Tanya Oxtoby has been appointed as Newcastle United Women's manager. New sporting director Ross Wilson was involved in the recruitment process.placeholder image
Tanya Oxtoby has been appointed as Newcastle United Women's manager. New sporting director Ross Wilson was involved in the recruitment process. | Getty Images
Newcastle United news: Newcastle United women have appointed a new manager.
Newcastle United Women have confirmed the appointment of Tanya Oxtoby as their new manager. Oxtoby becomes the team’s second manager since turning professional under new ownership following the departure of Becky Langley.
Langley had been manager of Newcastle United Women for six years and guided the Magpies to back-to-back promotions in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons. However, Langley’s side missed out on a third successive promotion last season and started this campaign with mixed results on the pitch before he departure.
Since then, under the interim stewardship of Claire Ditchburn, they have won twice and drawn once - including a 3-1 win over Sunderland at St James’ Park last weekend. Oxtoby, meanwhile, will head to Tyneside with great experience of the Women’s Super League, a division the Magpies have dreams of playing in, having worked alongside Emma Hayes at Chelsea for two seasons.
Most recently, Oxtoby spent just over two years in charge of Northern Ireland. She joins the Magpies on a deal until 2029. Oxtoby’s appointment marks the first major move that the club’s new sporting director Ross Wilson has had an active role in.
Wilson, who joined the club from Nottingham Forest in October, worked alongside the club’s CEO David Hopkinson, director of women’s football Grace Williams, head of football strategy Jack Ross and director of performance James Bunce in the recruitment process of hiking Oxtoby.
Tanya Oxtoby reveals Newcastle United ambition
A resurgence on the pitch of late has ensured that Newcastle United still harbour realistic ambitions of promotion. Although they trail WSL 2 leaders Charlton Athletic by ten points, they sit just six points behind Birmingham City Women, the team that currently occupy second place.
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The top two in WSL2 are promoted automatically to the Women’s Super League - a level that Newcastle United Women are yet to reach. That, ultimately, is the aim for Oxtoby who spoke of the ‘exciting project’ she is joining on Tyneside.
“I am excited and honoured. It is an exciting project and it's my job to add to that, we are very ambitious, and it will be an amazing journey,” Oxtoby told the club’s website.
“My job is to come in and develop players and take us to the next level. I want to help everyone reach their potential and take them on a journey that will be really successful.
“The ambition that the club shows and my own ambition, they align and we are wanting to be successful and that's the responsibility I carry.”
Newcastle United’s director of women's football Grace Williams added: “We are delighted to welcome Tanya to the club. She brings with her a great amount of experience and it was clear throughout the process that she matches the drive and ambition that we have to take Newcastle United Women forward.
“Tanya knows our team and the quality that it has within it, and she is excited to work with and develop our players as we move into the next part of our journey.
“As a leadership team, we were all impressed with Tanya and believe she is the perfect fit to help us embed the long-term strategy that will allow us to thrive beyond this season.”
Newcastle United Women face Everton in the Subway Women’s League Cup at the Gateshead International Stadium this afternoon (2pm kick-off).
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