A miracle is now all but complete on Tyneside.
Newcastle United’s closest neighbours experiencing a remarkable transformation.
We reported on The Mag at the start of January, that Gateshead had reappointed former Newcastle United goalkeeper Rob Elliot as Manager.
The new year decision coming on the back of 11 defeats in a row for the Tyneside club. Gateshead at that point bottom of the National League.
Rob Elliot left Gateshead in October 2024 to take the job at League One Crawley Town but was sacked five months later, after only six wins in 33 games.
The former Newcastle United keeper was previously appointed Gateshead Manager in October 2023 and led Gateshead to a sixth placed finish in the National League that 2023/24 season.
This season, it was September 2025 when Gateshead had last won in the league and it looked an impossible task for the new (reappointed) Tynesiders boss.
On Valentine’s day, Gateshead lost 2-1 at home to Brackley.
Rob Elliot had continued The Heed’s ‘form’, his return starting with another five losses, that made it 13 defeats in a row for Gateshead in the National League, 16 losses in a row in all competitions.
Gateshead were guaranteed to be relegated.
After their Valentine’s day defeat, their National League record seven weeks ago was:
Played 29 Won 5 Drawn 4 Lost 20 and Gateshead on only 19 points.
Then something strange happened, something very strange.
After having lost 16 matches in a row, on 17 February 2026 this run of Gateshead results kicked off:
Halifax 1 Gateshead 2
Truro City 1 Gateshead 2
Gateshead 4 Morecambe 4
Gateshead 0 Forest Green 2
Gateshead 1 Braintree 0
Solihull Motors 1 Gateshead 2
Southend 1 Gateshead 1
Gateshead 1 Sutton 1
Gateshead 1 Wealdstone 0
Boreham Wood 3 Gateshead 0
Gateshead 3 York 1
Gateshead 2 Yeovil 1
Carlisle 0 Gateshead 0
Gateshead 2 Scunthorpe 0
Played 14 Won 8 Drawn 4 Lost 2
Monday’s excellent 2-0 win at home against promotion chasing Scunthorpe United (In front of a crowd of 2,126) and in only seven weeks and 14 league matches, picking up another 28 points. Promotion form!
The Heed now seventh bottom of the National League on 47 points, eight points clear of relegation with only three games left to play.
Such has been the turn around, Gateshead are surely effectively now safe from relegation.
This coming Saturday will almost certainly see the Tynesiders mathematically safe, due to their own result and/or what happens elsewhere, as they play Aldershot away.
Hopefully then a party atmosphere for Gateshead’s final home game against Woking on Saturday 18 April with safety having been officially confirmed, before the following weekend their final league match of the season away at Altrincham.