Gateshead International Stadium (GIS) is a multi-purpose, all-seater venue in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. Originally known as the Gateshead Youth Stadium, the venue was built in 1955 and has since been extensively redeveloped on three occasions. Its capacity of around 11,800 is the greatest in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, the third-largest in Tyne and Wear (behind St James' Park and the Stadium of Light), and the sixth-largest in North East England.
The main arena is principally used for athletics. The inaugural athletics competition at the redeveloped venue, the 1974 "Gateshead Games", was instigated by Brendan Foster, a Gateshead Council employee at that time. By breaking the world record in the men's 3,000 m, Foster brought international publicity to the new stadium and began a tradition of athletics competitions at the venue, which has since hosted the British Grand Prix (2003–10) and the European Team Championships in 1989, 2000 and 2013. It is the only venue to have hosted the latter event three times. Five world records have been set at the stadium, including two by pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva and a tied 100 metres record by Asafa Powell in 2006.
Although Gateshead International Stadium primarily caters for athletics, it is the current or former home to teams in several sports. It has been used by Gateshead F.C. and its predecessors since 1973. It was home to the Gateshead Thunder rugby league club during their spell in the Super League, and the replacement Gateshead Thunder club played home games in the main arena, which was known as the Thunderdome when used by that team until the club relocated to Newcastle in 2015. It has also been the home of Women's Super League 2 side Newcastle United Women since 2025. Gateshead Harriers Athletic Club, which includes Foster and Jonathan Edwards among its life members, are the oldest tenants, having used the site since 1956. The stadium has also been used as a concert venue by numerous musical artists, including Little Mix, Guns N' Roses, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams and Tina Turner.
History and development
The stadium is built on the site of two large chemical works opened in 1827 and 1834.Lewis, 1848: 227 These works initially thrived, but by the early part of the 20th century, both were in terminal declineHewitt (part three), 1990: 1 at para. 5 and were demolished in 1932 to leave behind a 2-million-tonne heap of spoil.Report to Cabinet – Gateshead International Stadium – Draft Development Brief, 2010: 8 This land, approximately east of the centre of Gateshead,Report to Cabinet – Gateshead International Stadium – Draft Development Brief, 2010: 7 was cleared in 1942 but continued to lie derelict until the mid-1950s.
In early 1955, Gateshead Council began work on transforming this land. The Gateshead Youth Stadium, built on the site of the old chemical works, was opened by Jim Peters on 27 August 1955. Costing £30,000, the original venue contained little more than a cinder running track and an asphalt cycling track, though floodlights and a seating area were added soon after. On 1 July 1961, the arena hosted its first major competition—the Vaux Breweries International Athletics MeetThe Brewing Grade Review, 1961: 922—but according to sportswriter John Gibson, the Youth Stadium remained "little more than a minor track with a tiny grandstand and open terraces". at p.2
According to author Thomas Telfer, by the turn of the 1970s, the town of Gateshead was suffering from "the classic symptoms of decay in its inner-city areas". The response during the 1960s had been a program of systematic derelict land reclamation and environmental improvement.Telford, 1988: 79 While these measures did not have an immediate positive impact on the perception of the town, Gateshead Council pressed ahead by looking to develop existing infrastructure with a view to overall regeneration.Telford, 1988: 80 One such opportunity was identified at the Gateshead Youth Stadium, where the council believed that investment might raise the region's profile and bring international recognition.Moore, Fox and Elliot, 2003: 107 In April 1974, Gateshead Council inaugurated a "Sport and Recreation" department. In July 1974, the council appointed Brendan Foster—a former schoolteacher turned athlete and a native of Tyne and Wear—as the council's sport and recreation manager. Foster, who according to Gibson became "the father of Gateshead athletics", at p.1 had been forced to train in Edinburgh during 1973 as a result of the poor condition of the Youth Stadium track. In December 1973, he had been invited to a civic reception to celebrate his breaking of the two-mile world record earlier that year at Crystal Palace. At this reception, Foster was told that a new synthetic track was being laid at Gateshead Youth Stadium. His response was a promise that, if the council was serious, he would run at the stadium and break a world record (Foster later offered an explanation of that promise: "You know how it is when you've had a few drinks—you promise the world!"). When the track was laid in early 1974, Foster became convinced of the council's sincerity. He was interviewed for the managerial position and, upon appointment, became the "driving force" behind the program of improvements to the Youth Stadium, which included the building of the main, covered Tyne and Wear stand in 1981 and three accompanying stands; the venue was renamed the Gateshead International Stadium. This first tranche of improvements cost around £8 million, and Foster's proposal to commemorate the re-opening with an athletic event was approved, allowing for the first "Gateshead Games" to be held in 1974.
The success of the first Gateshead Games and their subsequent annual renewal raised the profile of the stadium and caused Gateshead Council to further their financial investment. During the 1980s, additions were made to the site infrastructure, including the building of an indoor sports hall, outdoor football pitches and a gymnasium. In 1989, the running track was again relayed, and Gateshead confirmed its reputation as a top-class athletics venue by hosting the Europa Cup (forerunner to the European Team Championships). In the 21st century, the site has been the subject of two major redevelopment projects. The first was completed in 2006, when two artificial outdoor football pitches, indoor athletic training facilities, sports science provisions and conferencing rooms were added at a cost of £15 million. The revamped stadium, funded by collaboration between One NorthEast, Sport England, and Gateshead College, among others, was opened on 12 May 2006 by Sebastian Coe.
A second tranche of development, undertaken in two stages, was approved in November 2009. This included a general refurbishment and improvement of the existing facilities at the stadium, adding cover, better toilets and new refreshment facilities to the exposed East Stand, improving wheelchair access, adding extra catering and conferencing facilities, and a new media and management centre.Report to Cabinet – Gateshead International Stadium – Draft Development Brief, 2010: 5 This was funded by collaboration between Gateshead Council, local development funds and Gateshead College. The covering of the 4,000-seat East Stand with a new canopy roof at p.1 was completed in July 2010, immediately prior to Gateshead hosting a Diamond League event. The second stage of redevelopment—the building of the corporate and media facilities—commenced on 6 September 2010 and was completed on time in summer 2011. The total cost of the work was estimated to be £7.6 million.
A third programme of expansion was initially mooted in 2008. The aim of this programme was to expand the stadium into an all-embracing "sports village",Report to Cabinet – Gateshead International Stadium – Draft Development Brief, 2010: 3 replete with an ice rink, indoor golf course, restaurants and shops. Gateshead Council invited tenders in August 2008 from commercial organisations interested in undertaking the development. A formal draft development brief was compiled and published in November 2009.Report to Cabinet – Gateshead International Stadium – Draft Development Brief, 2010 A report to Council in December 2009 noted that there had been "a reasonable level of interest at the preliminary stage" from private investors, but that only one detailed proposal had been submitted, which had been declined by the Council on financial grounds. at p.1 The report also noted concerns that the original centrepiece of the proposed village, the ice rink, may have been deterring investors and that a similar proposal to redevelop land at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland was detracting from what councillors had hoped to be a unique feature of the proposed village. at p.7 The result was that a fresh proposal was raised to remove the ice rink from the brief in an attempt to "stimulate the market". at p.8 A public consultation was undertaken, and in May 2010, the council reported that 327 of the 375 responses received were in favour of the amended proposal. at p.1 As a result, notice was given to developers that the council intended to market the site, and ten responses were received.
In 2024, Greenwich Leisure Limited was appointed by Gateshead Council to run the stadium as well as other facilities.
Structure and facilities
Stadium seating The main athletics arena at Gateshead International Stadium is an all-seater, bowl-shaped arena consisting of four stands. The precise capacity of the venue is uncertain; some sources claim it to be 11,750, others 11,762, and some provide a figure of 11,800.
West Stand Capacity: 3,300
The main stand is the Tyne and Wear Stand, a steep, cantilevered structure seating 3,300 spectators. This stand contains toilet and catering facilities and a bar area.
Four turnstiles feed this stand, two at each end and separated by the connected sports hall. This means that away supporters can be housed in the West stand if a smaller following is brought.
East Stand Capacity: 4,000 (3,160 used for football)
A 4,000-seat structure that was uncovered until the second renovation in 2010, when a cantilevered canopy roof was added which covered the entire length of the stand, incorporating five barrel vault forms. Additionally during this renovation, concourse improvements were made, including new toilets and catering facilities. This stand currently serves as the primary away section.
In 2019, the roof was taken off of the East stand. It was set to be replaced in the coming years. In November 2024, it was made clear that Gateshead council would not provide a new roof for the stand and decided that the existing roof structure would be dismantled.
Normally when this stand is used for holding away supporters for football games, the first five rows of seating are covered or closed off. This totals 840 seats. Giving the East stand a working capacity of 3160 seats.
Entrance to this stand is through six turnstiles (9–14) all located around the back of the stand on the path, which leads round from Loverose Wynd, and connects to the 3G football pitch, just off of Neilson Road.
North Terrace Capacity: 1,348
The North Terrace is made up of two separated blocks of uncovered seating. There are 4 blocks of larger seating on the West side, totaling 573 seats. And 7 blocks of smaller seating on the East side, totaling 775 seats. Combined, the North Stand Capacity is roughly 1348 seats. Entrance to the North terrace is via 3 turnstiles (turnstile 15,16 and 17) located just off of Neilson Road.
Currently, the North Terrace is rarely used, a number of seats from the smaller blocks have been taken out.
South Terrace Capacity: 3,114