Newcastle United women living the dream – Record stadium attendance, title win, promotion, 10-0 | OneFootball

Newcastle United Women clinched promotion from the FA Women’s National League Northern Premier League to the Championship (second tier) on Sunday after an emphatic 10-0 win against Huddersfield Town.

The result saw the Lady Mags crowned champions while their opponents were relegated.

A new record stadium attendance of 7,382 for Newcastle United Women witnessed history at Kingston Park, with many fans arriving at the stadium over two hours before kick-off.

The crowd was easily double that of the season average, with metros full of black and white shirts and scarves. The main stand and both terraces behind each goal were packed and there was even a funfair in the car park, but it was the players on the pitch who delivered carnival football.

There was an expectancy that The Lasses would get the job done. Promotion has looked more like a matter of when and not if for several weeks now. Of course the fans were confident ahead of the Cup Final last month but this felt different to the Hashtag game, with Huddersfield arriving second bottom and them almost resigned to the fact they would be going down, United just had to deliver.

And deliver they did. Emma Kelly who has been one of the most consistent performers all season in the United engine room scored within 15 seconds of kick off with a header and the home side never looked back.

Kelly would add a second before half time from distance with winger Beth Lumsden also drilling into the bottom corner in between. Katie Barker then added a fourth before the first half came to a close.

During the break the Lasses Development team were presented with their FAWNL Reserve Northern Title and it wouldn’t be the only trophy being held aloft come the final whistle.

The game put me in mind of Keegan’s Newcastle of 1993 when going 6-0 up against Leicester by half time but with a much quieter second half. However, on Sunday the Lasses ensured the final 45 minutes of the campaign would be memorable ones as they continued to create and convert chances.

Barker added her second, a curled effort, after Kelly was involved in the build-up.

Lumsden then got her second moments later meaning three United players were now all on a hat trick. Paige Bayley-Gale could have scored a brace herself and it is no exaggeration to say the score could have been double what it actually ended up being!

Jas McQuade, who has made a habit of scoring from the bench this season, did so again when firing home from distance before Charlotte Potts put home a scramble in the goalmouth. Kacie Elson was another who found the net after coming on. If there are goals to be had then the flying winger from Rugby will always want a piece of the action. Her half volley sailed past Huddersfield’s goalie before Georgie Gibson made it double figures in stoppage time.

Goalie and lifelong Newcastle fan, Grace Donnelly confirmed an 11th clean sheet in 17 games this season.

At the final whistle the players erupted with uncontrollable joy and were joined by a tearful Amanda Staveley as they were presented with the League Trophy. A season long job now complete with two games to spare.

To put Newcastle’s attendance record into context. They attracted a larger crowd than that of the Women’s FA Cup semi-final between Man United and Chelsea (two of the top four sides in the country) and more than double that of Arsenal’s WSL fixture at home to Bristol City.