As we prepare to peel the 2025 calendar off the wall at The Manor, it’s time to look back at a year where The Hawks didn’t just participate—they soared, occasionally got caught in the Newcastle rain, and once scored so many goals that the scoreboard operator likely needed a lie-down and a cold compress.
Here is the definitive, slightly witty, and entirely “eagle-free” review of the Heaton Hawks LFC year.
The Great North Squad Scramble
The season kicked off with a 5-0 demolition of West Allotment Celtic, which was a minor miracle considering half the squad seemed to be either on holiday or attempting to run the Great North Run. Despite the depleted numbers, the team proved that “Togetherness” isn’t just a buzzword on a training top—it’s the ability to turn up, ignore the aching legs of teammates who’d just run 13 miles, and put five past the opposition anyway. Claire took home Player of the Match, while Rachael decided that 30 yards was the appropriate distance from which to unleash a heat-seeking missile into the top corner.
A Date with Destiny (and Darlington)
2025 was the year the Hawks officially went “big time” with a historic debut in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup. The trip to Darlington FC was a milestone moment, marking the first time the club’s blue and yellow colors were represented in the nation’s most prestigious competition. It was a day of “History in the Making,” proving that while we might play at The Manor, our ambitions are decidedly more Wembley-adjacent.
The 10-Goal Gala
If you like defensive masterclasses, the League Cup clash against Gosforth Bohemians was… well, it was something else. A 10-4 victory is the kind of scoreline usually reserved for Sunday league cricket or a very chaotic game of FIFA. Lucy bagged a hat-trick so clinical it should have come with a medical license, and goals were shared around like New Year’s resolutions. By the time the final whistle blew, the Hawks had left the Bohemians wondering if they’d accidentally wandered into a goal-scoring whirlwind.
The Gritty Reality of the Winter
It hasn’t all been sunshine and double-digit wins. The late-year fixtures against North Shields provided some “character-building” moments (which is the polite way of saying they were tough). Between the 3-1 and 2-0 results, the Hawks showed plenty of that famous team spirit, even when the North East weather tried its best to turn the pitch into a swimming pool. The postponement of the December Gosforth rematch was perhaps nature’s way of telling us that 14 goals in one fixture was probably enough for one calendar year.
Squad Spotlight
Beyond the scoresheets, 2025 has been defined by the individuals who make the collective work. From the defensive reliability of Daisy and Jordan holding the line, to the tireless engine room of Claire and Meg winning battles in the middle of the park, the stats tell a story of a team that works for each other.
Looking Ahead
We head into January with a clear focus on the league and a table that still has plenty of room for a Hawks-shaped ascent. The 2025 season has been a testament to what happens when a group of players values the person next to them as much as the ball at their feet.
Happy New Year to the players, the volunteers, the fans at The Manor, and the entire Hawks family! May your 2026 be filled with clean sheets and top-corner screamers.
Onwards and upwards!