All Golds v Newcastle Thunder KPL1 2016 - FINAL_2

£700,000, which precipitated their
link with the Hull Sharks, for which
they were paid a fee of £1.25 million
by Super League Europe.
The merger – and that of
Huddersfield with Sheffield
Eagles – caused a huge
controversy throughout the
game and beyond. MPs even
condemned them in a House of
Commons debate and they were
fiercely contested by supporters
and club officials alike.
Fans of the original Gateshead
club who were opposed to the
merger established a grassroots
organization called Thunder
Storm to fight to keep the clubs
separate. Although this ultimately
proved to be unsuccessful, the
degree of local fan support
resulted in the formation of a
new Gateshead Thunder club,
which was accepted to play in
the Northern Ford Premiership
for the 2001 season.
Who knows what Gateshead
could have achieved had they
been allowed to build on a
relatively successful season but it
is probably true to say that Hull
FC were saved by the merger
and would probably not be in the
shape they are today without the
North East pioneers from that
rainy night in Gateshead.
Meanwhile the new Gateshead
Thunder started life in the 19-
team Northern Ford Premiership
with an 18-0 loss to Hull KR and
finished in 16th place after a
disappointing season. However, a
couple of wins towards the end
of the season and the emergence
of a number of local players
notably Paul Thorman, promised
better for the future.
Most of the next half dozen
seasons were spent in the
bottom two, though a play-off
place in 2005 and again the
following year were worthy of
celebration.
Things changed dramatically in
2008 as, under head coach Dave
Woods, Thunder romped to the
National Two title and automatic
promotion losing just three times
and finishing seven points clear
of second-placed Barrow.
Survival in 2009 came at
a cost as the club entered
administration during the
off-season and started the
2010 season in Championship
One with minus nine points.
Basing their squad on talented
youngsters they had good days
- with a win over London Skolars
early in the season - and bad
following a 132-0 thrashing by
Blackpool Panthers.
Thunder remained a bottom
three side until 2014 when they
finished fourth under coach
Stanley Gene and showed
a marked progression from
previous years thanks, in part, to
a partnership arrangement with
Hull KR.
During the season, the club was
taken over by Newcastle Falcons
rugby union club and began the
2015 season with high hopes
of further progression though
their eventual eighth place was
something of a disappointment.
With some key additions to
their squad not least former
Super League star Peter Fox, the
Thunder are looking at a top-four
finish in 2016.
With awareness of the game
being boosted by the inaugural
Magic weekend at St James’ Park
in 2015, Thunder are hoping to
capitalise by hosting York on the
Friday night before the Super
League matches begin. They
drew a crowd of over 2,500 for
the fixture last season, their best
of the season by a considerable
margin.
After many false starts and
false hopes it seems like the
journey towards a solid presence
of professional rugby league
on Tyneside is at last moving
forward.
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