Featured Image: Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash
The Women’s FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium yesterday (Sunday) welcomed a record-breaking crowd of 77,390.
Chelsea lifted the FA Cup trophy after securing a 1-0 win against Women’s Super League (WSL) rivals Manchester United, thanks to a 68th minute goal from Sam Kerr.
The figure smashed last year’s final attendance record of 49,094 and tickets sold out well in advance of the game.
Wembley also witnessed a new record for the largest crowd to watch a women’s domestic club fixture anywhere in the world.
Baroness Sue Campbell, Football Association (FA) director of women’s football, said: “To break the world record is a massive statement and a wonderful marker as to where the women’s game has come in this country.
“A lot of credit goes to all of the players and the clubs in the Barclays Women’s Super League, the Barclays Women’s Championship and below that, but also credit to everybody that’s worked at the FA to make sure this is a reality.
“I’ve said before that we’ve come a long way, but we’ve still got an incredibly long way to go and we know that. But it’s another marker in the sand that the game in this country is now alive and well, flourishing and growing.”
Baroness Campbell also attributed the sell-out to the continued boom in support for women’s sports following England’s triumph at the Euros last summer.
The FA had also included a target to sell out the Women’s FA Cup final in the organisation’s four-year strategy for women’s football, ‘Inspiring Positive Change’, which was set in October 2020.
“When we set out in our strategy to sell out the Women’s FA Cup Final back in 2020, I didn’t expect it would happen so soon and it’s pretty special to break the world record,” said Campbell.
“I do think this is all part of the continued Euro bounce. What happened when people came to the games, not just the England games but anywhere in the country, they just enjoyed the vibe and the environment so much.
“Everyone had such an incredibly good time and they realised that what they were watching was world-class football and world-class sport.”
Campbell added that increased attendances were also being witnessed across women’s football, from the WSL and Barclays Women’s Championship, to the Women’s National League and even in the fourth tier, where Newcastle attracted over 22,000 to a match.
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