Hours after a £300m takeover on Tyneside went through, Amanda Staveley declared her ‘wholehearted commitment to women’s and girls’ football, vowing to support Wor Lasses towards their promotion goals.
18 months on, her wish has come true. Not just hers, but the wishes of all the Coaching and backroom staff, players and fanatical followers of the Newcastle United Women’s Football Club. The Lady Mags have done it – FA Women’s League Division One North Champions and Promotion confirmed!
When the new owners came in, Staveley was quoted as saying it wasn’t just about the men’s Premier League side. Their aim was to raise the level of the whole Club from top to bottom. One of the things they very much targeted was our Women’s side.
Yesterday they got the rewards of their superb backing for The Lasses as a 2 – 0 away win at Barnsley took them to an unassailable position that Durham Cestria could not quite match despite a heroic effort that saw them fall four goals short.
Yes, in the end, it was only goal difference that separated the two sides. Not that Head Coach Becky Langley, her Assistant Lloyd Miller, all the staff, all the players and the fans cared when the final whistle went yesterday to spark scenes of celebration.
The jubilant on pitch partying and presentation of medals and the Championship trophy went on and on as the sun shone brightly on a warm day when The Lasses were just too hot for tough opposition.
Langley was appointed full-time this season and has carried herself magnificently all campaign. Her faith, trust and confidence in her players has never wavered all season. It’s been tough at times and doubts must have crept in but she never showed it at all.
The appointment of a Head of Women’s Football in Su Cumming also helped as alongside Langley they had time to plot the path to glory and reap the rewards of a tough but invigoratingly successful campaign.
Training was increased. Facilities afforded and access to fitness, conditioning and medical resources behind the scenes also gave The Lasses a step-up and more motivation to achieve their goal. It all fell into place in a wonderful way.
Amanda Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi made no secret of their admiration for United’s Lasses and their commitment and desire for them to achieve their target. The Lasses and Langley always, always talked glowingly about them.
Both owners attended the game when they could. The demand to see The Lasses grew and grew meaning a switch from Druids Park, Woolsington to Kingston Park for home games was needed to accommodate a growing fan base. A move that worked superbly.
We even had the games at St. James Park to relish, remember and revere. I wonder how many men and boys watch at The Cathedral on The Hill and wish they could play there. The Lasses did and have and have smashed all attendance records in doing so.
Another nod to the commitment of the owners and how Langley’s Lasses have responded to that support delivering a title that they targeted from the start of this campaign.
It wasn’t all plain sailing either. Two losses and a draw inside their first five matches meant they had a mountain to climb. Fifteen wins and a draw later they stood at kick-off yesterday 90 minutes from glory and history.
Ninety minutes later and goals from Kacie Elson in the 37thminute, her 13th league goal of the campaign making her the leading League goal scorer in the side and Katie Barker’s eighth league goal in the 87thminute sealed the deal.
It was a joyous and momentous occasion. It was announced at St. James yesterday to huge applause. Shearer sent a personal message and a tweet from Ghodoussi showed his and no doubt his wife’s delight at what The Lasses have achieved.
So, 2022/23 is in the books and will be remembered fondly and forever for those involved. Me? I’m privileged to have been a part of it and can’t wait for next season in the Northern Premier Division. Howay The NUFC Lasses!
