North East derby expected to break Women’s Championship record
Written by Ashley D Costa on 9th October 2024
This weekend’s North East derby between Sunderland AFC Women and Newcastle United Women is expected to break the attendance record for a Women’s Championship match.
Sunderland revealed that 12,000 tickets were sold for the fixture at the Stadium of Light on October 13 – and the club is now aiming to sell 20,000.
12,000 of you are expected to back @SAFCWomen on Sunday.
Let’s smash the record in the biggest way
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) October 9, 2024
The current attendance record is held by Sheffield United as 11,137 spectators watched their match against London City Lionesses at Bramall Lane on November 20, 2022.
The Wearside club is calling on fans to be part of history and has already dubbed the fixture ‘The Biggest Women’s Game in North East History’.
A club statement read: “Huge regional interest has fuelled what is expected to be the biggest women’s football game in North East history, with thousands of tickets being taken by local schools and grassroots clubs.
“The game now stands as a milestone in the rise of women’s football across the UK.”
It was earlier revealed that the Lasses would play four of their fixtures at the Stadium of Light and the match against their North East rivals is the first among them.
Sunderland had a terrible start in the league with huge defeats against Birmingham City (0-5) and Southampton (0-3). They have regained their composure with a 2-1 League Cup victory against Sheffield United earlier this month and a 3-3 draw against Charlton on Sunday.
Newcastle United, freshly promoted to the Championship as the 2023-2024 Women’s National League North division champions, are sixth in the league table.
The tickets for the Northeast Derby are priced at £6 for adults and £3 for Under-22s. Get your tickets here.
Watch the match live on the Barclays Women’s Championship YouTube channel: