One Season Finishes, Another one on the Way.

 

A New season Awaits

Transfer Fact or Fiction

No Sooner as the 2024/2025 season finished thoughts are already drifting to what the next season may bring.

For Newcastle United men it is the excitement of Champions League football coming back to St James Park as well as Tyne/Wear derby returning to the premier league.  The Champion’s League draw isn’t until late August but even without knowing the Champions League fixtures we already know we play Sunderland at the Stadium of Light following matchday 6.

An inevitable circus of speculation surrounds the stars of our club, especially Alexander Isak and Tino Livramento. The “Click baiting” obsession with outgoings from Newcastle is almost laughable at times and as a Newcastle fan I can only hope that we will be laughing last and laughing loudest when the season starts and our stars not only remain but have been added to as well.

As far as incomings to the 1^st team go, frustration may be out there amongst some of our fanbase, however I am of the strong belief that patience is a virtue when it comes to transfers. We have navigated the muddy waters that is PSR over the last few windows and potentially now have a war chest for Eddie howe to work with from July 1^st. That doesn’t mean to say we will be gung-Ho with our signings. We will have to navigate “Newcastle tax” especially if we bid for Premier league proven players as well as making sure that players fit the right profile and character to improve the squad on and off the field.

Fans will have their shortlists, whether that realistic or a pipe dream, fuelled by understanding or manager mode, analysing, debating, celebrations in some quarters and discontent in others that’s what makes transfer windows so interesting when that yellow bar gives a deal a sense of realism.

I am looking forward to being at both the Espanyol and Atletico Madrid games, seeing who lines up for us and then deciding and managing my personal expectations for the season.

Are the Lasses WSL Bound this season?

Last season in the championship Newcastle United Women finished a very respectable 5^th place. There were moments of dreaming of promotion but overall realistic expectations in our 1^st season at this level were the order of the day and those expectations were managed. We did the double over Sunderland including a win in front of a record-breaking crowd at St James Park, a record that I only see being broken by us. New signings Emily Murphy and Freya Gregory shined, Shania Hayles missed out on the golden boot by 1 Goal but still scored an impressive 15 goals, Beth Lumsden became the Mackem slayer and Rachel Furness gave us an amazing season in what turned out to be her retirement year and many more moments and players made our 1^st season in Tier 2 an overall positive one.

The summer started with a new logo and a “Fantastically creative” new name for the league. The cynical part of me looked at that as a PR exercise but I’m nothing but a hopeful person and wondered what else may come from the WSL governing body.

Then came the release/Retained list. It was Brutal, it was shocking in some ways, and I hadn't seen that much of a fans favourite cut since the Red Wedding on game of Thrones.  Some had been announced before and some were expected but it didn’t make it any easier for the dedicated and passionate followers of the lasses, especially the ones that had been following the team since the days of tier 4. Seeing all the different stories, Photos and Moments that people remembered on the Group, The messages on NFTV to the departing players, the Love for Grace at KP and again at Ewood Park on the Final day of the season, were wonderful and hit home how amazing the NUW community is on and off the pitch. Regardless of what happens on the pitch and the heights that have no doubt the lasses will reach, last season’s release/Retained list moment will stick with me for a while.

News started to break about NUW having a new Women’s Director of football. From a very basic perspective I am under the opinion that having a designated DOF for the women’s team will be a good thing especially as we move towards the Women’s Super League, I believe we will widen our Scouting network and start to look at international imports so having someone in that role will be positive for our growth and progression.

Then came the big reveal by the women’s football governing body. The Women’s Super League would be expanding to 14 teams from the start of the 26/27 season. This must be a positive move for the growth of the women’s game in this country. More Teams involved, more fixtures, attendances rising and hopefully the move benefits the whole of the Women’s Football Pyramid. Chelsea and Arsenal to me are the Two elite women’s teams in this country. Man City and Man Utd you expect to be up there again as well. Brighton should be secure in their place in the top League and I think that London City will ruffle a few feathers in the WSL. As for the rest of the teams I think they will be looking over their shoulders potentially worried about finishing in that bottom 3.

So, what that means for next season in the WSL 2 is that 1^st and 2^nd will be promoted automatically, and 3^rd will face a Promotion/Relegation play off against the 10^th place WSL team. Then from 26/27 the top team will be promoted as champions and the Promotion/Relegation play off will be between WSL2 Runners up and WSL 13^th Place. 

I like the structure that the leagues will take. Adding the Play off adds that extra level of intrigue to the leagues as well as giving a uniqueness to the women’s game in this Country. Of course, if the lasses are the 1^st victims of “bad season beating good season in a one off game” then my bias may control my opinion on the play off system but I am feeling positive about the structure.

So what does that mean for the lasses this season. 25% chance of promotion or a 1 off game to seal promotion. Is it a fore gone conclusion? I don’t think it is because as we found out last season the 2^nd tier is very competitive. I expect Birmingham to be the title favourites, but a case could be made for many teams being around those top spots come what May. If I were to make a ridiculously early prediction for the top 4 battle it would be Birmingham, Newcastle, Charlton and Bristol City but could easily be anyone.

We await news of new signings for both the men and women (And a lot of them) and for the Lasses Fixture list to Finally drop.

How many Players coming in?

Anymore internationals?

Who will we play 1^st?

Who will our St James Park games be against?

Will this be season we reach the top table of Women’s football?

Answers unknown, Excitement for the season growing.

Howay the Lads and Lasses

Matt