⚽ GATESHEAD INTERNATIONAL STADIUM ⚽

Gateshead FC – Your Complete Travel Guide for 2026-27

ℹ️ 2026-27 Season Guide: All information has been researched and verified for the 2026-27 National League season. Always check gateshead-fc.com for the latest ticketing and matchday updates before you travel. Note that Newcastle United Women joined Gateshead International Stadium as tenants from the 2025-26 season, alongside Gateshead FC.

🏟️ ABOUT THE GATESHEAD INTERNATIONAL STADIUM

The Gateshead International Stadium is a genuine North East landmark; an all-seated, multi-purpose athletics venue with a capacity of 11,800, making it the third-largest stadium in Tyne and Wear behind only St James’ Park and the Stadium of Light. Built in 1955 for £30,000 and substantially redeveloped on three separate occasions since, it’s been Gateshead FC’s home since the club moved from Redheugh Park during the 1971-72 season.

As the name suggests, this is fundamentally an athletics stadium that hosts football, not the other way around; a synthetic running track encircles the grass pitch, which means every stand is set well back from the playing action. The Tyne & Wear Main Stand is the principal stand at 3,227 capacity, with a steep angle giving decent views despite the distance. The East Stand sits opposite with room for over 4,000, covered and free of supporting pillars, giving an unobstructed (if distant) view.

Away fans are housed in the East Stand, which at 4,000 capacity is more than ample for virtually any visiting following the National League produces. Because of the athletics track, the stand sits well back from the pitch; eight lanes’ worth of distance before you reach the playing surface, and with home fans located in the opposite Main Stand, the atmosphere can feel a little flat compared to more traditional, tightly packed grounds. The Stadium Bar inside the Main Stand is unfortunately for home fans only.

Gateshead FC, known as The Heed or The Tynesiders, were formed in 1977 following the demise of the original Gateshead United. The club has bounced between the National League and National League North over the years, with promotion hopes complicated in the past by ground-grading and tenure issues related to the stadium’s ownership by Gateshead Council. A 10-year security of tenure agreement has since been reached with the council and the EFL, addressing one of the longstanding obstacles to potential promotion. The club finished 18th in 2025-26.

The stadium itself, operated by GLL (trading as Better) since 2024, has seen recent investment including a new soft play area and on-site cafe opened in September 2025, and from 2025-26 also hosts Newcastle United Women, who moved here from Kingston Park as part of the club’s ongoing investment in the women’s game.

📊 STADIUM SPECIFICATIONS – 2026-27

🚗 GETTING TO THE GATESHEAD INTERNATIONAL STADIUM

The Gateshead International Stadium has its own dedicated Tyne and Wear Metro stop; imaginatively named Gateshead Stadium,  making this one of the most accessible National League grounds in the country if you’re coming via Newcastle. Newcastle Central station, the nearest mainline rail hub, is around a 10-minute Metro journey away, with the stadium itself also a 15-minute walk from Gateshead’s own railway station. By car, the A1(M) and A194(M) provide straightforward access, and there’s plenty of free on-site parking.

🗺️ STADIUM LOCATION MAP

Gateshead International Stadium Address: Neilson Road, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, NE10 0EF | Satnav: NE10 0EF

🚂 BY TRAIN & METRO – The Stadium Has Its Own Stop

Genuinely Excellent Public Transport: Newcastle is a major East Coast Main Line hub, with fast direct services from London, Edinburgh, York and beyond. From Newcastle Central, hop on the Tyne and Wear Metro to Gateshead Stadium — a journey of around 10 minutes that drops you within a five-minute walk of the ground. This is about as straightforward as National League away days get on public transport.

Journey Times to Newcastle Central Station:

Getting from Newcastle to the Stadium

💡 Top Tip: With Newcastle on the doorstep, this is a brilliant away day to combine with exploring the Quayside before or after the match — everything is on the same Metro line.

🔗 Train Times & Tickets: nationalrail.co.uk | Metro Info: nexus.org.uk

🚗 BY CAR – Easy A1(M) Access, Free On-Site Parking

As you’d expect from an international sporting venue, the Gateshead International Stadium has plenty of free on-site parking — a genuine bonus compared to many National League grounds where parking is restricted, expensive or simply unavailable.

