FA wants to triple crowds by 2024

The Football Association wants crowds in the Women’s Super League to be three times bigger by 2024.

A new broadcast deal has seen viewing figures increase hugely. Prior to last weekend’s round of matches, the average attendance across the league has dropped from “around 3,000” in 2020-21 to 2,282 this season.

But the FA hopes the average will increase to 6,000 in three years, which would be a sell-out for most clubs.

“Our priority in 2024 is to sell-out the [women’s] stadiums that we are in,” said the FA’s director of the women’s professional game Kelly Simmons.

“Pre-Covid we had some big crowds in the men’s stadia then we were starting to sell-out some of the big games in the women’s grounds.

“We want to continue that growth. When we get to the point when we start to sell-out more regularly [in women’s grounds], it gives us a really nice problem where we will look at alternative stadiums or seek other options.”

West Ham Women play at  the Chigwell Construction Stadium which is the home to Dagenham & Redbridge

The stadium has a capacity of 6,078  with 2,200 seats.

The Hammer average home attendance this season is 1,125

2021/2022 Attendances:

West Ham Women v Aston Villa Attendance 1,106

West Ham Women v Leciester City  Attendance 1,128

West Ham Women v Birmingham City Attendance 1,142

The West Ham Women’s record attendance is 24,790, a game played against Spurs Women in the London Stadium.

 

About Sean Whetstone

I am Season Ticket Holder in West stand lower at the London Stadium and before that, I used to stand in the Sir Trevor Brooking Lower Row R seat 159 in the Boleyn Ground and in the Eighties I stood on the terraces of the old South Bank. I am a presenter on the West Ham Podcast called MooreThanJustaPodcast.co.uk. A Blogger on WestHamTillIdie.com a member of the West Ham Supporters Advisory Board (SAB), Founder of a Youtube channel called Mr West Ham Football at http://www.youtube.com/MrWestHamFootball, I am also the associate editor here at Claret and Hugh. Life Long singer of bubbles! Come on you Irons! Follow me at @Westhamfootball on twitter