The WSL champions are hosting more games than ever at the 'men's' stadium this season, but they're not off to a great start in terms of ticket sales
If you look at the on-field results in isolation, Chelsea have made a terrific start to Emma Hayes' final season at the helm. After a sluggish beginning, where they narrowly beat Tottenham on the opening day before snatching a point in the 96th minute against nine-player Manchester City, the Blues have kicked into gear in recent weeks. They've won five Women's Super League matches in a row and were only deprived of a Champions League victory over Real Madrid by a pair of shocking refereeing decisions.
The most recent result of this impressive run came on Saturday, when they cut WSL upstarts Liverpool down to size by romping to a 5-1 victory. Lauren James stole the show, helping herself to a stunning hat-trick, while Aggie Beever-Jones and Sjoeke Nusken chipped in with the other goals.
Beever-Jones' strike was of particular significance as she became the first Chelsea youth-team graduate to score at the club's historic home, Stamford Bridge. It was just the latest in a growing list of magic moments that fans have been treated to in west London. So, why is it that more people are not taking up the offer to watch Hayes' all-conquering Blues at the Bridge?
Getty ImagesDisappointing attendances?
In total, Chelsea welcomed 12,802 spectators through the turnstiles against Liverpool, meaning nearly 28,000 seats were left empty. Although the attendance was still significantly higher than if the game had been played at the Blues' 2,265-capacity Kingsmeadow home, it was hard not to be a little underwhelmed with the ticket sales, considering the game was played during a men's international break and Manchester United attracted 43,000 through the door for the Manchester derby a day later.
Chelsea's season opener against Tottenham was only marginally better attended, with just shy of 15,000 watching Chelsea secure three points. A few years ago, these numbers would have been cause for celebration. Let us not forget that the club gave away over 40,000 free tickets for their WSL meeting with Spurs in 2019 – and still did not fill the Bridge. However, after game-changing Euros and World Cup tournaments, even-higher attendances have, perhaps naively, become expected.
Chelsea will appreciate this more than most; their London derby against Tottenham brought a near sell-out crowd last season, while their Champions League semi-final meeting with Barcelona saw close to 30,000 turn up.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesPlayers can't do much more
One factor that can be definitively dismissed as playing any role in the declining crowds this season is the on-pitch performances. Pretty much every time Chelsea have played at the Bridge they have sent those in attendance home with moments to cherish.
Back in 2019, it was Beth England's absolute rocket that decided their London derby meeting with Spurs. More recently, Chelsea put their supporters through the ringer, before eventually securing a dramatic Champions League victory over Lyon on penalties. And on Saturday, James treated the crowd to an iconic WSL hat-trick.
This is also the most successful Chelsea side in history. They've won four WSL titles in a row and reached a Champions League final, mercilessly establishing themselves as a dominant force in women's football. They've done all of this while playing some scintillating stuff and they boast some of the most recognisable names in the sport. No player in the WSL is more watchable than James, Sam Kerr is a global superstar and Millie Bright has been acting as England captain during Leah Williamson's extended absence.
When you consider all of that, it's hard to understand why more potential fans don't want a piece of the action.
GettyHayes calls for change
Chelsea's attendance milestones last season only makes this campaign's slow start more frustrating. Almost exactly a year ago, they set a record when 38,350 fans packed inside Stamford Bridge to watch the Blues take on Spurs. It was Hayes' first game back in the dugout following an emergency hysterectomy, and after the 3-0 victory she hailed those who turned out, while also calling for a fresh thinking around attendances.
"I’m absolutely certain we’re all outgrowing our small stadia, that I’m sure of. I know the players want to be here more, but I also think it’s important that there is a business cost to playing," she said. "I think one of the biggest things that perhaps we don’t talk enough about is how cheap women’s football is.
"I really believe we have to increase the overall pricing structure if we’re to play more in these places, because there is a cost implication of doing it. And I think the audiences are there, not for every game but certainly for maybe eight games, 12 games a year. But we have to be more ambitious for ourselves. Is it too cheap to watch women’s football? I think it is, especially the top games."
Getty ImagesNew strategy
Hayes words proved to be prophetic, with Chelsea indeed unveiling a fresh approach ahead of the 2023-24 season, with an increase in the amount of games played at Stamford Bridge twinned with higher prices across the board.
Fans were able to buy a five-match season ticket for the WSL matches guaranteed to be played at the Bridge, which cost between £50 and £170 – more than the price of a Kingsmeadow season ticket during the previous campaign.
One-off tickets have received a significant spike too. On the opening day, adults were charged between £12 and £50 to watch the Spurs game, with the higher prices receiving backlash on social media. This is still cheap compared with the majority of men's fixtures at Stamford Bridge, but raising prices for an audience relatively new to women's football – in most cases, anyway – was always going to be a risky strategy.
And the decision hasn't seemed to have brought success yet, with Hayes admitting as much ahead of the game on Saturday. "We have a new commercial manager for the women’s team and Carly Telford is part of that team. We recognise we might not meet every goal in this first half of the season in terms of the volume of tickets we want to sell," she said.
"We now have good processes in place for our future. I suspect our crowd will be similar to that of the last time we played there, so consolidating that is our first step. Playing back-to-back games there will be helpful. It is sometimes challenging when you want it to become your home. We realise that won’t all come at once, but it’s become more familiar than ever so we’re looking forward to it."
The pricing model is not the only aspect of the new outlook that's been criticised either; match selection has also been questioned. This is not entirely fair, though. While it's true that the club has tried to keep Chelsea's must-win games at the intimidating Kingsmeadow wherever possible in recent years, things are set to change this campaign.
The Blues will play each of their Champions League group-stage matches at the Bridge, while WSL title rivals Arsenal and Manchester United will also visit later in the season.