If You’re Driving:

• From the South (Quickest Route): At the end of the A1(M), junction 65, take the A194(M) towards South Shields. At the end of the A194(M), take the A184 towards Gateshead. The stadium is three miles further along this road on the right-hand side.
• From the North (A1): Follow the A1 south towards Gateshead/Newcastle, joining the A184 as you approach the southern side of the Tyne, following signs for the stadium.
• From the West (A69/A695): Approach via Newcastle and cross the Tyne, then follow signs south to Gateshead and the A184 towards the stadium.

Parking Options:

• Stadium Car Parks (Three available): Free to use, located on site. Reports suggest these can fill up for popular fixtures, so arriving in good time is sensible.

💡 Top Tip: Free, plentiful on-site parking is a genuine rarity in the National League — make the most of it if you’re driving, though don’t leave it too late for bigger fixtures.

🍺 PUBS & DRINKS NEAR GATESHEAD INTERNATIONAL STADIUM

👍 No Segregation in Local Pubs: None of the pubs around the stadium enforce strict fan segregation, meaning away fans are free to enter any establishment they wish — a genuinely welcoming setup. There isn’t much directly next to the stadium itself, but Gateshead and Newcastle city centres, both a short Metro ride away, have an excellent range of options. The Stadium Bar inside the ground is unfortunately home fans only.

🍺 Near the Stadium

🏙️ Gateshead Centre (Metro/Bus Required)

🍴 Food Options: Newcastle’s Quayside, a short Metro ride away, offers an outstanding range of bars, restaurants and street food — By The River Brew Co under the Tyne Bridge is a particularly good option for craft beer and food. Concourse catering is available inside the stadium for matchday standard fare.

🍺 Top Tip: Given the lack of pubs immediately around the stadium, many away fans choose to enjoy Newcastle Quayside before the game and then take the short Metro ride out to Gateshead Stadium — a genuinely good combination given how easy the transport link is.

🏨 WHERE TO STAY NEAR GATESHEAD

Newcastle and Gateshead together offer an outstanding range of accommodation, from budget chains to genuinely impressive city centre hotels, all connected to the stadium by Metro. This is one of the better National League cities to combine football with a proper city break.

💷 Budget Options (£50-85 per night)

💷💷 Mid-Range Options (£85-140 per night)

💷💷💷 Luxury Options (£140+ per night)

🎯 THINGS TO DO IN GATESHEAD & NEWCASTLE

Gateshead and Newcastle together form one of England’s most underrated city-break destinations — a regenerated Quayside with world-class culture, striking modern architecture and a genuinely impressive set of bridges across the Tyne. With the stadium directly connected by Metro, there’s no excuse not to spend time exploring before or after the match.

Nearby

🏴️ GATESHEAD EXPERIENCE

⚽ MATCHDAY EXPERIENCE

💭 FINAL THOUGHTS

The Gateshead International Stadium is a genuine curiosity in the National League — a near-12,000-capacity athletics venue hosting fifth-tier football, with a running track keeping the action at arm’s length from the stands. It won’t give you the intimate, on-top-of-the-pitch experience some away fans crave, but the scale of the place, combined with the imposing floodlight pylons, gives it a presence that few grounds at this level can match.

What really sets this away day apart is the location. With its own dedicated Metro stop, this is one of the most accessible National League grounds in the country — and it sits right on the doorstep of Newcastle and Gateshead’s genuinely outstanding Quayside, home to the BALTIC, Sage Gateshead, and some of the best riverside bars and restaurants in the north of England. There’s no excuse not to make a full day of this trip.

With free on-site parking for drivers and frequent East Coast Main Line trains for those coming from London, Edinburgh or further afield, the logistics here are as straightforward as the National League gets. Combine the football with a wander along the Quayside, and this becomes one of the better-rounded away days in the division — even if the actual football-watching experience is, by the club’s own admission, a little distant.

An athletics stadium with football inside, and one of England’s best cities right next door. ⚽

⚽ Up the Heed! ⚽

📞 USEFUL CONTACTS

⚡ QUICK REFERENCE – GATESHEAD INTERNATIONAL STADIUM

⚽ Football Nonsense — Your complete guide to English football away days

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