Arsenal set goal of selling out 60,000-seater Emirates Stadium for women’s game
Arsenal’s new commercial chief Juliet Slot believes their women’s team can attract sell-out crowds to the 60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium as the club embarks on a wider push behind the Women’s Super League leaders.
Arsenal Women switch big games from Boreham Wood FC to Emirates Stadium to allow for bigger attendances and are due to play there for the fourth time this season on Saturday in a north London derby with Tottenham Hotspur, a Covid outbreak at Spurs permitting.
England Women underlined a growing appetite for their games when they attracted 77,000 to Wembley for a 2019 friendly with Germany, while Barcelona Femeni are expected to break the record for a women’s club game of 61,000 against Real Madrid next week.
“I think the women’s game is at a tipping point and in my time at Arsenal I’d be hopeful that would be something that we can achieve,” said Slot. “If you look at the Spanish league, Barcelona are getting 50,000 people to their games. Why can’t we?
“It will take a big marketing push from us. We intend to build our audiences. The collective growth of the women’s game and united marketing efforts of all the different clubs will see a transformation over the next few years.”
Filling Emirates Stadium for a women’s game may be several years away but Arsenal are trending in the right direction. Almost 9,000 turned out for the visit of WSL champions Chelsea in September, while more than 12,000 attended when Barcelona came to London in December.
Less than half that was expected for the Champions League match with Wolfsburg on Wednesday night due to midweek evening kick-offs being less attractive and the proximity to Saturday’s big game with Spurs, which the club hopes will see another spike.
“I’d love to see 15,000 people there this Saturday,” said Slot, who joined Arsenal in December. “Traditionally our women’s games sell more slowly at the beginning and then have a bit of a rush towards the end. If we could squeeze a few more in that would be brilliant.”
Arsenal only move games to the larger venue if their women’s team are in favour, said Slot.
“It’s really important for them to feel comfortable where they’re playing. Spurs have invested a lot in their women’s football so we felt this was a new era of an old rivalry and would be attractive to the north London audience who we’re trying to attract to women’s football.”
Spurs have shown their neighbours and WSL rivals the way when it comes to big crowds, setting a new record for the division when 38,000 attended the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the visit of Arsenal in November 2019. Arsenal won 2-0.
Slot says Arsenal hope to increase the number of women’s fixtures played at Emirates Stadium and has pledged to put more marketing spend behind the team, who are enjoying a strong first season under coach Jonas Eidevall and, in Vivianne Miedema, boast a world-class forward.
Club initiatives to promote Arsenal Women included a new training and leisurewear range designed by Stella McCartney. Meanwhile the WSL’s latest TV deal has boosted viewing figures and this summer’s Women’s Euros in England is tipped to deliver further uplift.
“This year the new broadcast deal with Sky and the BBC has transformed the profile of women’s football,” said Slot. “We’ve seen 45 per cent growth in audiences year on year. Raising awareness is the No1 priority.”
Arsenal play Tottenham Hotspur in the Women’s Super League on Saturday 26 March at Emirates Stadium. Get your tickets here. Walk-ups also available on matchday.
