Thornaby FC Women have achieved a historic milestone by winning the North-East Regional Women’s League (Northern Section).
The Blues secured their title victory on Mother’s Day with a thrilling 1-0 win against the talented i2i International Soccer Academy at Teesdale Park, ensuring they cannot be overtaken at the top of the table.
Hannah Robson’s 12th-minute goal, forcing an error from the visiting defence, proved decisive in the tightly contested game.
The victory guarantees Thornaby the league title and promotion, marking a huge turnaround in the first season since the women’s team faced the threat of closure.
The title success was celebrated by everyone at Teesdale Park after the final whistle.
Thornaby Women boss Claire Streeter said: “We were at our best from the first whistle, you could tell the desire from the girls was there and they wanted to win the league on Sunday. It was a big team effort and every single person gave everything.
“We wanted it so bad. I knew when the game started it was going to be our day, I could just tell. It would have been nice to get a second goal to ease a few late nerves, but I felt the girls did enough and deserved to get over the line.
“They have turned out in all weathers, trained every week and we have shown how good we are against every team in the league.”
The title win holds particular significance for the club as it is the first time it has enjoyed winning silverware since Thornaby FC’s inception in 2000.
Streeter said: “I am so proud and happy for everyone who has been involved, the staff, the players, everyone behind the scenes and everyone who has supported us.
“It has been a real collective effort to achieve it, and we are delighted. I am sure we will be on a high for the next few weeks.”
The success is even more impressive considering the challenges faced by the women’s section just last summer.
Following a period of uncertainty at the end of last season, John and Alison McGee, from Middlesbrough-based critical power infrastructure and modular data centre specialists Durata, stepped in to form a new board that saved the women’s team.
Streeter said: “It is good to reflect on the progress made over the last ten months at Thornaby. It is phenomenal to see us promoted to Tier 5, the highest we have ever been.
“I am just glad that everything got resolved last summer and we were able to play our football. It has been a huge success.
“We had a team last year who finished third in the league, so after what happened last summer we have strengthened even further and had more support than ever. I always believed we would do it this year.”
Streeter, who also led the team to the first round of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup earlier in the season, was also keen to thank Alison, the CEO, and her husband, John, for stepping in when they did after the previous board had stepped down.
She said: “It’s hard to thank everyone involved, but Alison and John stepped in when they did and gave the women’s team an opportunity.
“Hopefully we have repaid them by being successful in the first season. The club is buzzing at the moment and we will be behind the men now and support them in their play-off push.”
Thornaby FC’s men’s team are also in the thick of a promotion race and are battling for a play-off place in Ebac Northern League Division Two after beating Chester-le-Street Town on Saturday.
