Redheugh Park - The Past

The Past

In 1930 Gateshead Council set about locating a suitable site for Gateshead AFC to be based. Sites at Low Fell and Sheriff Hill were considered, but were deemed too far out of town. The chosen location was in The Teams area of Gateshead, a worked out clay pit (known as Johnsons Clay Hole) edged by Ropery Road and Derwentwater Road. The holes, tunnels and craters on the site were filled by lorries full of the town's refuse.

Redheugh Park was officially opened by Mr. Sutcliffe, the Football League's then Vice-President on 30 August 1930 when Gateshead AFC played their first ever Football League game winning 2-1 against Doncaster Rovers in front of 15,545 spectators. Greyhound racing at Redheugh Park commenced in 1937, which brought a boost to the Football Clubs financial status and subsequently eased the burden for the upkeep of the stadium. However the inclusion of the Greyhound track reduced the size of the playing area, the terracing at either end of the ground and subsequently the capacity.

With the loss of Football League status in 1960 and the Football Club's subsequent continual slide down the leagues, a further heavy blow was dealt with the cessation of greyhound racing at the stadium in 1966. This put both Redheugh Park and Gateshead AFC in serious financial troubles. Other sources of income were investigated, this included allowing showmen to have a small fair on the car park, allowing advertising to be placed on the wall facing Askew Road (permission was refused) and even converting the refreshment bar into a transport cafe to catch passing trade. In 1967 Gateshead AFC made a vain attempt to fill the void the Greyhound racing had left by staging Speedway racing at the Stadium.

By the early 1970s Redheugh Park had become run down, this, combined with a fire in the 1971/72 season, saw Gateshead AFC move to the Gateshead Youth Stadium (Now known as The Gateshead International Stadium). However the new venue proved no easier on the finances of the club, bringing the liquidation of Gateshead AFC in late August 1973. 1972 saw Redheugh Park fare no better, a year after the Football Club moved out the ground was in a derelict condition. Weed infested with crumbling terraces and dilapidated stands it was demolished.