We Kick — Tyne Metropolitan College Women’s Football

A We Kick! grassroots profile of the Tyne Metropolitan College women’s team, run through the North East Sports Academy, which lets players aged 16 and over combine any course of study with football and coaching development. A timeline records Neil Baistow’s appointment as women’s football development coach in August 2008, the first intake that September, a first game against a local amateur club in October, FA Focus College status in 2009, entry to the British Colleges League, a regional five-a-side final in December 2009, a national growing the game award in June 2010 for creating a local women’s league, and Amber Whiteley taking over as coach. The squad turns over each year with courses ending, and a short 2009-10 season yielded few fixtures; Gateshead are the nearest rivals. Nicknames, the departed team joker Natalie Henderson and the unsung committed trainers round it off.