By GARETH WALKER
THERE was one scoreline in Co-operative Championship One last weekend that turned heads across the sport.
Nobody wants to see scores like the 132-0 inflicted on Gateshead Thunder by Blackpool on Sunday, especially in the professional game.
And while it illustrated the continuing progress made by the Panthers and their highly-rated coach Martin Crompton, it has also highlighted how difficult life is for Thunder at present.
There were extenuating circumstances behind the landslide defeat. Gateshead were missing no less than 16 first team players, including four that were suspended following a fight in the recent defeat to Rochdale.
But the sheer scale of the 132-0 scoreline has led to questions being asked about Thunder’s place in the competition.
There shouldn’t be. It was an incredibly difficult week for the club and their coach Chris Hood – taking 16 players from any squad in the game would decimate any team.
Thunder are also very much in a rebuilding phase at present, after their near collapse at the end of last season when the club’s previous owners pulled out. They effectively started from scratch, and the current officials at Gateshead have done a tremendous job to date.
That fact was even pointed out by Crompton after the game on Sunday.
“I really feel for Chris and everybody associated with Gateshead,” Crompton said. “The people previously involved with the club who put them in this position, I hope they can sleep at night.”
Gateshead have been on the end of other big scorelines this year, conceding 502 points in their nine games to date.
But they have recorded a victory, against London Skolars, and also a bonus point, as they bid to overturn the six-point deficit handed to them for entering administration in the winter.
What Thunder need now, is some stability and faith. Blackpool are the perfect example to follow. Three years ago, in Crompton’s first season in charge, they lost 62-6 at York, and just a few weeks later were beaten 44-22 against none other than Gateshead themselves.
But Crompton has been given time to build his own team, and they have progressed season on season to the extent where they are now favourites to win Championship One.
Thunder have shown that they can do that themselves, after winning this division under Dave Woods in 2008 – again after steady progression.
So they certainly shouldn’t be written off just yet. And hopefully this week’s home match with Workington Town will yield some more reasons to be positive for the future.
