Manchester United Women have sold more than 20,000 tickets for their game against Aston Villa at Old Trafford in December.
Following England’s success at the Summer European Championship, WSL ticket sales have soared after Leah Williams called on the 87,192 fans at Wembley and those watching from home to support women’s football nationally.
United’s opening match at Leigh Sports Village against Reading saw their highest attendance at that ground with 5,315 people witnessing their 4–0 victory.
The 20,000 tickets sold at Old Trafford exceed the average per match for the entire European Championship, which was 18,544.
The FA’s director for the women’s game, Kelly Simmons, said: “It’s incredible to have seen a number of records broken so early in the season, which really highlights the huge interest in the Barclays Women’s Super League at the moment.
“We started at the start of the season wanting to break records and really highlight the unstoppable momentum generated by the UEFA European Women’s Championship, and I’m delighted that we were able to do that as well as watch some exciting matches and plenty of entertainment. It really indicates a growing audience and I hope we continue to see that growth throughout the season.”
United’s women first played at Old Trafford behind closed doors against West Ham before taking on Everton there last season, where they won 3-1.
On that occasion, a record crowd of 20,241 was on hand to witness United’s resounding victory. Ticket sales for the Villa game are forecast to exceed this number.
They will play Aston Villa on December 3 after a tough run of matches in which they will face Chelsea and Arsenal in back-to-back league games.
Last week, United announced the arrival of their first female director of football, Polly Bancroft, who will no doubt be heavily involved in the run-up to this momentous occasion at Old Trafford.
After beating Leicester 1-0, United remain leaders along with Arsenal with the same points and goal difference.
Their next game is on Wednesday, where they will face Durham in the Conti-Cup.
