Cattermole sacked by crisis-hit Gateshead after hinting at internal sabotage

Lee Cattermole has been sacked as Gateshead manager after a disastrous start to the National League season, with the club rooted to the bottom of the table and eight points adrift of safety following just one win in 12 league games.

The 39-year-old, who spent a decade at Sunderland and earned widespread recognition in the Premier League, took charge at Gateshead in June in what was his first managerial appointment. His tenure ended in the immediate aftermath of a 2-1 defeat to Worthing on Saturday, a result that prompted a pointed post-match interview in which Cattermole suggested forces within the club were actively working against the team’s progress.

“There are people in this building that don’t want the team to move forward and I know that,” Cattermole said after the loss. “I can feel it, I see it. Everyone has to be united — this club is nowhere near that, nowhere near that.”

The comments came against a backdrop of severe financial instability at the club. Gateshead failed to pay players and staff their September wages after director Mark Nellist resigned and withdrew his financial backing. The club is currently appealing to shareholders to continue funding support as Nellist attempts to hand over his shares to fellow shareholder Stephen Paylor.

Cattermole had acknowledged the difficulties throughout his tenure but insisted he had been managing the situation as best he could. “I’ve been fully aware for the whole time I’ve been here that isn’t the case,” he said of the lack of unity. “I’ve been managing it, I’ve been dealing with it, I’ve been trying to put a positive spin on it and prepare the team.”

With Gateshead having lost 10 of their 12 league fixtures, the club moved quickly after the Worthing defeat, confirming Cattermole’s dismissal and appointing Ben Clark as interim manager. Clark now inherits a squad in crisis, both on and off the pitch, with the club facing a significant battle to avoid relegation from the fifth tier of English football.