FA Women's Super League 2016

[Janik]

FA Women's Super League 2016

The Awesome Berbaslug!!! wrote: This might be the place to ask. Is today's All ireland women's football final today of 34,445 the biggest attendence for a female sport in the world this year? The USWNT didn't manage that this year.

52,432 at the Women's gold medal match in Rio. And 39,718 at the Bronze medal game, which featured Brazil. Biggest attendance was the Semi with Brazil though; 70,454. Their QF also drew over 50k.

[Janik]

FA Women's Super League 2016

And of course other large crowds in the Olympic Stadium for Athletics. They weren't solely there for Women's sport of course, but equally they weren't there solely for Men's.

None of which should detract from what seems an excellent marketing job done by the GAA.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

FA Women's Super League 2016

yeah, the world cup finals and semis last year also hit above 50,000. I think the the USWNT seem to do quite well for numbers on a regular basis, based on their venue.

The GAA cheats though, longford were playing armagh in the minor game beforehand so there was four counties worth, as well as the various people from around the country who go to the all ireland. I was down in cahir at the weekend, and there are posters and calendars of the local girls GAA team everywhere. They won the All ireland intermediate camogie, and got to the All ireland intermediate football final. (it's to do with the size of the club)

The GAA is advertising it on Telly and Aldi are really pushing the branding of women's football really hard. I drove past a bunch of ten year olds this morning training on the local pitch here, and the little girl across the street, kicks the ball onto the roof and practices catching the ball as it drops. I don't think her parents know, because i'd have been killed if I'd done something like this. It's great because the GAA seems to be finally getting somewhere after pushing it very hard over the last decade. Numbers seem to be exploding, and with that the standard will start to soar.

It's great because this country was really terrible for womens sport, while expecting that every village field a full team of boys in each age group.

[Janik]

FA Women's Super League 2016

Talking of crowds, the attendance at the City Academy Stadium was 4096. Which is very decent by the standards of Women's club football. I wonder if the average rose again this year, without a World Cup afterglow to boost it?

[laverte]

FA Women's Super League 2016

Per the FA, average attendance in WSL 1 is up to 1,443, from 1,022 last year. Chelsea are attracting about 100 more spectators to each league games (1609 vs 1507) although obviously there are more home games this season.

The Guardian and the i put Mancehster City's title win on the front page. Hurrah.

I hope Donny Belles get at least one point before the end of the season.

A nod to WSL 2's top scorer Ini Umotong, who was a class player at Portsmouth and is now having a fabulous individual season on a bad team (Oxford).

[laverte]

FA Women's Super League 2016

Mighty Yeovil Town won the 2nd division before a home crowd of nearly 1500. The first goal of three was scored by likeable swaggering winger Lucy Quinn, a late season signing from Pompey where she is much missed. Quinn, who commutes from Chichester, finished among WSL2's top 20 goalscorers despite playing only five games.

Oxford's Ini Umotong, also signed from Portsmouth, finished as the division's top goalscorer. The second team promoted is Bristol City. Relegated from the top flight are Doncaster, who have a chance to pick up their first point of the season (in the final gane) against Reading this evening. [EDIT: And they did! A 1-0 win.]

[laverte]

FA Women's Super League 2016

Notts County Ladies' future in doubt.

Three years ago the FA deemed the takeover of Lincoln Ladies to be low-risk. The team's chief executive said it was part of "the progression of the women's game".

Oh well.