Extra video games than ever earlier than are set to be performed in main stadiums within the upcoming Barclays WSL marketing campaign, as golf equipment proceed to adapt to the rising reputation of the sport.
Arsenal broke the WSL attendance document final season as they welcomed 60,160 folks to the Emirates Stadium for his or her conflict in opposition to Manchester United in February. The 2023/24 marketing campaign in its entirety introduced in 717,721 folks throughout all video games, surpassing the season earlier than at 689,297.
Golf equipment have since recognised the necessity to give followers elevated entry to video games as girls’s soccer continues to develop in reputation. Leicester Metropolis and Aston Villa will share their membership’s important stadium with the respective males’s sides for each dwelling league fixture, whereas Arsenal will play one other eight WSL video games on the Emirates Stadium and probably no less than three within the Champions League too.
While not each membership has made the identical dedication, they’ve actually made the mandatory preparations to deal with extra video games at their main stadiums, thus enjoying a component to develop the sport.
Chelsea have confirmed they are going to play three dwelling video games at Stamford Bridge, with the remainder of their fixtures hosted at Kingsmeadow in Kingston upon Thames which has a capability of 4,850.
The membership’s Champions League semi-final second leg in opposition to Barcelona final season was performed in entrance of a sellout crowd on the Bridge, drawing in 39,398 folks.
Stamford Bridge fixtures
Like Chelsea, Metropolis will host three WSL video games on the membership’s main venue…the Etihad Stadium.
The remainder of their fixtures will probably be performed on the Joie Stadium throughout the road on the Etihad Campus, a 7,000-capacity facility utilized by the ladies’s first-team and the lads’s Elite Improvement Squad.
Etihad Stadium fixtures
Arsenal have set the usual with regards to nurturing an engaged fanbase, drawing massive crowds every time they play on the Emirates Stadium and breaking information alongside the way in which.
The Gunners made historical past final season after back-to-back sellouts, taking their common league attendance to 31,428. Arsenal are present scheduled for 11 video games on the Emirates in 2024/25, eight of that are within the WSL. Three others rely upon qualifying for the Champions League group stage.
Meadow Park, with a 4,500 capability will host solely three WSL dwelling video games: Crystal Palace, West Ham and Leicester Metropolis, that are among the many least glamorous fixtures on the calendar.
Emirates Stadium fixtures
Three of Liverpool’s fixtures will probably be performed at Anfield this season, however simply as excitingly, all of their different dwelling matches will probably be performed at completely different, greater venue, than in 2023/24.
The membership confirmed earlier this yr that they’d signed a ten-year lease to relocate from Prenton Park in Birkenhead, dwelling of Tranmere Rovers, to the 18,000-capacity Completely Depraved Stadium in St Helens.
Anfield fixtures
Manchester United will play the vast majority of their dwelling video games at Leigh Sports activities Village, however have three fixtures set for Previous Trafford, which has hosted WSL fixtures every season since 2020/21.
Marc Skinner’s crew will open the season in opposition to West Ham, who’ve been the opponent twice earlier than, however will probably be hoping for a really completely different consequence to the humiliating 6-0 membership document defeat by the hands of Chelsea within the last sport of final season.
Spurs created historical past on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium final season, with a victory that noticed them safe their spot within the FA Cup last.
The membership will probably be hoping to recreate that magic once more within the three fixtures they’ve scheduled to happen on the venue in 2024/25. Spurs will in any other case play their dwelling matches at Brisbane Street, which has a a lot smaller capability of 9,271.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium fixtures
Aston Villa introduced this summer time that Villa Park will now host all of their WSL dwelling video games.
Walsall’s Poundland Bescot Stadium will function a secondary venue and host any remaining fixtures.
Villa Park fixtures
Since 2021, Leicester have used the King Energy Stadium as their major dwelling and that may see them play all 11 WSL dwelling video games this season on the well-known venue.
The Foxes in any other case hold the Pirelli Stadium in Burton upon Trent as a back-up for potential clashes with the lads’s schedule, enjoying one league fixture there final season, in addition to a few cup ties.
King Energy Stadium fixtures
Everton, Brighton, West Ham and Crystal Palace are but to disclose which, if any, of their dwelling fixtures will probably be performed at their membership’s main stadium.
Because it stands, Everton will play their dwelling video games at Walton Corridor Park, West Ham on the Chigwell Building Stadium and newly promoted Crystal Palace on the VBS Neighborhood Stadium. In the meantime, Brighton are the Broadfield Stadium in Crawley.
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