When the final whistle blew after seven minutes of tense added time, many of the 3,006 supporters in attendance at Prenton Park applauded the almighty, who were there to see Liverpool come from behind to beat champions Chelsea in their Super Women’s return. League.
While 2020 saw them relegated to the second division, with new manager Matt Beard at the helm, following the controversial sacking of Vicky Jepson, Liverpool ran away with the Championship title last season and now appear well-placed to stay in the highest category. In this age.
Especially from Emma Hayes’s evidence against Chelsea on Sunday.
With considerable away support contributing, 3,006 was a record crowd for a Liverpool Women’s match at Tranmere. High on the heels of England’s summer European Championship triumph, women’s football is seeing a spike in interest.
The match was broadcast live on Sky Sports and BBC Radio 5 Live, becoming the network’s most-watched Women’s Super League match in history with 420,000 tuned in.
Jo Goodall, president of the Liverpool Women Supporters Club (@LFCWSC), was there before the TV cameras arrived.
He founded the organization in March 2020 with the aim of increasing the reach of Liverpool Women and providing “an independent voice on behalf of those who they believe matter most, the fans, by representing and promoting their views and interests to the club, the media, the local community and the rest of the football world”.
Next to Prenton Park, as the Mersey Clipper pub fills up ahead of the season opener, there’s definitely a buzz about the place.
Outside, fans expect to see the English stars of the summer as they enter the main stand.
There will be even more to the match on Sunday as the Merseyside women’s derby takes place at Anfield for the first time since November 2019.
Goodall said: “It’s an amazing thing.
“We had the derby there a couple of years ago, just before COVID, which was an amazing turnout. There were 23,500 people there. Hopefully this season we’ll have a lot more people on the ground.
“Especially after the European Championship, I think we are going to see a lot more fans starting to support women now; not just Liverpool, but the entire women’s league.”
“Fill this stadium first”
Chelsea was also supposed to play at the men’s stadium, Stamford Bridge, last weekend, but the match was postponed. Instead, they will face Tottenham there in November.
While significant progress has been made in recent years, renowned Chelsea manager Hayes, who helped develop the women’s game, said: “It’s wonderful that there are 3,000 here, but I think we need to fill this stadium first.”
Prenton Park, after all, has a capacity of over 16,000.
“Sometimes we all get incredibly ambitious, which is wonderful,” he added.
“But fill this place up and then we can talk about it, or at least fill it halfway every week, not one week, so we can talk about construction beyond our home stadiums.
“I think it’s important to play [at men’s stadiums] for the biggest games when they come along, but they’re not decisions for me to make. They’re for marketing, commercials, and everyone who thinks they can put the fans out there.”
While there is reason for hope regarding future growth, the Reds who have already invested are looking forward to next season.
Despite the win, all was not perfect for Liverpool at the weekend: star attacker Leanne Kiernan suffered an ankle injury that may require surgery and will see her out for several months.
It is a blow for the team, but the fans are still happy.
Goodall is one of the most optimistic. She said, “For me personally, I have a pretty positive attitude this season. I think we’re going to do pretty well.
“I would love to see us in the top three, top four, but I don’t want to be too optimistic. I don’t want to put the team under any pressure.
“We have a strong team and the team is very well united this season. I would love to see us at the top of the table.”
“Much more to come”
Goodall’s prediction is slightly higher than others, but the fact that Liverpool are in this position shows how far the team have come in such a short time.
Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, have been criticized in the past for their disregard for the women’s team. However, things are beginning to change.
Investment increased by 21 per cent from 2020 to 2021, and although they are still far behind the setups of some WSL rivals, Goodall insisted things are being done to change at the club.
“The club has been criticized for some years for the finances that go into the women’s team,” he continued.
“Knowing some of the little things behind the scenes that go on with the club, I think people need to stay positive. I think there are a lot of changes behind the scenes that I can’t really talk about.
“All I would say to the fans is to stay positive, follow the supporters club for updates and trust us when we say the club is working hard to show everyone what Liverpool is all about.
“Trust us when we say that the club is definitely investing in the women’s team and there will be much more to come.”
In the short term, two of the three post-derby league games are against Arsenal, last season’s runners-up, and the growing strength of Man City.
It will be a test of whether Liverpool are really here to compete among the best.
Get your tickets to see LFC Women vs. Everton at Anfield here, with tickets starting at just £1 for children. Ticket sales cut-off is at 4:00 pm on Friday.
