Disappointment over women's FA Cup clash venue

22 hours ago 1

Women's football fans have expressed disappointment after it was revealed a major home game would not be played at their club's stadium.

AFC Bournemouth Women are set to face Manchester City in the FA Cup on 18 January but, unlike some high-profile matches, it will not be hosted at the Vitality.

The club said to protect the pitch, the clash would instead take place at Snows Stadium, home of AFC Totton, in Hampshire.

Cherries fan Margaret Burke said it would leave a lot of fans unable to watch the game.

AFC Bournemouth Women and Oxford United Women line up to shake hands on the pitch at the Vitality stadium.

She said: "We found it rather disappointing because we hoped it would be played at Vitality.

"I was there when they played Bristol City when they were promoted as a result of winning. We had over 7,000 people watching that game - it was amazing."

With a 3,500 capacity at Totton, Ms Burke said there was "going to be a lot of disappointment with both teams about how many can watch the game".

She said: "We have to go by their decision - they are wiser than us.

"There has been a lot of talk in the WhatsApp groups about being disappointed but it is what it is."

The football pitch at the Vitality stadium viewed from a corner to the right of one of the goals. The empty single tier stands have red plastic seats with some black and white seats spelling out AFCB.

A statement on the AFC Bournemouth website said: "The option of Vitality Stadium was explored but a decision has been taken in order to protect and maintain the pitch during a challenging time of year."

Cherries Women usually play in Ringwood but high-profile matches are sometimes hosted at the Vitality.

More than 5,800 fans turned out to see AFC Bournemouth Women go top of the league with a 2-1 win over Oxford Utd in October.

They also played there in March when they beat Bristol Rovers to secure the league title with four games still to play.