Phil Neville calls on Premier League giants to open up stadiums for women's club games

England head coach Phil Neville has said the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United “have got to open their big stadiums and fill them” before the end of the season in light of the boom in women’s football attendances across Europe.

The Lionesses play the first of their four pre-World Cup friendlies against Canada at Manchester City’s Academy Stadium on Friday, a venue they have sold out but that seats just 7,000, before hosting Spain at Swindon Town’s 16,000 capacity County Ground.

In recent weeks Chelsea overcame Paris St-Germain 3-2 on aggregate to reach the semi-finals of the Women’s Champions League in front of a 13,000-strong crowd that lit up the Stade Jean-Bouin, adjacent to the Parc des Princes, with flares, despite the hostility of the home leg that saw a coachload of PSG fans turned away from Kingsmeadow after drugs and knives were found on their coach.

Juventus Women have played in front of 39,000 at the Allianz Arena, 48,121 attended Athletic Bilbao’s cup game against Atletico Madrid at San Mames and Atletico and Barcelona brought 60,739 to the Wanda Metropolitano.

Now Neville has called for “the big teams” - likely Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea - to “throw open their stadiums before the end of the season”. In the Women’s Super League this season only Birmingham City, who will play Liverpool Women at St. Andrews on April 28th in their final home game of the season, have followed the lead of the European sides.

“Looking at the attendances in our league yesterday, I would say that’s better than the one off games in Spain or Italy,” said Neville. “There was 1,500 at Solihull [for Birmingham City v Arsenal], we get 2,000 at Kingsmeadow [for Chelsea v West Ham] - we’ve got a good foundation. I see games in Spain where there’s 100 to 150 people watching. As a baseline, I think we’ve got a bit more sustainability.

“What I would say is now there are some teams, the big teams, who have got to open their big stadiums and fill it. Let’s blow the rest of Europe away because I think the game in this country is in a far better place than what it is in Spain or in Italy.

“If Man United or Arsenal win the league, throw open your stadium. Champions League game for Chelsea - why not play it at Stamford Bridge? Get 30,000 or 40,000.

“Now my players are at the level where our big clubs have got to open their stadiums. That’s my feeling having watched Bilbao, Atletico or Juventus. They’ve done it, now let’s see us do it a couple of times before the end of the season.”

Asked for his view on free tickets to fill stadiums, Neville added: “Why not? Man United let people in for free at Leigh [Sports Village, their home ground], so why can’t you let them in for free at Old Trafford? Why can’t you fill Stamford Bridge for the Lyon game? It would be incredible.

“I was at Wolfsburg in midweek, Bev [Priestman, his assistant] was in Paris - those are the kinds of atmospheres we need. They were electric.

"They need to experience that. We’ve got 8-9,000 at Man City and 15,000 at Swindon. 70% of my squad might not have played in front of those kinds of crowds and that’s why I’m excited about these two games.

"Even when I went to the Chelsea home game and there was a bit of kerfuffle before the game, it told me the women’s game was going places.

“I know it wasn’t a nice thing but it told me the women’s game is important now. The atmosphere in Paris where they’re throwing things on the pitch is not nice and I don’t like it, but it shows we’re catching up.

“I don’t want any of the rubbish but the fans aren’t just turning up now because they want to bring their kids or eat the chips. They’re coming because they want to support their team."