The 2019/20 Women's Super League kicked off in style over the weekend as Chelsea Women were handed the keys to Stamford Bridge to host Tottenham Hotspur. A winning start in front of a record crowd, on a weekend that represented a huge marker for the progression of women's football in the UK. An easy choice for the next stop in our 'Framed' series.
Continuing the momentum of the Women's World Cup in the summer, WSL clubs capitalised on the feel good factor produced by the Lionesses in France as Chelsea, Manchester City and Bristol City all hosted games at the club's main stadiums. The previous record for a WSL attendance before this weekend was 5,265, but while Chelsea played out a 1-0 win in front of 24,564, it was Manchester City who had set the new record a day earlier when they beat rivals Manchester United 1-0 in front of 31,213. As Sunday session at Stamford Bridge saw us pitch side to capture the action as Beth England's long range screamer in the opening minutes was enough to give Chelsea a winning start to the season.
The three points will be most welcome by the hosts but this day was more than just getting that opening win. The huge crowds in London and in Manchester prove there is a rapidly growing appetite for the WSL with attendances that wouldn't look out of place in the Premier League. A huge step and a wise piece of planning on an international break. With such strong backing it would be no surprise to see clubs make this more of a regular occurrence on international weekends.
Job done. Check out our interviews with Chelsea players Hannah Blundell, Erin Cuthbert, Magdalena Ericsson, Ramona Bachman & Maren Mjelde in the week leading up to the game at the Bridge.
