Newcastle United: Magpies promoted to Women's Championship after 10-0 win
- Published
Newcastle United have won back-to-back promotions
Newcastle United beat Huddersfield Town 10-0 to secure promotion to the Women's Championship with two games to spare.
Emma Kelly, Beth Lumsden and Katie Barker all scored twice as the Magpies won the FA Women's National League Northern Premier Division title.
Jasmine McQuade, Charlotte Potts, Kacie Elson and Georgia Gibson were also on the scoresheet.
"To get across the line hasn't been easy," boss Becky Langley told BBC Radio Newcastle.
"We have had to show an incredible amount of consistency and professionalism to do that and it's just great.
"We want to be a WSL side as soon as possible but we have perspective. We understand where we are at."
The team turned full-time in June 2023, two years after the Saudi-led takeover of the club.
Officially integrated into the club in 2022, having previously been headed up by its charity arm, Newcastle set out a five-year plan to reach the Women's Super League.
They were promoted from the fourth tier last term and, following back-to-back titles, will sit one step below the WSL at the start of the 2024-25 campaign.
Newcastle also reached the Women's National League Cup final this season, losing 2-1 to Hashtag United at Kenilworth Road.
Local talents Olivia Watt, Gibson and Barker have been integral to the Magpies' success this term, with the added experience of summer signings such as Kelly and captain Amber-Keegan Stobbs also playing a key role.
Record crowds
Newcastle United's women's side have attracted crowds of more than 22,000 fans on three occasions at St James' Park
A record 7,382 fans were at Kingston Park on Sunday as Newcastle clinched promotion - the biggest attendance at the stadium for any sport this season, higher than any crowd pulled in so far by Premiership rugby union side Newcastle Falcons.
"It's so special," Langley said. "Those fans have followed us home and away. Whether it is getting St James' Park absolutely rocking or getting Kingston Park buzzing today, we appreciate them so much.
"There have been so many people who have followed us to Burnley away, Wolves away. Travelled to Manchester United. Just supporting the team regardless is just so special."
In May 2021, Newcastle Women played at St James' Park for the first time.
More than 28,000 supporters turned out for the 4-0 win over Alnwick Town, a record for the FAWNL.
Six months later, the Magpies hosted Barnsley in the Women's FA Cup, beating the visitors 2-1 in front of 24,000 fans, the biggest crowd the competition had seen outside of the final.
Vast followings have continued too, with more than 1,200 Geordies travelling to Leigh Sports Village for their FA Cup tie with Women's Super League heavyweights Manchester United in January and more than 22,000 pouring into St James' Park for the 2-1 win over Portsmouth in the semi-final of the FAWNL Cup in February.
Four thousand supporters were at Kenilworth Road for the FAWNL Cup final, with the majority hailing from Newcastle.
'We've not been shy in talking about our long-term aim'
Paige Bailey-Gayle represented Jamaica at the 2023 Women's World Cup
As Newcastle prepare for life in the second tier, which features North-East rivals Durham and Sunderland, the Magpies are showing plenty of ambition.
Paige Bailey-Gayle and Lia Cataldo arrived from Crystal Palace in January, while winger Lumsden came in from Southern Premier table-toppers Portsmouth.
This followed a summer window when eight new faces were signed and many fresh members of staff arrived, the new players integrating with Newcastle's existing core of local talent.
"We've not been shy in talking about our long-term aim of being in the WSL," said Newcastle's women's director of football, Su Cumming.
"I think it's probably something of an ambition for us - maybe a stretch too far - to say we can be in the same position next year, coming out of the Championship.
"Our objective is to be well in the WSL by 2030. We're still sticking with that target."