22
Thursday 28th October 2021 | PALATINATE
Sport Sport
Love at first sight: a taste of Durham Women’s football
Jonny Tiplady Sport Editor
An Autumn chill had set against the tracked pitch of Maiden Castle. The darkness that was beginning to set in was soon pierced by floodlights. Fans and families slowly flocked in in their droves, filling up the stands and all four corners of the pitch. As the clock ticked towards kick-off, the anticipation was building. 7pm came, and the evening’s heroines emerged ready for action. Before the game, there was an almost carnivalesque atmosphere. That sweet smell of sugary donuts wafting through the stands, hot dogs and chips that even I couldn’t resist. There was not an ounce of hooliganism or such around, this simply made for the perfect family day out. I could see it in the sheer breadth of supporters around me; students, families, casual supporters and even the diehard set of ‘ultras’ sat in front of us leading the chants (who were girls no older than 10, too). It was different to any other football match I’ve experienced. Of course, it was no ordinary game for Durham Women FC.
This was a break from a league campaign already in full swing, whose fine results had seen the Wildcats setting the pace in the Women’s Championship. A cup competition like the Women’s Super League Cup can throw up a plethora of challenges, and theirs was certainly no different. Lady luck was seemingly not smiling on Durham’s chances. Pitted against four teams from the highest tier of Women’s Football, they would have a real test of their mettle against some of the country’s elite. Leicester City they were no strangers to; the Foxes pipped them to promotion to the Women’s Super League last season. Everton had been solid since their own rise in 2017. And of course, everyone already knows the names Manchester United and Manchester City. It was the red half of Manchester that provided Durham’s first test in the cup. Despite being relative newcomers to Women’s Football’s top tier, they were now highflying, pushing for Champions League qualification in 4th place. Of course they had their own ‘ultras’ who had made the journey north, perched on the Wear-end of the stadium. And it was their fans who had the first laugh, United’s
Ivana Fuso drawing first blood. What had, up to that point, been a rapturous atmosphere was silenced in one moment. Half time provided some muchneeded reflection; the Wildcats were pegged back, and needed some sort of response. It took mere minutes of the second half for the roars to return, Dee Bradley levelling from a Beth Hepple corner. The crowd, no longer hushed, bellowed their team back on. Ella Toone’s wonder goal for the Red Devils could well have been cause for heartbreak, another mountain to climb for the hosts in a half they had dominated. But what followed was a moment to make you fall in love with football. Just five minutes remained on the clock before defeat grasped her ugly claws around Durham’s opening cup fixture. A free kick on the edge of the box from a tight angle, it was a picture-perfect moment. I blink, and suddenly the ball is nestled in the near top corner; 2-2, it was lift-off at the sold-out Maiden Castle. The whole team ran to the corner to celebrate with their fans, frenetic in swarming adulation. While they may have lost the resulting penalty shootout, conceding a
Durham Women FC
bonus point to their visitors, that did not matter an iota. The end result merely capped off a valiant effort which showed that this team is ready for the next step. And they will take everyone with them. Hundreds stuck around after the final whistle to chat and take photos with members of the team. And not a single player hesitated to embrace their adoring fans.
(Twitter) This is a side united by a sense of community. Win, lose or draw, there are no egos, no fans chanting ‘off with his head’ at the manager after a few poor results. This was football at its purest, something which the modern game is seemingly losing sight of. For me, this was love at first sight. Durham Women, you’ve got me hooked.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, neither is a super club Jonny Tiplady Sport Editor
The 7th of October is a day that will go down in Geordie folklore. After 14 years of misery, 11 different managers, two relegations and just three top half finishes in the Premier League, things could finally be on the up at Newcastle United. The weeds sucking the life out of the club
have been cleared, 50,000 of the Toon Army assembled at St. James’ Park, unified for the first time in what feels like eons. At long last, nature in the north-east of England seems to be healing.
Playing in black and white stripes in the nineties was a sign you were amongst footballing elite Such excitement and buzz are not feelings associated with the Mike Ashley era at Newcastle United. But the future under their powerful consortium trio, worth up to £700 billion if some reports are to be believed, promises much more. The Public Investment Fund, with further backing from the Reuben Brothers and PCP Capital Partners, have lifted over a decade of gloom on Tyneside. Now, Newcastle fans across the globe will be dreaming of competing with the likes of Manchester
City and Paris Saint-Germain. These are the sort of ambitions that Amanda Staveley holds for the Toon Army, declaring a Premier League title inside this decade their goal. But the investment Newcastle needs requires long-term thinking. They are in desperate need of a shake-up from top to bottom, from playing staff to the training infrastructure. With an academy whose well has dried up and facilities that are still yet to catch up with the rest of the Premier League, the new owners have their work cut out for them.
Under Bruce, Newcastle lacked tactical direction and a drive like they had under Rafael Benítez In spite of this newfound wealth and optimism, there are still huge questions to be asked on Tyneside. Steve Bruce has now left the club by mutual consent after a painful tenure. While the treatment he received from fans can never be condoned, this was a necessary step for the football club. When the tide needs to be changed, new owners have to take such measures to keep famously passionate fans on side. Removing an already unpopular figure from the equation was a no-brainer.
Under Bruce, Newcastle lacked tactical direction and a drive like they had under Rafael Benítez. I would even argue that the squad is now stronger than the one the Spaniard had at his disposal; with largely the same core of defensive and midfield options, Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin provide star quality and goals that they lacked before. But all this was null without any stability. That should be the new owners’ first priority. Bookies have touted big names like Antonio Conte as Bruce’s successor, but the ship needs to be steadied first. They need a manager to come in and instil a style of football to provide a base for future big-name managers. There is no doubt that whoever they pick will be significantly backed, but we can’t ignore Newcastle’s troublesome position. The truth of the matter is that they are in a relegation battle. Manchester City didn’t have the same concerns when they enjoyed their similarly groundbreaking takeover. While fans will be dreaming of Kylian Mbappé or Erling Haaland leading their line, they don’t yet have the draw for such superstars. Settling in the North East doesn’t have the same appeal it once did in football. Playing in black and white stripes in the nineties was a sign you were amongst footballing
elite. But relentless investment amongst league rivals and a widespread commercialisation of the sport means the region now has some catching up to do. This season should be about damage control, then regrouping thereafter. It took Manchester City three years to win their first major honours after being taken over. Success doesn’t happen overnight, especially not in football. Turning this club around is going to take time. I often think back to the famous ‘what is a club?’ quote from Bobby Robson. The ‘feeling of belonging, the pride in your city’. For the first time in a while those two feelings have finally returned. Now it’s up to the new owners to leverage them. This great club can reclaim its place on the English footballing mantle, but it won’t happen overnight.
Write for Sport Pitch to us at sport@palatinate.org.uk or join the Palatinate Sport Contributors Facebook group. For more Sport content: Twitter @PalatinateSport Instagram @palatinatesport
