The Northern Agenda: Right to buy is evil, says Labour council leader

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By ROB PARSONS - August 8 2022

There were just over 5,300 people present when Manchester City Women played Manchester United (admittedly during a period of very high Covid-19 rates) this February at the club's City Football Academy.

But with the England Lionesses' Euro 22 triumph having sparked a surge of interest in women's football and a desire to promote it more widely, their next clash at the city's massive Etihad Stadium on December 11 is expected to have a far, far bigger attendance.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, part of the Greater Manchester Women's Football Board set up in June to change the game in the region, told Sophie Halle-Richards of the Manchester Evening News : "That's going to be a big moment for women's football here. I hope that will be a full house. Why shouldn't it be?

"This Euro victory was made in Manchester. I will now be telling people to get on board, get your tickets, let's fill the Etihad and let's properly show the Lionesses their achievements have already had a legacy."

Greater Manchester is home to two of the biggest Premier League clubs in the world, but attendance for Manchester United and Manchester City's women's teams has been woefully low in the past, as Sophie reports.

And whilst demand for tickets in the Women's Super League has shot up since last Sunday's final, with searches for Manchester City tickets rising by over 3,000%, there is worry that this could be short lived.

Beth Barnes, the co-founder of the Alternative