Wrexham 2-1 Connah's Quay: Record crowd of 9,511 at Welsh domestic women's game
- Published
Wrexham's 2-1 Genero Adran North win against Connah's Quay Nomads was watched by a record crowd of 9,511 for a women's domestic fixture in Wales.
Wrexham had expected around 8,000 fans to attend the game, which was held at The Racecourse on Sunday, 26 March.
The previous record was 5,175, for Cardiff City Women's win over Abergavenny last October.
Champions Wrexham were presented with the Adran North league trophy after the game.
The Football Association of Wales' (FAW) women's chief Lowri Roberts said the attendance "is unbelievable".
Speaking to BBC Radio Wales before the game took place, she added: "This is just another key moment in time for us. It just goes to show that if you give these girls the platform that they deserve, there is an appetite for women's football.
"It just highlights how important it is to give these girls the platform they deserve."
Gemma Owen, head of women's football at Wrexham, said club owners Ryan Reynolds and Robert McElhenney have given their full support to the women's team.
"We normally have really good crowds for tier two but I don't think any of us ever thought it'd get to the level it has," she said, also before the match was played.
"Ryan and Robert are across everything that is going on with the women's section of the club.
"They know exactly what's happening, they know exactly what's needed.
"It's a really good platform for us to continue growing at the rate that we are. It's not just something they've said and then they've not delivered on it.
"We'll continue to have that support from them going forward."
A home win will see Steve Dale's team complete their league campaign with a 100% record after victories in their 11 previous matches.
Yet there is still work to do for Wrexham if they are to seal promotion to the Adran Premier - the top tier of women's football in Wales - next season.
Wrexham stated in January they would be applying for a tier-one licence, a requirement for clubs in the Adran Premier, while they have also announced plans to become semi-professional.
Should the tier-one licence be granted, Wrexham will face a play-off against Briton Ferry Llansawel, who clinched the Adran South title on Tuesday night with victory over Caldicot Town.
The winners of the play-off would climb into the Welsh top flight next season.
However, Roberts does not expect anyone from the Adran Premier to reach the Wales senior squad in the near future.
"In the short term, that's unrealistic," she said.
"In the next few years, no-one in Wales will be able to offer the right kind of high performance environment that we need our senior international players competing and training at.
"However, it absolutely can be for those girls in the under-17s and under-19s.
"I know it's going to be an unpopular statement to make.
"For us, the strategy has to be ensuring that this a good development tool for our youth internationals, then when they're hitting 18/19/20, that they're able to play professionally. And right now that's outside of Wales."
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