Manchester United Women take on Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Saturday in front of a record crowd.
More than 30,000 tickets have already been sold for the historic clash, far exceeding the 20,241 who turned out for the first fully-attended WSL match at Old Trafford, when United beat Everton 3-1 in March this year.
United currently sit third in the table with the same points as second-placed Arsenal, who they beat the Emirates 3-2 in their last league game, and three points behind league leaders, Chelsea, who have played one game more than the Reds.
Yesterday the club unveiled a banner in Old Trafford’s East Stand reading ‘Change is here’ and featuring photos of players and fans.
The move represents the club’s dedication to the growth of women’s football and its intentions to see Manchester United Women succeed.
It is expected to be the highest attendance for any Manchester United Women home game in history.
Speaking about the game, Polly Bancroft, Director of Women’s Soccer, said: “This game against Villa promises to be another special occasion as we continue to maintain our challenge at the top of the WSL and I know our fantastic supporters will cheer on the players. .”
He continued: “Manchester United, as the biggest club in the country, is determined to lead the growth of women’s football, both on and off the pitch. So it’s really special to see the excitement building for this matchup and again it shows how much progress women’s football is making, not just here but across the country.”
It is the third women’s match to be held at Old Trafford this year. The Theater of Dreams hosted the opening match of the Women’s European Championship, as a sell-out crowd witnessed England’s victory over Austria.
Head coach Marc Skinner is excited to welcome the fans to Old Trafford as his away supporters helped them beat Arsenal in the post in their last game.
“If you come across 10 Manchester United fans, it sounds like 10,000,” Skinner told reporters at a news conference on Tuesday.
He went on to say, “I don’t have a figure [of tickets sold that we want to get to] because we just want to keep putting in great performances so we can fill Old Trafford in the future.”
“We know it takes a little bit of time and the increasing exposure we get in the media shows people the qualities. We will work and do our part and make sure we put something that everyone wants to see.
Manchester United vs Aston Villa kicks off at 12:30pm on Saturday 3rd December and tickets are still available.
