Gateshead Stadium deal close as council prepares to sign 10-year contract to hand over site

Gateshead International Stadium and three other leisure centres look set to be transferred to the control of a private operator next year.

Council bosses are now expected to hand over the running of the sporting venues to an unnamed national leisure services provider in April 2025.Civic centre officials say that the 10-year deal, with an option to extend for a further five, will give “long-term stability” to Gateshead FC – after the club was denied a shot at promotion to the English Football League (EFL) last season due to the uncertainty over the future of the stadium.

The council’s cabinet is expected to approve the contract at a meeting on Tuesday, November 19, in the hope of securing the future of the stadium as well as Blaydon, Dunston and Heworth leisure centres. Having shut down Gateshead Leisure Centre and Birtley Pool last year because of budget cuts, both of which have since reopened under community ownership, the council has been seeking to appoint an outside operator for its remaining sports facilities to get them off the books.

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The stadium alone is said to be running at an £860,000-a-year deficit and there have been major concerns about how long it would be able to remain open under the local authority’s management. Because they were unable to meet an EFL requirement for aspiring members to have a 10-year lease on their home ground, Gateshead FC were blocked from taking part in the National League play-offs last year.

That tenure requirement has since been cut to five years rather than 10, and the council cabinet’s decision will come shortly before a November 30 deadline for clubs wishing to be promoted from English football’s fifth tier this season to lodge documents with the EFL proving that they can satisfy its criteria. The Heed currently sit fourth in the National League table and fans are again dreaming of a return to the Football League for the first time since 1960.

Assuming the contract is signed off later this month, around 150 staff are expected to be transferred across from the council to the new operator. Gateshead Council leader Martin Gannon said: “It’s an exciting time for Gateshead as we work towards partnering with an organisation who has a strong track record of delivering modern and efficient leisure services across the country.

“As part of a rigorous tendering process, this particular provider has set out how they’ll improve our facilities and ensure that they can continue to support the health and wellbeing of our communities. Thanks to their expertise and investment, the partnership is expected to result in significant savings for the council whilst also offering a better experience for leisure centre visitors.”

The contract will also hand over responsibility for other leisure services, including the tennis courts in Derwent, Chopwell and Marley Hill parks.

Coun Gannon added: “It’s been a turbulent few years and we’ve had to make some difficult decisions. However, with Birtley Swimming Centre and Gateshead Leisure Centre now operated by community groups and a pending partnership with a successful national provider for Blaydon, Dunston, Heworth and the stadium, I’m confident that we have secured a positive and sustainable future for leisure services in Gateshead.”