8,500 sawAsafa Powell equal the world record of 9.77 seconds in themen's 100m. The official, unrounded time of 9.762 seconds was then the fastest time ever recorded. The meet was also notable for the return to competition ofDwain Chambers after his ban for usingperformance-enhancing drugs and forEliud Kipchoge breaking Foster's stadium record over 3000m that had stood for more than three decades.[55]
In 2010, the British Grand Prix at Gateshead was chosen as one of the inaugural fourteenDiamond League events,[66] but although competitors includedTyson Gay, Powell,Jessica Ennis, andVincent Chepkok, the attendance was unusually poor, causing the local press to wonder whether Gateshead's contract for the marquee event would be renewed.[67] Those fears were to prove well-founded whenUK Athletics agreed to a three-year contract to stage the event at theAlexander Stadium in Birmingham.[68] The move prompted one reporter to lament that "the switch is a major blow to both Gateshead International Stadium and North-East sport in general, but can hardly be regarded as a major surprise given the dwindling support for major athletics events in the region."[69]
This loss was mitigated somewhat by the European Athletic Association's decision to award Gateshead the2013 European Team Championships, the successor to the Europa Cup.[70] In doing so, Gateshead became the only stadium to host the European Team Championships on three occasions.[71] The championships were held on 22–23 June 2013 amid very wet and windy conditions.[72] On the first day of competition,Mo Farah ran a 50.89-second final lap in winning the men's 5000m to help the home team into third place on 181 points, behind Russia (194 points) and Germany (195 points).[73] Despite a strong start, the Great Britain team were unable to make up the deficit on the second day of competition and finished in third place overall with 338 points, behind runners-up Germany (347.5 points) and the champions Russia (354.5 points).[74]
Due to the redevelopment of Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium for the2022 Commonwealth Games, theBritish Grand Prix Diamond League fixture was set to return to Gateshead in 2020 for the first time in 10 years.[75] The meeting was originally scheduled to take place on 16 August but was rescheduled to 12 September and then cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.[76]
The stadium was briefly used by former Football League membersGateshead A.F.C. after leavingRedheugh Park in 1973, but the club went bust later in the year.[77] The following year, South Shields Football Club relocated to Gateshead and were renamedGateshead United; they played at the Gateshead Stadium from 1974 to 1977, when it folded andGateshead F.C. was formed.[78]
Gateshead F.C. have been tenants since their formation in 1977.[78] In May 2008, Gateshead hostedBuxton in a promotion play-off and won 2–0 in front of 1,402 spectators, the largest crowd to watch the club at the ground in 14 years.[79] That record was broken a year later when 4,121 saw Gateshead defeatTelford United 2–0 on 9 May 2009 to win a promotion to theConference Premier League.[80] The current record attendance for a competitive fixture stands at 8,144, set on 4 May 2014 when Gateshead played host toGrimsby Town in the second leg of theConference Premier play-off semi-final.[81] Gateshead won 3-1 to progress to the final atWembley Stadium, where they were beaten 2-1 byCambridge United. The defeat consigned the club to a 55th consecutive season outside the Football League.[82] Gateshead F.C. continue to play at Gateshead Stadium, but according to North East Life magazine, it is "a fine but inappropriate stadium [...] as a football ground it can be a soulless home."[83] In 2009, chairman Graham Wood unveiled plans to move to a new, purpose-built 9,000-capacity ground on Prince Consort Road in the centre of Gateshead.[84] Detailed proposals were published soon after,[85] and Wood told local media in 2012 that he expects the move to increase crowds and alleviate the financial constraints on him as he continues to bankroll the club; it is estimated that crowds would need to reach 3,000 regularly for the club to operate profitably from Gateshead Stadium.[86] According to the original proposal, the stadium was expected to be ready for the 2012–13 season, but financing has been difficult, and the proposed move is now on hold.[87][88]
