Mark (Chorley) (Login ChorleyMark) from IP address 195.188.252.3
From nonleaguefooty.com:
Gateshead have been informed by the UniBond League that they will not allow any possible relegation play-off matches to be staged at Gateshead’s temporary South Shields base.
If Gateshead end the season in their current third-bottom spot, they will be required to play-off to avoid relegation to the First Division. In theory the club would play at home to the fifth-placed First Division team. If successful, they would then stage the play-off final against the winners of third versus fourth in the First Division. The overall winners would then play in the Premier Division next season. Defeat for Gateshead would mean First Division football next term. The play-offs were designed so that the higher placed club has home advantage.
However, the UniBond League have instructed Gateshead that they will not be permitted to stage any play-off games at Filtrona Park. With the International Stadium still unavailable due to refurbishment and pitch reseeding, it means that Gateshead would be forced to play away in the event of finishing in the play-off zone.
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This seems a bit unfair, why can't they play at South Shields? It's not their fault if the ground they don't own is being done up.
I cannot find any reference to this in the UniBond site and apart from your nonleaguefooty quote, the only other place I saw the matter mentioned was Gateshead's unofficial forum.
I really cannot see how South Shields' ground can be good enough for League games but not for the play offs?
Presumably if it is true and the 5th placed team were to beat Gateshead, they would then revert to form and be away to the winners of 3 v 4.
One final question about the play offs - are they conducted under cup rules which would seem logical (both teams sharing gates less expenses) or league rules which would be harsh on the away side?
If the venue is ok for league games then why should it not be acceptable for a play-off fixture? As the semi-final at least will be midweek there's hardly likely to be a huge visiting support. Seems very unfair on Gateshead but quite a big incentive to aim for 5th place in Div One.
South Shields' ground is tidy enough, but I doubt it reached Unibond standards. The UPL presumably allowed it as a temporary measure, as it was down to circumstances beyond Gateshead's control.
However, if push came to shove I'm sure Gateshead would be able to play their playoff games at Blyth if they wanted.
Thats IF they finish in the playoff spot. Both ourselves and Frickley are still a long, long way from safety.
It is true about the play-offs we would have to play away because we're at South Shields ground. We have appealed because how can it be fit for UniBond games and UniBond Cup Final but not for play-off games? There is a full report on it on the clubs official website at www.gateshead-fc.com but the site was having problems just before I looked in here.
after the ructions of last season's play-offs I believe that the league changed the rules to the format you suggest so that if fifth placed beats the prem side they will be away to the other winners, but if the prem side is the winner they will be home.
last season saw radcliffe (with a place in the play-offs guaranteed) losing to ossett and being rewarded with the chance of a home tie had they beaten hyde united.
the repercusions were that ossett were 3-0 up inside the first quarter and strolled to victory ensuring boro finished behind ashton and spennymoor as they had hoped, but also ensuring that ashton couldn't catch ossett.
just circumstances conspiring to shoot the league in the foot really~ no-one could have predicted the circumstances that would occur at the end of the season, but with the ensuing farce over hyde/ossett it all reflected badly on the league and left a bitter taste in the mouth until we were triumphant at the Irongate. Good luck to all the sides in the play-off scramble, i hope you all get a fair crack of the whip.