3G pitch to be built in Gateshead in memory of Tomasz Oleszak

The pitch will be built in memory of Tomasz Oleszak at Gateshead Cleveland Hall's premises at Beacon Lough after receiving a £868,000 grant from the Football Association (FA), Premier League and the Government's Football Foundation.

Tomasz, who was a keen footballer and played for Gateshead Cleveland Hall Community Association for much of his childhood, died aged 14 after being stabbed by Leighton Amies at Whitehills Nature Park, near Wrekenton, in October 2022.

Amies had armed himself with a steak knife ‘for reassurance’.

Police believe the confrontation escalated because of a childish dispute over the girl he was with, but a jury rejected his claim that he acted in self-defence after being badly beaten.

The Northern Echo launched the North East Knife Crime Taskforce to tackle the root causes of knife crime as part of an ongoing and wide-ranging campaign.

Tomasz was 14 when he was killed (Image: Contributor)

The taskforce works with organisations across the region to look at funding for education programmes, intervention and diversion strategies, as well as enforcement measures to reduce the risk of fatal stabbings on our streets.

The investment from the FA will enable Tomasz's club to build a brand-new state of the art floodlit 3G football pitch on their club premises in Gateshead.

The association, which is run entirely by volunteers, fields 27 football teams for boys and girls aged between 5 and 18.

The development will allow for further expansion into disability and walking football. The pitch will also be exclusively used one day a week for women's and girls’ football.

Andrew Watling, leader of Gateshead Cleveland Hall CA, said: “The loss of Tomasz hit everyone at our club extremely hard.

“I am delighted that the Football Foundation have chosen to support our project to build a lasting monument to his memory and a permanent reminder of the horrendous consequences of knife crime.

Floral tributes left in memory of Tomasz (Image: Northern Echo)

“The pitch will provide the opportunity for thousands of youngsters to participate in sport over the decades to come.”

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness added: “This pitch will stand as a tribute to Tomasz, a young boy who loved his football and his club.

“His loss is still felt deeply in the local community, but it’s right that his memory will live on here, in a place that brings people together and helps the next generation grow, on and off the pitch.

“This new pitch will give more young people in Gateshead, especially women and girls, the chance to play, belong, and be part of something positive close to home.”