Gateshead Harriers are an athletic club based at Gateshead International Stadium. Founded in 1904 as Gateshead St Mary's Church Running Club, they were initially a men-only club until they allowed the admission of women in 1951. The club moved to the Gateshead Youth Stadium in 1956, making the Harriers the stadium's oldest tenant.[89] In 2006, they won a promotion to the first division of theBritish Athletics League and were the only club from the north-east of England to compete at that level.[90] After a six-year stay in the division, the Harriers were relegated to division two in August 2012 after failing to win enough points at the final meet of the season at Eton to prevent a bottom-two league finish.[91] Club officials received over 100 new applications for membership in the aftermath ofthe 2012 London Olympics.[92]
At least one Gateshead Harrier has taken part in every Olympics andParalympics held since 1972.[93] Notable alumni include Brendan Foster, who joined the club aged 17 and later claimed that "my first aim was to be the best runner of Gateshead Harriers".[94] Foster, inducted into theEngland Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010 and then voted the eleventh "greatestGeordie" in a local poll, later became the president of Gateshead Harriers and remains so as of 2012.[95][96] Current world triple-jump record holderJonathan Edwards, another member of the England Athletics Hall of Fame,[97] joined Gateshead Harriers in 1991. Edwards was a member of the club when he set his record mark inwinning gold at the1995 World Championships in Helsinki, winningOlympic gold at the2000 Sydney Games and asecond world title a year later inEdmonton.[98] Both Foster and Edwards are honorary life members of the club.[99]
In 1998, Gateshead was awarded arugby league franchise after a three-way contest with Cardiff and Swansea. The result wasGateshead Thunder, who played inSuper League IV in 1999.[100] The Thunder played at Gateshead International Stadium, and the club had, according to sports journalist Andy Wilson, "an enjoyable and surprisingly successful season", which included home and away wins againstSt Helens and a sixth-place finish in the table – missing out on the playoffs by two points.[101] Despite these performances, which attracted an average crowd of 3,895 to Gateshead Stadium, the franchise lost £700,000 in its first year,[100] and in November 1999, theRugby Football League (RFL) approved a merger with the Hull Sharks.[102] The result was the formation ofHull FC, and when the authorities refused permission for the merged clubs to enter a Hull-based team into the RFL'ssecond tier,[100] the franchise moved almost in its entirety to Hull, ending Gateshead's Super League participation after a single season; according to Wilson, the Thunder was "left to die, provoking bitter resentment" from supporters.[101]
In July 2000, a bid by a newGateshead Thunder team was accepted and they joined theNorthern Ford Premiership in the 2001 season.[103] There have been some highlights, including winningChampionship 1 in 2008[100] and a run to the quarter-final of theChallenge Cup in 2009, which ended in a 66–6 defeat to Super League side St Helens.[104] However, the Thunder went through a 64-game losing streak spanning two-and-a-half years before winning againstWorkington Town on 29 August 2012.[105]
Relations between the Thunder and Gateshead Council were strained at times, with a possible move toKingston Park,Newcastle upon Tyne, first mooted and rejected in 2006.[106] In 2008, the club committed itself again to Gateshead Stadium for the immediate future;[107] however, in March 2014,The Journal reported that talks had begun between Thunder's managing director Keith Christie and representatives ofNewcastle Falcons with a view to the Falcons taking over the rugby league club.[108] Falcons' owner Semore Kurdi confirmed that a bid had been made to purchase Gateshead Thunder on 20 March 2014, though he refused to elaborate on whether he intended to relocate the club if that bid was accepted.[109] The takeover was confirmed on 23 May 2014, though it was announced that the club would continue to play at the International Stadium.[110] In January 2015, Gateshead Thunder were officially renamed Newcastle Thunder and relocated to Kingston Park. Keith Christie told the BBC that the move was "a business decision" designed to build a new fan base for the club.[111]
In May 2024, the club announced an immediate return to Gateshead from Kingston Park.[112] They played there for the remainder of the season before relocating to Crow Trees, the home ground ofBlaydon RFC, in 2025.[113]
