Gateshead’s last season in the Football League, with Peterborough casting a shadow.
30 years or so after they took the league place of a bankrupt South Shields, Gateshead were voted out of the league and into oblivion.
They didn’t even finish bottom of the league and they beat the champions Walsall 3-0 in what turned out to be their their last home match! In those days the league was a membership club. You had to be elected [or bankrupted] in and out. The bottom four in the recently set up 4th division had to apply for reelection every year. Any clubs wanting in had to apply.
Peterborough had been dominating the Midland League for the past few years, upgrading their stadium and hosting high profile friendlies to show off their crowds and earning potential. Situated one hour out of London on a main line the choice between them and Gateshead in the depressed and frozen north was never going to be a difficult one. And crowds….. that was a major issue. Away teams used to split the net gate receipts. Crowds were so poor at Gateshead that teams rarely had anything to show for their trip after travel expenses were accounted for.
However all that could have been laid at the door of the other three as well. Hartlepools Oldham and Southport. So why Gateshead? Maybe they didn’t lay on sufficient board room hospitality! The 1st division clubs, including Newcastle, had 4 votes each, the 2nd two and the rest a single.
Final tally:
Oldham – 39
Peterborough – 35
Hartlepools – 34
Southport – 29
Gateshead – 18
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Gateshead v Gillingham 22.08.1959
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Gateshead v Barrow 24.08.1959
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Gateshead v Southport 29.08.1959
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Gateshead v Barrow 31.08.1959
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Gateshead v Millwall 05.09.1959
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Gateshead v Notts County 07.09.1959
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Gateshead v Torquay 12.09.1959
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Gateshead v Notts County 17.09.1959
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South Shields v Peterborough 19.09.1959
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Gateshead v Northampton 19.09.1959
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Gateshead v Aldershot 21.09.1959
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Gateshead v Doncaster 26.09.1959
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Gateshead v Aldershot 28.09.1959
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Gateshead v Workington 03.10.1959
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Gateshead v Rochdale 05.10.1959
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Gateshead v Hartlepool 10.10.1959
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Gateshead v Rochdale 13.10.1959
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Gateshead v Crewe 17.10.1959
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Gateshead v Chester 24.10.1959
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Gateshead v Crystal Palace 31.10.1959
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Gateshead v Bradford Park Ave 07.11.1959
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Gateshead v Halifax 14.11.1959 (FA Cup Round 1)
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Gateshead v Exeter 21.11.1959
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Gateshead v Watford 28.11.1959
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Gateshead v Greenock Morton 05.12.1959
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Peterbrough v Walsall 05.12.1959
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Gateshead v Carlisle 12.12.1959
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Gateshead v Gillingham 19.12.1959
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Gateshead v Walsall 26.12.1959
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Gateshead v Southport 02.01.1960
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Gateshead v Stockport 09.01.1960
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Gateshead v Millwall 16.01.1960
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Gateshead v Torquay 23.01.1960
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Gateshead v Oldham 30.01.1960
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Gateshead v Northampton 06.02.1960
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Peterborough v Arsenal 08.02.1960
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Gateshead v Doncaster 13.02.1960
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Peterborough v Boston 15.02.1960
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Peterborough v West Ham 22.02.1960
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Gateshead v Workington 20.02.1960 (postponed - played 28.03.1960)
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Gateshead v Hartlepool 27.02.1960 (The next time these teams would play each other competitively would be 26.12.2017)
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Gateshead v Hartlepool 26.12.2017
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Gateshead v Crewe 05.03.1960
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Gateshead v Chester 12.03.1960
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Peterborough v Middlesbrough 14.03.1960
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Gateshead v Crystal Palace 19.03.1960
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Peterbrough v Blackpool 21.03.1960
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Gateshead v Bradford Park Ave 26.03.1960
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Gateshead v Workington 28.03.1960
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Gateshead v Stockport 02.04.1960
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Gateshead v Exeter 09.04.1960
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Gateshead v Darlington 15.04.1960
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Gateshead v Watford 16.04.1960
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Gateshead v Darlington 18.04.1960
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Gateshead v Oldham 23.04.1960
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Gateshead v Walsall 25.04.1960
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Gateshead v Darlington 27.04.1960 (Durham Snr Semi Final)
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Peterbrough v Sheffield Utd 28.04.1960
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Gateshead v Carlisle 30.04.1960 (Last League Game)
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Gateshead v Raith Rovers 28.10.1960
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Peterborough v Wrexham 20.08.1960 (1st League Game)
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Gateshead v Barnsley 05.11.1960 - FA Cup 1st Round
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Gateshead v Berwick 02.01.1961
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28.05.1960 The League Votes - Oldham 39, Peterbrough 35, Hartlepool 34, Southport 29, Gateshead 18 - They were thrown out and replaced by Peterborough
