Hayes’ train keeps rolling: lessons from Chelsea Women’s win over Spurs

Chelsea are pioneers in the continued growth of women’s football

Behind the presence of over 24,000 people at Stamford Bridge, which significantly passed the previous record for the Chelsea Women at the Bridge, the Blues put together a complete performance with their leader back where she belongs, back on the sideline coaching. With the help of Arsenal and other top clubs around the league, women’s football is slowly beginning to be recognized as something that is too large for the stadiums it used to reside in.

The largest crowd at a WSL game was at the Emirates Stadium early this season when Arsenal took on Tottenham when 47,367 showed up in a sport that continues to take steps in the right direction. Despite the Blues having an attendance far fewer than the record, it demonstrates that the appetite for women’s football is moving in the right direction. Arsenal, Chelsea, and maybe now Manchester United are quite possibly the only three teams currently in the league that could have that many fans turn out for a league game.

In just a few short weeks, the Blues are back under the lights of Stamford Bridge to take on PSG in the Champions League. It will be the first time Chelsea has played at the Bridge twice in a single season since Hayes’ arrival. Back in 2013, the average attendance for a Blues’ home match was 564, and just nine years later, this club is nearly breaking 40,000 in a single game. Events like these with a memorable atmosphere inside, and outside the stadium not only help take the club’s fanbase to new heights but the sport as a whole.