Gateshead: How National League club pulled off improbable escape from relegation

With Gateshead pulling off this escape act, we’ve delved into the archives and pulled up five other teams and moments for whom hope seemed lost after terrible seasons.

Oldham Athletic (1993): With six days of the inaugural Premier League campaign remaining, Oldham were eight points behind Crystal Palace with three matches to play. All over bar the shouting seemingly.

But Oldham produced wins over Aston Villa, Liverpool and Southampton as Palace claimed only one point from their last two games, meaning Joe Royle’s side stayed up on goal difference.

Carlisle United (1999): Two words – Jimmy Glass. In injury time of the last game of the season, Carlisle were set for non-league football.

They won a corner, goalkeeper Glass went forward as a last resort and swept home the goal that kept Carlisle up in the old Division Three at Scarborough’s expense.

The North Yorkshire club were relegated instead and they have never returned.

Bradford City (2000): It looked like being one season and out of the Premier League for Bradford, when they were six points adrift with five games to go.

But Paul Jewell’s Bantams produced a memorable run of 10 points from those matches to send Wimbledon down, culminating in a last-day win over Liverpool, which cost them a place in the Champions League.

West Ham United (2007): A chaotic season at Upton Park seemed to be heading in only one direction after a traumatic 4-3 loss to Tottenham left them 10 points shy of safety with nine games to go.

But inspired by Argentina star Carlos Tevez, the Hammers reeled off seven wins in that finish, capped by victory at champions Manchester United on the final Sunday.

The Hammers’ unlikely Old Trafford triumph turned the match between Sheffield United and Wigan Athletic into a relegation shootout, which the Latics won.

Leicester City (2015): There would have been no title wonder of 2016, if not for their great escape the season before.

The Foxes more than doubled their points tally in the final nine games as they produced seven wins and a draw to climb from 20th to 14th, creating momentum that carried over into the following season.

Of the 13 players who secured safety in the penultimate game at Sunderland, 11 would be collecting winners’ medals 12 months later.