London City Lionesses and Newcastle embark on ‘beautiful’ journey

Just 18 hours before kick‑off in south London, the London City Lionesses owner, Michele Kang, was at Audi Field in Washington DC celebrating a 96th-minute winner for another of the clubs she owns, Washington Spirit, in the National Women’s Soccer League. But an owner flying in via a private jet was just the first of a host of new-era elements to this rather star-studded start to the Women’s Championship season.

Kang, who watched her team’s opening 1-1 draw at home against Newcastle United in the company of several of the league’s new senior figures, including the Women’s Super League new chief executive, Nikki Doucet, has injected cash into this relatively little-known club and has started work on a brand new elite-level training facility in Kent, as well as a plethora of high-quality transfers, with two simultaneous visions: to try ultimately to win the WSL and also prove that women’s sport is not charity but a thriving business.

Kang’s new recruits – coupled with the summer additions made by an equally ambitious Newcastle side after their second successive promotion, meant that there were a combined 468 senior international caps across the two starting sides, and a level of experience and quality on show that made for an entertaining start to the campaign.

In the north terrace at Hayes Lane, providing a rather sweet juxtaposition to the battles playing out before them with World Cup stars and a Euro 2022-winning squad member in Demi Stokes making her Newcastle debut at left‑back, one family had brought along their two pet sausage dogs, which yapped along for much of the game. That’s not to say, though, that the turnout resembled a “one man and his dog” scene. On the contrary, the attendance of 1,781 was a club record for a league fixture for London City Lionesses. That was helped by the large travelling contingent from the north-east, who provided a good atmosphere.

There were many elements to the afternoon in the September sun that were unique to a women’s football event. Foudys, a bespoke women’s football kit seller named after the former USA midfielder Julie Foudy, were running a pop-up shop in the bar area, while a half-time dance show also provided additional entertainment for fans. But, on the field, this was a serious, hard-fought contest between two teams hoping to be in the league’s sole promotion spot by May.

The newly promoted visitors impressed early on and went ahead through the Jamaica foward Shania Hayles’s close-range finish, but it was cancelled out by a classy finish from London City Lionesse’s’ marquee summer signing, the 188‑time capped Sweden forward Kosovare Asllani. Asllani, formerly of Real Madrid, said after the game: “She [Kang] understands what we need and will give us everything we need to create a successful team. I think that’s the coolest part, that it’s a woman investing. I want to help her achieve this dream that will be successful.”

In their latest bid to help get there, the club signed Isobel Goodwin from Sheffield United for an undisclosed fee on Saturday. She scored 15 goals in 19 league appearances last season. The 21-year-old striker is moving home, out of her parents’ house, for the first time to make this life‑changing move down south.

Speaking exclusively to the Guardian before the match, Goodwin said: “I’m absolutely buzzing to finally get this over the line. As soon as I spoke to them, I wanted to come here. Her [Kang’s] plans are brilliant and it’s something I want to be involved in. I want to score more goals – coming to this club is the best club to do that.”

Goodwin made her debut in the second half and showed good glimpses of her strength, athleticism and movement. Both teams had to settle for a point in the end and Newcastle’s head coach, Becky Langley, said: “I thought the level was high, the intensity from both teams, the speed-in-behind from both teams was a real threat. It’s fantastic to see this level of investment in the Championship and hopefully other clubs follow suit.”

London City Lionesses’ new head coach, Jocelyn Precheur – hired from Paris Saint-Germain – said: “As I told my players, it’s not a new chapter, it’s a new book that we are writing. We have a history to create. It was the first page of the new story. I hope the journey will be long and beautiful.”