English Soccer News

West Ham v Tottenham in WSL: About 20,000 fans expected for London Stadium game

West Ham Women usually play their home games at Rush Green Stadium

About 20,000 fans are expected at Sunday’s Women’s Super League game between West Ham and Tottenham at the London Stadium, Jack Sullivan has said.

The Hammers’ women’s side will be playing at the 60,000-seater stadium for the first time.

Both sides have won once and lost once in the WSL this term.

“We have either sold, or given away to local community groups and schools, just under 20,000 tickets,” said West Ham women’s managing director Sullivan.

“I think we’ll get maybe just over 20,000 there, and considering we only had five weeks to sell it, we’re pretty happy with that number.”

Such a turnout would be the third-largest in the WSL era, which began in 2011, and comfortably a club record for West Ham’s women.

They usually play at Rush Green Stadium, on the site of West Ham’s Rush Green training ground near Romford.

A crowd of 1,297 saw their first home league game of this season – the 1-0 win over Birmingham on 15 September.

Sullivan added: “It’ll be a really amazing occasion for us but they are the sort of numbers we’re hoping for, which will fill the lower bowl and just a bit above that as well.

“It’s an exciting week off the back of the men’s team beating Manchester United as well, so hopefully there’s a feel good factor around the club and we can kick on with those numbers.”

Manchester City, Chelsea and Bristol City all hosted matches at the home of their male team’s ground during the opening weekend of the WSL season, with attendances of 31,213, 24,564 and 3,041 respectively.

The turnout at the Etihad Stadium smashed – by almost a factor of six – the previous league record, which had been the 5,265 that saw Arsenal clinch last season’s title at Brighton’s Amex Stadium.

Spurs, who were promoted to the WSL from the Championship at the end of last term, will host the Gunners at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 17 November, during the Football Association’s first annual Women’s Football Weekend.

BBC Sport has launched #ChangeTheGame to showcase female athletes in a way they never have been before. Through more live women’s sport available to watch across the BBC in 2019, complemented by our journalism, we are aiming to turn up the volume on women’s sport and alter perceptions. Find out more here.

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