Amanda Staveley has revealed that conversations with fellow Premier League executives have reaffirmed to her that investing in women's football is at the 'heart of their strategies' - just as it is at Newcastle United.
Newcastle's women's side have been brought back into the heart of the club following the takeover last October. The club's new owners hope to take the Lady Magpies into the Champions League one day but, in the meantime, a number of gestures have gone a long way, whether it is paying the players as professionals or giving them the chance to play at St James' Park for the first time last May.
Newcastle Women may be competing in the fourth-tier currently but, remarkably, more than 22,000 supporters attended that aforementioned game against Alnwick Town. It was the largest crowd for a women's league match in England last season and kick-off was even delayed by a quarter of an hour because so many fans were queuing to get inside.
