Women's football: Record-breaking Wembley attendance forecast for England's friendly with Germany
Saturday 1 November 2014 13:16, UK
England women are set to play in front of as many as 50,000 spectators in their upcoming friendly against Germany at Wembley – considerably more than the 40,000 who watched Roy Hodgson's men tackle Norway in September.
A statement from the Football Association confirmed that ticket sales on Friday were hovering just under 41,000, far more than the initial target of 30,000 set for the match on November 23.
The men's friendly against Norway two months ago drew an attendance of just 40,181 - the smallest Wembley crowd for a senior England game since the stadium was reopened following renovation.
Ticket sales are expected to increase in the three weeks prior to the women's game, raising the likelihood of a record-breaking attendance.
These are exactly the sort of matches we want to be playing in preparation for next summer’s World Cup, against the best teams in the world.
Buzz
Team GB’s women’s football team drew a crowd of 70,584 to Wembley as they beat Brazil 1-0 in their final group-stage game at London 2012, yet the England women's team have not played at the stadium since its redevelopment.
Manager Mark Sampson's side have qualified for next summer's World Cup in Canada by winning all 10 of their qualifying matches, and he is relishing the opportunity to play at the national stadium.
“We know it will be a great occasion, not just playing at Wembley but playing a team of Germany’s quality," he said.
"These are exactly the sort of matches we want to be playing in preparation for next summer’s World Cup, against the best teams in the world.
“There is a big buzz around the team and staff today knowing how much support there is for us out there.”
The fixture against European champions Germany, which forms part of England's preparations for next year's World Cup, will set a record for the largest crowd at a home England women's international, going beyond the 29,092 that witnessed victory over Finland at the Etihad Stadium in Euro 2005.
