Women fans have been supporting Newcastle United since the foundation of the club in 1892. While always a minority, women have been supporting the club and going to games. In recent years, the number of women supporters has been rising significantly.

The first memories shared here are of women fans of Newcastle United from the 1950s.

In time the website aims to feature the fascinating memories of women fans of Newcastle United in later decades.

Here, women fans discuss the importance of the club in their lives and for supporters in the community more generally.

According to Melissa:

“It’s a religion here. It’s definitely a religion and you had to go and worship at the church of St James’s (Park) on a Saturday because you just did.”

For Louise:

“It’s a big part of my life because it’s been a big part of my life for years and years and years, and I can’t see that it’s going to fade now. Having gone through the highs and lows of the club…. I’ve lost boyfriends over it….It’s part of my identity. It’s like an addiction… I just think it’s something you do. It’s part of you. Part of your DNA.”

Adelaide remembers:

“We went to the match and I was just transfixed… There were some people I recognised around us. These were all hardworking people, maybe pitmen or men who worked in industry, and I had never seen any of them smile, ever. They’d stagger home from work, really had heavy jobs, and they’d maybe have a smoke at the door, but you never really saw any great joy on their face. And at the match when we scored a goal I just looked around and I saw three or four men who my dad knew, who I’d never seen smile. And they were beaming from ear to ear, it was their theatre of dreams, it was fantastic... I remember going home on the bus I said to my dad, you know those lads were really happy, and he says when you go to a match… for that 90 minutes you’re all the same and you’re all a massive family. You’re just enjoying yourselves.”

The Exiles

The Exiles are a music duo of Newcastle United fans who have lived for many years in Canada and Switzerland. Tim Readman, composer, musician and singer, and lyricist Alan Millen, are both lifelong supporters of the Magpies. They have made many wonderful tribute songs to Newcastle United and its greatest players. Some of these are available on this website. We are very grateful for their permission to do so. Further information about The Exiles can be found at:

https://www.youtube.com/user/exvancouver

This is their version of the classic song ‘Blaydon Races’