Manchester United were the club that, for 13 years, didn’t care about women’s football. The team they had was disbanded when the Glazers took over in 2005 and it took until 2018 for that decision to be reversed.
But that is in the past and United cannot be accused of not caring anymore. A crowd of 20,241 watched on as Marc Skinner’s side played their first game at Old Trafford in front of fans. A brace from Alessia Russo and a Katie Zelem penalty cancelled out Claire Emslie’s opener to give the Red Devils a 3-1 victory.
From the artwork outside the stadium to the club’s social media posts, United did a fantastic job of promoting this fixture. The interest is clearly there and watching on in the stands was the club’s new CEO Richard Arnold, director of football John Murtough and technical director Darren Fletcher.
Manchester United women celebrate at full-time following their 3-1 victory over Everton
Fans flocked to see Manchester United women play in front of spectators at Old Trafford
‘I think women’s football won today,’ Skinner said. ‘I think it shows the growth and the magnitude that, and the impact that, this club can have in growing the game, and that for me is a wonderful thing.
‘This club can be on the world stage to develop our sport. I hope they come to support us at Leigh as well. That’s important that we don’t just stamp it and move on, we have to keep the noise moving.
‘The reality is we’re growing, we have to grow, can we fill Leigh? That is the next challenge.’
The attendance, which is the highest of a WSL match this season, signals that United’s long-term future should be in a stadium closer to the Theatre of Dreams.
Alessia Russo (23) scores the first of her two goals that helped United come from behind to win
Russo is congratulated by her team-mates on their way to a Women Super League victory
Source : dailymail
