All Golds v Newcastle Thunder KPL1 2016 - FINAL_2

THUNDER IN THE
NORTH EAST
BEYOND THE THUNDERDOME
WRITTEN BY CHRIS WILSON
NEWCASTLE THUNDER’S STORY REFLECTS THE TURBULENT
TIMES RUGBY LEAGUE HAS GONE THROUGH OVER THE PAST
20 YEARS OR SO.
6
Both beneficiary and victim of
the Super League vision of big
city franchises which would
involve mergers among the
smaller clubs in the provincial
towns of the North, the Thunder
were both an expansion franchise
and a club in a provincial town
when launched as Gateshead
Thunder in 1998.
In the second of a two-part
article, Chris Wilson looks at the
history of Gateshead Thunder
and how it resonates across the
game today. The first part can be
read here .
Gateshead Thunder’s first win
in their debut season came with
a 24-6 Good Friday triumph
over Wakefield Trinity Wildcats,
who themselves were playing
in their first season in the Super
League after promotion from the
Championship.
As the 1999 campaign went
on, the Thunder proved to be
obdurate opponents and were
able to boast home and away
wins over St Helens as well as
a 20-16 win over defending
champions Wigan in a game
taken ‘on the road’ to Heart of
Midlothian’s Tynecastle stadium.
The game featured a memorable
try from little-known Irish winger
Brian Carney.
Gateshead won their last three
games to secure sixth place just
outside the play-offs, two points
behind Castleford.
As it transpired, their last Super
League game as Gateshead
Thunder ended
in a 48-22
win over
Warrington
and their
last at the
Thunderdome
was a 66-6
thrashing of
Wakefield in which
Ian ‘Chook’ Herron
kicked a club record
11 goals.
After a respectable
opening day
attendance, crowd
figures dipped,
three times going
below 2,000, and
averaged 3,895
overall. This was better than
three other Super League sides
but was still a little disappointing.
Though competitive on the field,
off the field things didn’t look so
rosy. The balance sheet was not
healthy and talks were taking
place to save the club even as it
named its squad for the 2000
season including new signing
Great Britain international Paul
Broadbent from Sheffield Eagles.
In November 1999 came news
that Gateshead Thunder
and Hull were to merge
and move lock,
stock and barrel
to Hull. This,
to some
eyes, was
a ploy to
enable Hull
to remain
a Super
League
club – whatever the
motivation behind it,
Gateshead Thunder
would be no more.
During their sole
season in the league,
the Thunder claimed
to have lost
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