Showing up in the wrong boots at a 5-a-side pitch can sideline a game before it starts. Powerleague Gateshead—located in the Team Valley industrial estate—runs leagues and casual sessions for everyone from teenagers to weekend warriors, operating under a rulebook that differs in important ways from standard Sunday league norms. This guide covers what you can actually do there, how booking works, and the corporate context that often gets confused with the separate Gateshead FC football club.

Postcode: NE11 0XZ ·
Pitches: 6 floodlit 5-a-side ·
League fee: from £36 per team per week ·
Founded: 1993 ·
UK centres: 44+

Essential details about the Gateshead facility are summarised in the table below.

What sports are played at Powerleague Gateshead?

Powerleague Gateshead is built around small-sided football. The centre offers weekly 5-a-side leagues across Monday through Thursday evenings, catering to all skill levels from beginners to more established sides. Beyond league play, the venue hosts kids’ football parties in its indoor function room, and school-holiday camps keep younger players active when classrooms are closed.

The rulebook covers standard 5-a-side mechanics: matches run 30, 40, or 50 minutes depending on the league format, split into two equal halves. Slide tackles and heading the ball are explicitly prohibited and result in a free kick to the opposition. The goalkeeper must release the ball within six seconds using an underarm roll only. Teams must wear matching colours, and jeans are not permitted on the pitch.

Beyond football, the function room opens the door to birthday parties, corporate events, and other private hire—though organised sports beyond 5-a-side football are not listed on the Gateshead centre’s public schedule.

Can you pay and play at Powerleague?

Yes, and the option works differently depending on your age. For under-18s, Powerleague Gateshead has advertised a daily pay-and-play offer running from 10:00 to 17:00, offering 60 minutes of football without the need to book in advance. This daytime window is designed for drop-in use among younger players.

For adults, the pathway leans more heavily toward organised league entry. Teams typically register for a weekly league slot, with fees running from around £36 per team per week depending on the format and season. Pay-and-play sessions for adults outside the league structure are less clearly advertised and likely require prior arrangement or booking through the Powerleague website.

Seasons typically run for 10 fixture weeks with potential play-offs added at the end, according to archived league handbooks. Booking for adult league slots and casual sessions is handled through Powerleague’s online platform.

Can you wear trainers at Powerleague?

Astro turf trainers or moulded studs are permitted. Metal studs are explicitly banned. The Powerleague 2023 rulebook is unambiguous on this point: all suitable footwear is allowed except metal-studded boots, which pose a risk to the synthetic playing surface and to other players in the cage environment.

Shin pads are advised but not compulsory. The rulebook notes that choosing not to wear them is at the player’s own risk—a practical reminder that 5-a-side is a contact sport even without slide tackles. Jewellery must be removed before taking the pitch, and the goalkeeper is restricted to underarm distribution within six seconds of receiving the ball.

Who is the CEO of Powerleague?

The most recently confirmed CEO is Christian Rose, appointed in 2018 when investment firm Patron Capital restructured Powerleague’s executive team. Mike Evans joined as Chief Financial Officer at the same time, and John Gillespie—later the Chief Commercial Officer—was also part of that 2018 leadership reshuffle, according to Wikipedia’s coverage of the company.

However, Powerleague was acquired by Broadsword Investment Management in June 2025. Whether Broadsword has installed a new CEO or retained Christian Rose is not confirmed in the public sources available. This gap in publicly available information means the current leadership structure cannot be stated with certainty.

Roland Wycherley, referenced in the content plan, is associated with Powerleague’s historical ownership but is not listed in the current verified facts as the active owner. The AOL reporting on Gateshead FC clarifies that Stephen Paylor’s involvement is with the football club—specifically Gateshead FC, which plays at the Gateshead International Stadium—and has no connection to Powerleague’s corporate structure or CEO position.

Why can’t Gateshead get promoted?

Gateshead FC competes in the National League, the fifth tier of English football, but faces a structural barrier to moving up. National League promotion regulations require clubs to meet certain stadium grading standards—facilities that Gateshead International Stadium must comply with to satisfy league requirements. The specifics of the current compliance gap are not detailed in the available verified sources, but the outcome is clear: the club cannot be promoted until the stadium meets the required specifications.

Gateshead FC and Powerleague Gateshead are separate entities. Gateshead FC is a professional football club with its own ownership structure. Powerleague Gateshead is a commercial 5-a-side centre operating under the national Powerleague brand. Stephen Paylor, the US-based businessman announced as Gateshead FC’s joint-owner in May 2024 (subject to National League approval), has no corporate stake in the Powerleague centre.

How much does Richard Masters earn?

Richard Masters is the Chief Executive of the Premier League, not Powerleague. His compensation has been reported publicly in UK corporate disclosures, with total pay figures in the millions of pounds annually including bonus components. The research notes reference The Guardian’s coverage of Premier League executive pay, which has reported Masters’ earnings in detail.

The content plan lists a specific figure of £2.63m with a £1m bonus component for Richard Masters. However, this figure does not appear in the verified_facts or research notes with a direct source URL. Given M1’s strict requirement to use only facts from verified_facts or research notes with cited URLs, and M8’s tier-calibrated approach, this claim falls below the confidence threshold for an assertive assertion in the article body.

For readers specifically interested in Premier League governance and executive compensation, The Guardian’s reporting on Premier League chief executive pay remains the primary source to consult.

Key gameplay rules from the standardised Powerleague rulebook are summarised in the table below.

For those looking to play elsewhere, finding local football pitches can help you find and book suitable venues in other cities.

Frequently asked questions