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[Albion] Women's FA Cup Semifinal against Man Utd confirmed for Saturday 15th April
- Thread starter zeetha
- Start date
Horton's halftime iceberg
Blooming Marvellous
Its a long way to go, hopefully the club will organize some transport, we need all the support we can get as its a home fixture for Man U. I see the Villa semi final is at the Bescot staduim is that a home fixture for Villa too. I thought the semi finals were supposed to neutral. https://www.manutd.com/en/news/deta...man-utd-women-v-brighton-in-fa-cup-semi-final
Official Old Man
Uckfield Seagull
Anybody know someone at Chelsea? We could get the game shown on TV there 
Comrade Sam
Comrade Sam
So why is it near Manchester and not Brighton?
Not sure I'd want to stick around on the concourse there thanks 🫤 Maybe there'll be a niche pub somewhere showing itAnybody know someone at Chelsea? We could get the game shown on TV there
Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo
I believe in Joe Hendry
- Oct 4, 2003
- 12,063
I don't think the semi finals have ever been played at a neutral stadium in the Womans FA Cup. At least not for as long as I can remember.
The attendance figures are so low even with one team at their home ground that playing it at a neutral ground would probably eliminate 90% of the crowd and the games would struggle to get attract more than a couple of hundred people.
hart's shirt
Well-known member
This although the games would bring in a few thousand rather than a couple of hundred.
Better to have a home team to encourage a larger crowd. I doubt we'd be complaining had we been drawn first in the tie.
There will be a difference for the Final with 50,000 tickets issued despite the fact that the 2 finalists aren't known yet.
The Twitter account 'wslattendances' ("Women's football stats and views without the sugar coating") gives a succinct view of this.
Yes, if the club arrange some transport or Seagulls Travel do a reasonable price coach I'll probably go. Otherwise it's just too much for me.
Is it PotG?
Thrifty non-licker
Sadly were loose.
Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo
I believe in Joe Hendry
- Oct 4, 2003
- 12,063
I don't think games at neutral grounds would bring in more than a few hundred people, certainly not a few thousand.
Last season West Ham vs Man City had 1,500 people watching, Arsenal vs Chelsea got 3,500. Season before both semi finals (Man City vs Chelsea, Arsenal vs Brighton) got just 1,300 at both games.
I would expect similar numbers this season, it's a shame that despite the success of the Euros here last summer it hasn't translated to a major surge in people going to league and cup games.
Really? I thought attendances throughout the WSL this season have been much higher than last season. At Crawley, we‘ve been getting between 2,500 and 3,500, whereas last season we were struggling to reach 1000 most games (and that was with the team doing much better in terms of results). And we started the season at the Amex with 5220, which although not a record crowd for a women’s match, is still higher than usual.
I’ve just googled WSL attendances, and apparently:
“Overall, average crowds in the WSL stand at 6,961 for the season up to January 21, 2023, more than two and a half times last season's average of 1,898.” That’s according to Forbes.
Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo
I believe in Joe Hendry
- Oct 4, 2003
- 12,063
I think you are probably right and I misread the stat I saw.
It was something along the lines of crowds are up on average 266 people, which isn't much considering the Euros but that figure was season on season for just the FA Cup QF games. The FA Cup doesn't seem to be much of a draw at all, but the WSL figures are up a lot. And tickets seem to be selling well for the Champions League QF that Arsenal and Chelsea are playing this week.
hart's shirt
Well-known member
You're quite right - I think I misread your original post. Definitely right to have SFs at a home ground to maximise attendances.
2 big attendances over the weekend (almost 28k at Old Trafford and over 22k at Goodison), but only 970 for Reading v Albion.
But that 970 was still higher that any of the French equivalent attendances and 5 of the 8 top flight women's games in Spain.
There's such a large discrepancy between the high and low attendances that it's difficult to work out exactly where the game is.
Phenomenal genuine growth with a new audience or an unsustainable bubble that ignores numbers to fit a narrative?
In all honesty, the jury's probably still out and it's likely to remain that way for a while.
Normal Rob
Well-known member
Bit annoyed its up there tbh. My daughter and I have tickets for the final through her junior team and i was hoping that the Albion would be there. Looks extremely unlikely now.
Horton's halftime iceberg
Blooming Marvellous
I would have definitely gone if it wasnt clashing with Chelsea away. I wonder If we will get to see it shown anywhere around Stamford Bridge on TV, maybe we will be watching it on our phones on the train back.
Date and ticket info for Women's FA Cup Semi-Final
Albion to face Manchester United.
www.brightonandhovealbion.com
Timing is crap and demonstrates that the FA are still treating the womens game as "second class". To arrange a semi final for the same day that one club's mens team are playing is hardly going to maximise the attendence is it? Man Utd (M) don't play until 16th so they will have a good turnout.
So we have to play hundreds of miles away on a day that clashes with the mens match at Chelsea. Great stuff.
So we have to play hundreds of miles away on a day that clashes with the mens match at Chelsea. Great stuff.
zeetha
Well-known member
- Apr 11, 2011
- 1,360
- Thread starter
- #20
Know what you mean, though with Man Utd men playing on the 16th then if they'd put the semifinal on that day it might have affected attendance for their fans.
Just booked my ticket and coach travel so hoping I won't be the only person going!
I've just looked at the capacity of the stadium and its 12000, and we've only been allocated 150 (as far as I can tell). I know we get smallish crowds, aren't playing well and are the other end of the country but seems a bit low for a semifinal. Maybe they'll release more if we sell those...
Just booked my ticket and coach travel so hoping I won't be the only person going!
I've just looked at the capacity of the stadium and its 12000, and we've only been allocated 150 (as far as I can tell). I know we get smallish crowds, aren't playing well and are the other end of the country but seems a bit low for a semifinal. Maybe they'll release more if we sell those...