City looks forward to hosting UEFA Women’s Euro in 2021
The FA has today selected the final venues for the UEFA European Women’s Championship, which will be played across eight English host cities in the summer of 2021, including Brighton & Hove.
UEFA Women’s EURO 2021 promises to be a record-breaking tournament, with approximately 700,000 tickets due to be available for fans across the country and extensive coverage of every game of the tournament available on free-to-air television, radio and online.
The nine stadiums are:
- Bramall Lane, Sheffield
- Brentford Community Stadium, London
- Brighton & Hove Community Stadium, Brighton & Hove
- Leigh Sports Village, Wigan & Leigh
- Manchester City Academy Stadium, Manchester
- New York Stadium, Rotherham
- Stadium MK, Milton Keynes
- St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton
- Wembley Stadium, London
Wembley final
Two of the stadia are current FA Women’s Super League grounds and four of the venues, including Brighton & Hove offer a capacity of over 30,000.
The showpiece Final will be staged at Wembley Stadium, meaning the national stadium will host back-to-back men’s and women’s UEFA EURO Finals in 2020 and 2021.
As tournament hosts, England qualify automatically and will be joined by another 15 teams for the final tournament in July 2021. The official match schedule will be announced later this year.
Excitement is building
Councillor Alan Robins, chair of the council’s Tourism, Equalities, Communities & Culture Committee, said: “The success of the Lionesses in this summer’s World Cup has given women’s football a tremendous boost and excitement is already building in our city for UEFA Women's EURO 2021.
“We were delighted to welcome the England team to the Brighton & Hove Community Stadium back in June and we are proud to have been given the opportunity to host this prestigious event and help raise the profile of women’s football locally and nationally.”
Growing the game
Brighton & Hove Albion women’s first-team manager Hope Powell said: “It’s exciting news for the city that the Brighton & Hove Community Stadium has been chosen as one of the host stadiums for Euro 2021. When we played there in our FA WSL match against Arsenal last season you could see that there was a huge desire for people to watch women’s football in the region.
“Hosting a tournament such as this will not only help grow our game nationally, but also on a more local level where matches are being played. I hope it inspires the next generation of girls to play the game and introduces a new audience to women’s football.”
Showcasing skills
Sussex County FA chief executive, Ken Benham, added: “We’re delighted that some of the finest female players from across Europe will be showcasing their skills right here in Sussex.
“The tournament has the power to inspire and we hope it will encourage more people into the game.
“We have opportunities for all ages and abilities to get involved with football, so we’re really looking forward to the increased exposure the championships will bring to the local area.”
Huge opportunity
Baroness Sue Campbell, The FA’s Director of Women’s Football, said: “The performance of the Lionesses this summer engaged the nation and helped to generate significant momentum in the women’s game.
“Looking ahead, hosting a home EURO in 2021 offers a huge opportunity for us to continue to push the profile of women’s football and to inspire more women and girls to get involved in the game. The confirmation of these nine venues is an important milestone for us as a host nation on our journey towards the final tournament in July 2021.
“I am confident that the selected cities and stadia will allow hundreds of thousands of fans across the country to attend matches and will also help to deliver an atmosphere befitting of a home European Championship to the nation.”
Successful track record
Brighton & Hove has a successful track record in hosting major sporting events, including the Rugby World Cup in 2015. In 2014 the city welcomed Stage 7 of the Tour of Britain bike race and the annual Brighton Marathon is the UK’s second largest.
The event will showcase the city to an international audience, supporting tourism and the local economy. In 2017, when England reached the semi-finals, the UEFA women’s Euro viewing figures reached a global audience of 165 million.
Volunteering opportunities
Registrations of interest for tickets and volunteering opportunities are now open.