ACCESSIBILITY
MAKE MATCHES EASY TO GET TO
T he most widespread barriers to attendance relate to location. Indeed, more than half of fans globally (52%) say location prevents them from attending women’s football matches, or attending them more often. Some fans say there isn’t a women’s club near to them, which – if accurate rather than based on a lack of knowledge and awareness – is not something that clubs can easily remedy. However, as already discussed, fans not knowing where the games are being played or knowing where to buy tickets are also barriers
(for example, the number of toilets, car parking spaces, food choices). That smaller- scale, more ‘gritty’, less ‘glossy’ experience does not appeal to some fans, who cited games not being played in clubs’ main stadia as a barrier. It is easy to comprehend that this might particularly be the case for clubs’ existing fans, who feel a sense of connection or “topophilia” to the main stadium, and do not feel that same tie to the ground where the women play. Using the club’s main stadium for women’s matches where possible would help overcome these barriers, as they typically offer better transport links, often to a known location, while also lending a sense of credibility to the occasion – it shows that the match and the teams are being taken seriously and that they are important enough and good enough to be using the club’s primary facility. n
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which can be resolved by clubs providing more and better information. Another barrier relating to location is the stadium itself. Historically and
contemporaneously, women’s matches are played in small grounds with limited capacities and often limited facilities
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