MANCHESTER, England – The streets around Old Trafford were crowded from the start, and men in high jackets were charging 20 more for the empty space in the landfill that had to be parked in popup cars for the night. The park was transformed. This usually happens when Manchester United play at home, but the fact that this is true for the England women’s game is a clear indication of the incredible growth of the game and why Euro 2022 is about to break all records.
On the pitch, Beth Mead’s goal in the 16th minute was enough to give the Lions a 1-0 win over Austria in the first leg of the tournament, and Serena Vigman’s side were enough to ensure they were one of the favorites to win the tournament. Status as (Stream replay in US) Sometimes it was nervous and England should have won three or four in the end, but that was all that happened off the pitch on the opening night of the 13th UEFA European Women’s Championship.
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The last time England hosted the Women’s Euro was in 2005, with an average attendance of 7,894 during the tournament, which was held entirely in the north-west of England. In the most recent women’s Euro staging – in the Netherlands in 2017 – the average attendance was once again at 8,743, down from 8,000. On Wednesday, Old Trafford Stadium saw a virtual sale with 68,871 fans – a new record crowd for the tournament.
There will be an even bigger crowd at Wembley Stadium for the final on 31 July, with all tickets for the game already sold out, allowing England to win the tournament for the first time and become the first senior England team to win a major competition. . Is. Won the Men’s World Cup in 1966.
But whether or not England go all the way – and they face stiff competition from Sweden, France, Spain and Germany – the final winner of Euro 2022 will be the women’s game because, like the traffic jam outside Old Trafford, it is now one. Big event when the lioness plays.
“The number of people was amazing,” said midfielder Georgia Stanway. “The opportunity was huge.”
The names of star players Mead, Stanway, Lucy Bronze, Leah Williamson and Fran Kirby were on the backs of thousands of England shirts worn by young girls in the crowd – and their parents – and they now stand alongside Harry Kane. , Rahim Sterling and Marcus Rashford as idols in their own right.
The Women’s Super League has grown rapidly since its inception in 2011, and every major team in the Premier League now takes women’s sports as seriously as men’s. That is why the participation of women in football has increased rapidly in recent years.
According to figures compiled by the English Football Association, 1.7 million women over the age of 16 played the game in 2018 – a number that rose to 2.63m in 2021. The number of registered women’s teams has increased from 6,000 to 12,000. Duration.
But despite the development of the women’s sport, FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said earlier this month in response to criticism of Euro 2022 venue selection that “very few” clubs would be potential hosts during the application process in 2019. Your hand
“We actually had to persuade some clubs and cities to come forward,” Bullingham said.
United Old Trafford – the largest club stadium in English football – was eager to be recognized as the venue for the opening game, however, and the huge presence underscored the passion for women’s sport that is engulfing the country.
It was a different crowd than the usual Old Trafford poll, with families and groups of young girls crowding the stadium with their football teams. And as the Austrian national anthem begins with joy, it feels more playful than hate, and the whole atmosphere fills with joy.
Opponents say ticket prices for the men’s competition are a fraction of this – £ 10 for adults and £ 5 for children under 16 are the cheapest tickets – and as a result attendance will be higher, but whether or not a discount will be granted, if spectators are not interested in the event Will be able to choose one. More than 500,000 have been sold so far for this competition, which shows great interest from fans across the country.
And it’s not just England. When Barcelona played Wolfsburg in the Champions League in April, Camp Nine had the highest attendance of 91,648 people for the women’s game in Europe.
But great interest leads to great repression and England are expected to win the tournament and become European champions for the first time.
Prior to the match against Austria, England had won every game since their appointment last September, scoring 84 goals and conceding just three, but only when you are the host nation and everyone believes you can win.
But England crossed the first hurdle by winning a game and once, the home team at Old Trafford took control of the game and finally got the result.
The next Group A matches are against Norway in Brighton and Northern Ireland in Southampton. More expectations and a more complete stadium, but the women’s game is still there and a symbol of how important it has become.