Simon Grayson on his son Joe playing for Gateshead, Heed manager Carl Magnay and their promotion bid

Football writer Mark Carruthers speaks to Simon Grayson about his son Joe playing for Gateshead, Heed manager Carl Magnay and their promotion bid.

Transcript

00:00Just a final one, I am heavily involved in the North East non-league scene,

00:03so I have to ask about your son Joe playing for Gateshead just back from injury

00:07and they're hopefully going to be in the playoffs in the National League this season.

00:12Firstly, we must be delighted to see them back and, as I say,

00:14hopefully can be an AFL player next season with Gateshead.

00:17Yeah, it's been a real frustrating season for him because he was flying in pre-season,

00:23winning 5-0 in the first game and then he blocks across and he's out for three months

00:29and he's back for about seven or eight games and does his hamstring in the last minute,

00:34which is another three months.

00:35He seems to just pick up injuries that are not short-term,

00:38but what I've been proud as a dad but as a football person as well

00:42is his application and professionalism to get himself back.

00:45So I'm really pleased to see him play 75 minutes at the weekend

00:48and delighted to see the team get two huge back-to-back wins

00:53because I know it's been difficult for Carl and I spoke to him quite a bit

00:57over the last couple of weeks, actually.

00:58We still keep in touch.

01:00Obviously, I had a spell where I went in to be around him for a few weeks,

01:04a few months ago, but he rings me for advice.

01:08Even last week in Nepal, he was ringing me.

01:10So I was made up for him when he got back-to-back wins

01:13because I know he's been getting a little bit of stick and that

01:15and I'm delighted that he's done what he's done

01:19and I think that can really kick on.

01:20And it's been difficult for him because when you lose the level of players

01:24that you have for such a long time, like Greg, Kenton, Joe and others,

01:30I think they said there's something like 50 players have been used this year,

01:33seven goalkeepers or something like that, 20-odd different back threes.

01:37It's like no coach in the world is ever going to get the consistency

01:40that you want to get your results all the time.

01:44So if you're going to have a blip, have it sort of mid-season-ish or just after,

01:50but really pick it up again when it really matters in this latter stages

01:54and the back-to-back wins is showing what they're capable of doing

01:58but also the players they've got coming back.

02:01I know they've got a couple of big games coming up with York on Friday

02:05and others as well, but yeah, hopefully I'll be back for the last game of the season

02:08and then hopefully watch them in the playoffs.