England Lionesses have scheduled one more international game with a chance for fans to see their heroes on home-turf before the World Cup in July - but fans are not happy.
On Tuesday, April 11 at 7:45 pm, they take on World Cup host nation Australia at Brentford's Gtec Community Stadium as part of the FA’s partnership with Alzheimer's Society. The men’s England side will host the Socceroos at Wembley on Friday October 13 at 7:45 pm in a doubleheader.
Tickets for the Lionesses clash went on sale from noon on Tuesday 21st of February for My England Football members and then headed to general sale from 3pm on the following day. However, the 17,250-capacity venue was sold out in just over 24 hours of that first sale.
Disgruntled fans are calling for a bigger venue to host the international tie, such as a doubleheader at Wembley as the Lionesses invite Brazil to the 2023 Women’s Finalissima at the iconic stadium in-front of a sell-out crowd just five days before.
User Millieleeson23 tweeted: "Equivalent of 19.1% capacity of Wembley. Supply didn't meet demand."
User Jameso04 said: "Ridiculous holding the game at Brentford. Not too late to move the game to a bigger venue."
The high-profile women’s fixture against the Matildas will raise vital funds and awareness and follows on from the men’s game which was dedicated to the same good cause last year after the Football Association announced a two-year charity partnership with Alzheimer’s Society back in August 2021.
Last year's event saw Luke Shaw and Harry Kane help the men to a 2-1 win over Switzerland at Wembley for the first Alzheimer’s Society International fixture. Markedly in the second half, the Three Lions re-entered the pitch without names on the back of their shirts, highlighting how people with dementia often experience memory loss.
England women have not played against Australia since October 2018, when Fran Kirby scored in a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage in Fulham. The last meeting for the men was a 2-1 victory at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light in May 2016, when 18-year-old Marcus Rashford made history by becoming the youngest male player to score on his England debut.
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