‘We aren’t just taking part; we are here to win’ - Newcastle’s Neil Hoey believes the team’s desire will see them pick up points

Writes: Evan Halliday

Newcastle re-joined the IKO EAFL for the 2025 season and their first round of fixtures showed plenty of positive signs for the Toon to become a winning team.

Despite being winless, Newcastle can be proud of their performances in the opening week. The black and white army battled until the very end in all of their games and unfortunately suffered narrow losses to the well-established Portsmouth and Chelsea teams but the opportunity to turn those defeats into points is certainly there.

Their first match of their new campaign saw Neil Hoey etch himself a page in the history books as he scored Newcastle’s first goal in the IKO EAFL, a moment he is incredibly proud of.

Hoey said: “It felt brilliant to score the first goal for Newcastle, playing for the club is such a privilege and to be able to thank them with a goal was the icing on the cake. We look forward to plenty more throughout the season.”

Away from his goal, Hoey was also proud of his teammates who showed the determination of a team who can climb up the table.

The Ireland international said: “personally, I think it was a very positive day, we showed we were hungry for a win and willing to put the work in. We were very close to picking up points in two out of three of the games, going 1-0 up against Portsmouth and coming back from being 2-0 against Chelsea.

“The more game-time we get together, the more we will improve. Knowing the players around you is massively important in performing better together.”

Looking forward to future fixtures, Hoey attributes hard work to being the main factor that will see Newcastle improve.

“The team is working a lot on their fitness; everyone is sharing their training techniques with each other and we are a motivated group who are looking to progress together.

“We are looking to represent ourselves well this year, we aren’t just taking part, we are here to win. If the work is put in on and off the pitch, there is no reason we can’t give a solid account of ourselves,” Hoey said.

Newcastle will be back in action this weekend at the Home of Amputee Football as they look to get some points on the board.

Keep up to date across our social pages to see how the Toon Army get on.