What I learned from attending this year's women’s FA Cup final

Attending this year’s women’s FA Cup final taught me many things…and not just that it should be illegal to watch, never mind even play football while it’s 27° and sunny out.

Factor 50 in tow however, myself and 76,081 others braved, and furthermore thoroughly enjoyed the occasion at Wembley Stadium, ultimately bearing witness as Manchester United reigned 4-0 victors over Tottenham Hotspur.

Although the 90,000 seater was billed as sold out for the historic day, and yet again raises the question as to why those weren’t filled, that number falls just short of the record attendance set at last year’s final of 77,390.

That’s it, that’s the tweet. https://t.co/JLbugKEkMT pic.twitter.com/I6PRdiI7RG

— Alanna Cunnane (@acunnane10) May 12, 2024

Still, it marks a good crowd out for the showpiece event, especially when the WSL’s two heavy hitters (in Manchester City and Chelsea) weren’t in action, given yesterday’s finalists had knocked them out earlier in the competition.

With that growing popularity of women’s football though comes a double entendre that perfectly encapsulates both the excitement around its' rise, and the realisation that the bigger it gets, the less exclusive it gets, and touch point access there is.

“Aw! The Tube is packed!”

Versus…

“Aw…The Tube is packed.”

The two different inflections of a saying heard multiple times yesterday indicate the reality that women’s football is becoming more mainstream, and yet, it still only seems to exist only in the bubble it’s been allotted by society.

To illustrate, there were still a myriad of people confused as to why there were streams of people walking around London in United jerseys, when they were playing in Manchester against Arsenal.

As you know, the actual ‘they’ of the moment were playing in Wembley. And winning.

Really poor that Sir Jim Ratcliffe has opted to go to OT rather than Wembley today. Would be naive to assume the men’s team aren’t his priority but when they’re effectively playing a dead rubber & the women’s team have the chance to win a first major trophy it’s inexcusable imo. https://t.co/hOB1J7N5X0

— Beth Lindop (@beth_lindop) May 12, 2024

In fairness, those people weren't the only ones though.

Part owner of Manchester United, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chose to attend that run of the mill fixture versus the Gunners in Old Trafford over the weighty women’s FA Cup final.

Come full time, that meant he missed the chance to watch the women’s side claim their first major piece of silverware in their history, a remarkable achievement considering they only reformed in 2018.
Perhaps that shows exactly where his priorities lie. Or in fact don’t.

Just as the floodgates metaphorically opened at Wembley when Ella Toone scored a screamer of an opener, and was supplemented by Rachel Williams and Lucía García, so too they did literally at the The Theatre of Dreams, a crumbling crash news story that in part overshadows what was a determined showcase from Marc Skinner’s outfit.

And while Ratcliffe wasn’t there to see it in Wembley, Roger Bell, the Chief Financial Officer, and Tom Crotty, Director for Corporate Affairs and Communications were there in his stead, as was Avram Glazer, the United Executive Co-Chairman.

Booed when they appeared on the big screens, that thundering crowd engagement wasn’t to be muddled with the echo of “TOONE” in a Ronaldo ‘Siuuu’ style fashion, which do sound eerily similar.

All of that also isn’t to rain on the Manchester United women’s team’s parade. They deserve all of their plaudits and then some, which thankfuly did they get a taste of with the red wave of fans at the event.

It’s just a pity they don’t get the investment from board level, be it monetary, or in the very least in presence, to match.