Elite Coaching Boost for Women’s Football Academy 

Last week, our Women’s Academy First Team had the incredible opportunity to train with Courtney Vacher, head coach of Newcastle United Women’s Under-21s.

Courtney joined the squad for a high-intensity session focused on “finishing the attack”, a technique used by top goal scorers in the Women’s Super League.

She explained “In the WSL, the top goal scorers tend to finish with just one or two touches. So the aim was to help the girls get into those kinds of positions and develop the ability to execute quick finishes.

“This approach increases the chances of scoring high-quality goals, rather than relying on long-range efforts, which the girls are already quite good at. But if they want to score more goals consistently, they need to explore different finishing techniques and adapt their approach.”

Codie Nichols, women’s football head coach at Gateshead College, said “It’s such a fantastic opportunity to bring in top-level coaches and offer the girls a fresh learning environment. Having Courtney Vacher with us this morning was incredible—it’s not every day you get access to that level of expertise.

“The girls had a great match day -1 session, and it was a brilliant chance for them to experience different coaching styles and approaches. That variety helps them prepare more effectively for game day and supports their overall development.”

Team captain Millie Lord, who’s currently studying the Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Sport and Exercise Science, shared her thoughts “I think it’s been really beneficial for the girls training with such a high-level coach has made a big difference.

“I think it’s going to be great for our development this season. We’ve had three wins from three games so far, so I’d say the season’s going pretty well. The talent we’ve got this year is honestly insane, and I’m just really proud to be captaining the girls. There’s a lot of mutual respect in the team, which makes a huge difference.”

The team went on to secure a 1–0 win against Bridlington Town FC the following day proof that their hard work paid off.

There next game is at home against Sunderland AFC in the National Youth Football League.