Pitchero Non League

James Curtis

....far, including experienced central defenders James Curtis and Ben Clark and fellow defender Carl Magnay. Midfield quintet Phil Turnbull, Jamie Chandler, Josh Gillies, James Marwood and Micky Cummins, along with strikers Nathan Fisher and Liam Hatch are all on board. All ten players have signed new one-year contracts at Gateshead as the club looks to improve on a creditable 8th place finish last season. Of the ten re-signings Curtis is comfortably the longest-serving player at Gateshead. The big centre back has spent nine years at Gateshead making 414 appearances.

Former Hartlepool United, Sunderland and England Youth international Ben Clark has been club captain at Gateshead for the past two years, and player of the year in his first season in 2010/11. Gateshead-born defender Magnay joined his home-town club earlier this year on a short-term contract after five years at Premier League giants Chelsea, and has been rewarded with a new contract.

Play-maker Turnbull has made over 200 appearances for the club and, like Curtis, was part of the back-to-back promotion squads that took The Heed back into the Conference National. Chandler picked up a number man of the match awards following his mid-season switch from troubled neighbours Darlington along with Quakers team-mate Liam Hatch, who scored four goals in ten appearances for his new club.

Vastly-experienced former Football League player Micky Cummins scored twelve goals from midfield in his first season at the International Stadium in 2011/12. Young midfield pair Josh Gillies and James Marwood both impressed on occasions last season, the latter mainly off the bench, and both will be looking to kick on next season. Young striker Nathan Fisher had an injury plagued second season at Gateshead but has had a groin operation and will be keen to make up for lost time when pre-season gets underway in July.

The Tynesiders, who released a dozen players, are looking to bring in six-eight new players during the close season to strengthen the squad.

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