TheGateshead Senators (originally the Gateshead International Senators) are anAmerican football club formed in 1988 when the Newcastle Senators, who played at Northern Rugby Club, moved across the Tyne to play at the Gateshead International Stadium.[114] The club have had mixed fortunes, but their most successful season came in 1999. Having won eight of their nine games in the regular season, the team won the Division One North title and advanced to the end-of-season playoffs. After beating the Merseyside Nighthawks 43–0 in the quarter-finals, the Senators defeated theEssex Spartans 33–19 in the semi-finals to reach the championship final. At theSaffron Lane Stadium inLeicester, the Senators faced theBristol Aztecs. In a tight encounter, the Senators claimed the Division OneBritish American Football League title with a 7–2 victory.[115] The club reached the playoffs again in the next three seasons but were unable to replicate that success, and after a season voluntarily spent in Division Two in 2003, returned to Division One North in 2004. They continue to play in that division and, in the 2012 season, failed to make the playoffs after recording five wins and five defeats in their ten games.[116]
The Senators were a tenant at Gateshead Stadium from 1988 to 2011.[114] In 2012, the club announced plans to move away from Gateshead for the start of the 2012 season to create a better "game-day experience", and they now play at theMonkton Stadium.[117]
Newcastle United W.F.C are a professionalEnglishwomen's football club, affiliated withNewcastle United F.C. They were founded in 1989 and are based at the Newcastle United Academy Training Centre,Benton, Newcastle upon Tyne. On 25 July 2025. The club announced that they were leaving their home atKingston Park and moving to Gateshead’s, all-seater venue. The move was prompted as Newcastle needed permanent access to a predominantly natural grass pitch, complying with currentWomen's Super League (WSL) rules, which means a “Grass Pitch” (as that term is defined in the Laws of the Game). As part of the move promotion hunting, Newcastle United Women will invest in an elite playing surface and upgraded facilities.[118]
Gateshead International Stadium has been used for many years as a concert venue.[119] On 31 July 1982,the Police performed at the stadium as part of theirGhost in the Machine Tour, withU2 as a supporting act. Reports in the local press suggested that the Police seemed disappointed that the stadium was only half full and cited high ticket prices and poor weather as possible causes.[120] On 16 June 1992,Guns N' Roses, supported bySoundgarden andFaith No More, performed at the stadium. This time, the weather was hot and sunny, which helped ensure that the concert, part of theUse Your Illusion Tour, was a sell-out.[121] American rock groupBon Jovi have played twice at the stadium. The first occasion was on 27 June 1995, while supported bySkin, on theirThese Days Tour.[122][123] The group returned to Gateshead on 22 August 2000 as part of theirCrush Tour.[124] Another artist who has performed multiple times at Gateshead International Stadium isTina Turner. As part of herForeign Affair: The Farewell Tour, Turner performed twice on consecutive nights (21–22 July 1990) and attracted a total of 60,000 spectators.[125] Turner performed for a third time at the stadium as part of herWildest Dreams Tour on 12 July 1996.[126] The venue later played host toLittle Mix on 26 July 2018 as part of theirSummer Hits Tour. Other artists to have played at the stadium includeBryan Adams,Rod Stewart,Simple Minds, andSimply Red.[127] In 2024, the venue hosted anIbiza music festival.[128]
Gateshead International Stadium is 2 miles (3 km) east of Gateshead Town Centre and is on theA184 Felling Bypass, with access to a car park at Neilson Road.[129] Journey time by car from Gateshead town centre is approximately five minutes and a further five minutes travel from Newcastle upon Tyne.[130] A footpath runs adjacent to the Felling bypass, and the journey by foot from Gateshead town centre takes some fifteen minutes. A journey east toHeworth Interchange also takes around fifteen minutes. Two designated cycle routes run past the stadium. These areHadrian's Way, which provides access fromTynemouth in the east andWylam in the west, and theKeelman's Way, which runs along the south bank of theRiver Tyne towardsBlaydon-on-Tyne.[131]
The stadium is well served by public transport. It has its ownTyne and Wear Metro station, theGateshead Stadium Metro station. This is at Shelley Drive, some five minutes' walk from the ground.[132] Trains run direct from this station to all other Metro destinations; trains toSouth Shields andSouth Hylton stop at Platform 1, while trains travelling towardsSt James andAirport stop at Platform 2.[133] The Gateshead Stadium Metro station is open seven days a week,[133] and at peak times, seventeen trains per hour stop there.[132] The nearest mainline railway station isNewcastle Central Station, around 3 miles (5 km) away, though local rail travel calls at Heworth Interchange.[132]Go North East operates the 93/94 "East Gateshead Loop" bus service, which provides access to the stadium from theTeam Valley,Gateshead Interchange, Heworth Interchange andQueen Elizabeth Hospital inSheriff Hill. This bus runs every 20 minutes during the day and every hour during the evenings.
