[Albion] Brighton Women Final Home Game this season to be staged at the Amex on 28th April

[hart's shirt]

As I said, you seem to accept men’s teams relying on wealthy club owners. Why do you have an issue with the women’s game doing the same?

I have no issue. It's Tony Bloom's money and he can spend it however he wants. I'm pleased that he is spending some on the Albion Women.

My point still stands - in order to grow, the game has to move away from relying on the benevolence of club owners paying the bills.

“Ultimately it’s only going to be sustainable if we can get more people aware of the WSL, through the turnstiles and more watching on TV. That is as important, almost more important in some ways, than the cash because that will help clubs long term to attract their own sponsorship deals and get better matchday sales as well as help us with our TV deals which is where most of the men’s money comes from.”
- Kelly Simmons, FA's director of the professional women's game https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/mar/20/barclays-womens-super-league-sponsor-record-deal-uk-fa

 

[Brovion]

Assume all ST holders plus 1901s received letter from Bloom about game and asking to attend for free. This is an expensive way to hopefully get a good crowd.. Do you know what the estimate is

Well if they count the crowds the same way they do for the mens' games (with STHs being counted as 'attending' regardless) there's going to be over 23,000 there!

 

[Brovion]

Cheers!



... I do get a little annoyed at people who persist on coming onto these threads just to say how much womens football is rubbish and they have no interest in it but maybe they protest too much??

I wouldn't worry too much about that. Threads about the English national side are always full of people saying how little they care. And this is the mens' team we're talking about!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

My point still stands - in order to grow, the game has to move away from relying on the benevolence of club owners paying the bills]

Fair enough. But it’s quite common, in many varying areas of business (and life for that matter), to invest to grow.

Your point is weak at best.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Assume all ST holders plus 1901s received letter from Bloom about game and asking to attend for free. This is an expensive way to hopefully get a good crowd.. Do you know what the estimate is

I guess one person’s “expensive way” is another’s “stadium is sitting idle so I could get some punters in to spend some dollar and get some exposure to the women’s team to boot”?

 

[ozzygull]

Just got a ticket for me and my mum.It will be the first match she has seen at the Amex. Got a wheelchair space and helper in E2A, looking forward to it.

 

[hart's shirt]

Fair enough. But it’s quite common, in many varying areas of business (and life for that matter), to invest to grow.

Any investor is looking for a return and ideally growth. I'm pretty sure Tony Bloom's no different here.

Leaving aside what the current 2018-2019 WSL season will amount to, he's already covered losses by over a million over the last 2 seasons.

Perhaps the Albion will see increased future paying attendances immediately following the WC. But what could the interest and market look like afterwards?

If there's an increase, it would certainly go against falling numbers in Germany, France, Spain and Italy.

"More than 60,000 spectators at a women’s game in Spain is clearly a positive step but that was just a one off," Stephan Schmidt, a spokesperson for Turbine Potsdam, one of the most successful clubs in German women’s football, told DW. "The day to day reality is quite different and we’re actually seeing a dramatic decline in the number of fans coming to watch matches."

Schmidt doesn’t believe the World Cup is likely to have a long term impact on attendance figures, which have fallen 25 percent at Turbine over the past five years, regardless of how well Germany fare.

"Five years ago, we could expect around 2,000 spectators at home games but the figure has dropped to around 1,500 per game this season," he said. "If Germany go far in the Women's World Cup then it’s possible those numbers will increase, but a quick boost doesn’t really help anyone. It needs to be sustained over a longer period to be of benefit to the league."

It’s a similar story right across Germany, where numbers are plummeting regardless of on-field success. Wolfsburg’s women’s team, reigning Bundesliga champions and back-to-back winners of the Women’s Champions League in 2013 and 2014, have also seen crowds leaving in droves.

Five years ago, Wolfsburg were drawing in average crowds of around 2,400 per league game. That figure is now around 1,300; a 42 percent drop in average gate figures.

It’s not just Germany either, other nations have struggled to maintain matchday attendances despite great strides in other areas of the women’s game.

In France, Lyon, widely-regarded as the best women’s team in Europe and winner of three Champions League titles in a row between 2015 and 2018, have seen average gates nosedive since five years ago, from more than 4,500 in 2013-14 to fewer than 1,000 this campaign. Montpellier’s gate has dropped 49 percent, Guingcamp's, 35 percent.

Matchday figures are also falling across the board in Spain and Italy, with the Spanish clash between Atletico and Barcelona appearing even more of an anomaly when taking regular league gates into account.

https://www.dw.com/en/empty-seats-the-worrying-reality-of-womens-football-across-europe/a-48006356

 

[Beach Seagull]

1956 just called, it wants its opinions back. Do none of you have daughters?

No and if i did wouldn't want her playing football / rugby / cricket, they are men's sport and not for girls. Awaits the usual 'my daughter plays football and loves it' replies. Good for them but I wouldn't want my daughter playing men's sport.

 

[zeetha]

The two free tickets offer for season ticket holders has been extended until 5pm today in case anyone is interested, with a couple of sections of the North Stand available now too.

UTA

 

[McTavish]

No and if i did wouldn't want her playing football / rugby / cricket, they are men's sport and not for girls. Awaits the usual 'my daughter plays football and loves it' replies. Good for them but I wouldn't want my daughter playing men's sport.

Why are they "men's sports"?

 

[zeetha]

As expected Arsenal won today at the Amex against Brighton Women scoring 2 goals in each half without reply from us. The attendance of 5265 was a record in the Womens Super League which was good to see.

Official match report : https://www.brightonandhovealbion.c...e-albion-women-vs-arsenal-women-on-28-apr-19/

I wasn't able to go as my mum was discharged from hospital today as shes doing very well after her op, but for those who did go did you enjoy it and what was the atmosphere like despite the result?

 

[Gwylan]

I had a ticket but couldn't go as my son was ill (and Mrs G is away). Watched it on the box and Arsenal were a class above us. Miedama's goal was a cracker but thought the goalie could have done better with the last two goals.

Not a bad atmosphere though and it does show the potential for the women's game in Brighton. Wish they'd play every match in B&H, we'd get far better gates.

 

[zeetha]

I agree, having the matches played at Crawley does affect the crowd no matter what efforts the club put in to get people there.

Just watched the match through and as expected Brighton completely outclassed though the players tried hard. Always going to be hard to compete against the likes of Arsenal, Man City and Chelsea and like the Premier League there are 3 divisions within this one league and unfortunately we are currently in the bottom of those. The more we play in the top league though, the more we will improve so lets hope we can stay up again next season - which again will be tough as one of the teams coming up is Man Utd...

 

[amexer]

I did go and congratulations to club for what they do and encouraging support. However I wont go again. Nothing wrong with it but chalk and cheese to mens game. I cant see followers of mens team watching and feel they need to attract a new audience which hopefully is out there.