HOWAY THE LASSES

I'm not sure where to start with this one, I've tried writing this a few times and don't seem to be getting very far. Write a few sentences, delete and start again, write a few different sentences and repeat..... I can't think of many bigger games in football, either the men's or the women's game, than the Tyne Wear derby. In what has already been a historic week for the club, Newcastle United men winning the first major trophy in many fans' lifetime, could there be a better weekend for derby day to fall on? The existing Women's Championship attendance record of 15,387 set earlier this season when we won regional bragging rights at the Stadium of Light more than doubled, the club attendance record of 28,565 set against Barnsley in the Adobe Women's FA Cup on 27th November 2022, my first lasses game, surpassed, a 30,000+ crowd for the lasses for the first time ever and practically all of St. James' Park sold out bar level 7. Things you love to see...

Amongst the managerial merry-go-round in the WSL these past couple of weeks and the Women's FA Cup quarter finals this past weekend, much of the media coverage around the top flight of the women's game in England has instead focussed on one specific off the pitch issue, the proverbial elephant in the room, Nikki Doucet and WPLL's plan to expand both the Women's Super League and Women's Championship (soon to once again be known as WSL 2 if the rumours are true) to 16 teams each and the highly controversial possibility of a "closed shop" WSL or relegation at least being paused between the 2026/27 season and 2029/30. Beyond 2029/30 it's currently unclear if relegation from the top flight will return, what's been reported so far tends to lean towards it'll be voted on by teams making up the WSL in 2029/30, and this is where much of the controversy is stemming from.  As with my earlier post regarding  Chelsea's domination of the WSL  I don't...

With 7 weeks to go until the final day of the FAWNL season on 27th April and most teams down to their last 4 or 5 league fixtures, the run in is very much underway and after yesterdays results the promotion race in both Division One North and Northern Premier Division has effectively come down to a straight shootout between the top two clubs in each league.  Northern Premier Division Going into kick off yesterday, Forest and Wolves were both on 42 points, Forest 10 goals better off with GD of +51 compared to +41 and a game in hand. On paper, Forest had the more difficult match yesterday travelling to 4th placed Burnley whilst Wolves were away to 9th placed Hull City.  Another weekend without Bridget Galloway in the Forest squad and no Naomi Bedeau this weekend but on loan NUW winger Sophie Haywood did make the bench.  The visitors had the best of the opening 20 minutes with some promising forward play from Sophie Domingo and Millie Chandarana but no clear opportunities on...

Again, this is a post I intended to write the best part of a month ago but has been delayed due to visiting Mam in hospital. I got the idea for this post after listening to the 31st January episode of Ian Wright and Steph Houghton's podcast Crossways. That episode I would certainly say is worth a listen but overall Crossways is a podcast I really enjoy, informative, two hosts who have played the game at the highest level and have a tremendous knowledge of football and great banter between Ian and Steph.  Just to clarify, I've no relationship with the above podcast, this post is not sponsored by Crossways and other women's football podcasts are available. That particular episode just got me thinking on one of my many evening walks home from the Freeman Hospital. Chelsea, without question, are THE team in the English Women's football pyramid. Since replacing Emma Hayes with Sonia Bompastor last summer they haven't missed a step. If anything, rather worryingly for the ...

A limited number of matches in the Northern tier's 3 & 4 this weekend due to county cup fixtures however the league matches that did go ahead certainly made the promotion race in both leagues that bit more interesting.  Weekend 15 Division One North Starting in tier 4, a win for Middlesbrough away to bottom club AFC Fylde would see Boro go level on points with leaders Cheadle Town Stingers, both teams having played 16 matches. An away win by 7 clear goals or more would put Boro top on goal difference. A strong Boro side with 9 former NUW players in the starting 11 - Laura Wareham, Ellen Packham, Ellen Turnbull, Lauren Robson, Leanna Giles, Millie Bell, Becky Ferguson, Grace Boyes (C) & Kacie Elson. Amongst the substitutes Keira Skelton, Sharna Wilkinson & Georgia Gibson. Turnbull almost played Ferguson in on goal in the first minute of the match but the pass was just slightly behind the forward.  Busy start for Turnbull. She saw her 3rd minute cross into the box he...