Welcome to the Abbey - Gateshead

Our Tyneside visitors to the Abbey on Saturday are commencing their second successive season at the top of the non-league pyramid following promotion from the Blue Square North in May 2009. Currently lying just outside the drop zone with a game in hand, Gateshead will look for their second away win of the campaign at the Abbey, with the long-term aim to side-step a repeat of last year's relegation battle.

Looking back we find that, following Gateshead United's demise in 1977, the new incarnation took their place in the Unibond Premier League for the 1977/78 season. The Heed experienced many highs and lows over the next twenty years, with several promotions and subsequent relegations between the UPL and Conference, aside of an eight year spell in the latter between 1990-1998. The turn of the millennium, though, brought financial woes and a double dose of relegation to the Unibond First Division. Nevertheless, a slow restructure saw the Tynesiders resurface as a non-league force, with the appointment of Ian Bogie paying dividends. The play-offs subsequently proved a happy hunting ground, as promotion from the UPL and Blue Square North was successfully negotiated.

The current season has begun with a solitary victory amongst five games, although, this was an impressive 3-1 victory at Barrow. A point was also claimed from Forest Green, but they returned empty handed from last Saturday's trip to neighbours Darlington, who plundered a 2-0 victory. Heed are still to record a win in front of the home fans, with Fleetwood leaving the North-East clutching maximum points and Kettering pocketing a 0-0 draw.

The Ones to Watch

Bogie has assembled a solid attack-minded side during his time at the International Stadium and, with the addition of several new arrivals throughout the summer months, will hope his restructured squad can avoid the shark-infested waters of the drop zone this season.

Trawling through a selection of the new faces at Gateshead we find goalkeeper Tim Deasy, who has joined Heed on a three-month loan deal from Barrow. Tim, who has previously donned the colours of Macclesfield and Stockport, was the regular stopper at Holker Street last season but is seeking a permanent move away from the Cumbrian peninsula. Protecting Deasy at the back will be centre-half and club captain Ben Clark, who was picked up from Hartlepool in July. A former England Youth international, he made close to 200 appearances for Pools and helped them gain promotion to League One in 2007. Local lad Ben started out at Manchester United, moved to Sunderland in 2004 but, after fourteen games, made the switch to Hartlepool.

A long-serving member of the Tynesiders squad, right-back Craig Baxter was released by Newcastle in 2006, and is enjoying his fifth season at Gateshead. The 23-year old, who pushes forward and records his quota of goals, was ever-present during the 2008/9 Blue Square North promotion campaign and has over 200 appearances to his name. Possibly mirroring Craig at left-back on Saturday will be the experienced Paul Heckingbottom, who has 300 plus Football League appearances under his belt. Paul graduated from the Manchester United Academy, then moved to Sunderland from whom he had loan spells with Scarborough and Hartlepool, before a lengthy stint with Darlington. Norwich, Bradford, Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley and Mansfield, from whom Gateshead signed him in January this year, have also benefited from his services.

Moving into the midfield engine room we find Kris Gate, who was one of several players in the Heed squad released from Newcastle United. Gateshead snapped him up in September 2007 and, since moving across the City, this hard-working committed midfielder has picked up two Play-off Final winners medals and is currently Vice Captain at the International Stadium. Now in his second-spell with Gateshead, Phil Turnbull was snapped up from York in February 2008 to aid Heed's promotion push from the UPL. Likely to be the central midfield partner of Kris Gate on Saturday, he is a key component of Bogie's team.

Another to spend his early days with Newcastle is right-sided midfielder Martin Brittain, who graduated to make seven appearances at St James Park. He joined Ipswich in July 2006, but a loan deal took him to Yeovil, before brief spells with Carlisle and Walsall. A threat on the flanks, Martin settled at Kidderminster in 2008/09 but, despite making 49 appearances, signed for Gateshead last June. Injury meant he was out of action for the majority of last season, however, after regaining fitness has returned to bag two goals this season.

Experienced striker Jon Shaw signed for Gateshead for a second time during the close-season after a spell at Mansfield. Started his journey at Sheffield Wednesday before dropping into non-league with Burton, where he netted 26 goals in over 100 appearances. Snapped up by Halifax in August 2007, he was prolific at the Shay and, with the scouts hovering, League Two Rochdale moved fastest to bring him in. However, an unsettling period in his career unfolded. Temporary spells with Crawley, Barrow and Heed were interspersed by just eight matches for Dale, before his January 2010 transfer to Mansfield. Jon bagged just three goals at Field Mill, so he will view his move to the International Stadium as a fresh start. He is tipped to line up at the Abbey after making an impressive comeback from injury in Heed's midweek reserve win over Hartlepool. Partnering Jon up front against United could be Nathan Fisher, who made his first start for Gateshead at Darlington last weekend following a £3000 switch from Chester-le-Street. 21-year old Nathan netted an eye-catching 44 goals in 49 games last season, and the former Middlesbrough youth will hope to continue his exploits for Heed this term.

In the Dugout

When Ian Bogie's arrived at Heed in June 2007 he became their first full-time Manager in fifty years. His playing days as a midfielder were spent with hometown club Newcastle United, Preston, Millwall and Leyton Orient, before a move to Port Vale in 1995, where he made the bulk of his Football League appearances. A popular figure at Vale, he stayed for five years prior being snapped up by Kidderminster in 2000. However, with injuries mounting he decided to retired in 2004, at which point he had relocated to Bedlington Terriers. The 47-year old became Manager of Walker Steel and then joined Gateshead in 2006, initially as assistant boss. Was elevated to first-team Manager a year later and has guided Heed to successive promotions.

Matchday Connection

A footballing conundrum, Armand One arrived in England during September 2001, with United paying French club Nantes a reported £30,000. A 6ft 5inch striker, Armand was just eighteen when making his debut for the U's in our 1-0 Nationwide Division Two defeat at Peterborough the following week. Manager John Beck saw potential, and his faith was repaid when a first goal in United colours, a ferocious volley, came during our 3-1 home victory over Bury. Armand went on to score nine goals that season, with the most memorable being his brace against Bristol City which secured United a place in the LDV Vans Trophy showpiece final at the Millennium Stadium. However, despite his obvious talent - concentration, commitment and a wayward temperament were his downfall. His last game for the U's came in our 2-2 draw at Northampton at the conclusion of the 2001/02 season and, ironically, it was the Cobblers who became his next club. Following just a handful of games, though, he disappeared back to France, but popped up again at Wrexham in September 2003. Since then, a nomadic career has unfolded, with Tamworth, Partick Thistle, Cowdenbeath, Raith Rovers, Finish club Turun Palloseura and Livingston all taking him on. He arrived at Gateshead in August 2009 but, after 16 games and no goals, his services were dispensed of. Nevertheless, he signed for Stranraer in January this year and has bagged an impressive nine goals in fifteen starts, including the winner in a 3-2 victory over Albion Rovers just three weeks ago.

Doug Shulman

**To read more details on the opposition please buy the new look brand new Matchday Programme on sale tomorrow! **

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