This Wednesday, January 8, at 5 p.m., a certain number of supporters of the Le Havre AC women’s team will certainly not be at the Océane stadium for the match. In question, this scheduling time of the match, quite intriguing: in the middle of the afternoon, during the week, outside the holiday period. Difficult in these conditions to fill the stadium, say several employees of the oldest club. “We would like to see empty stadiums that we would do exactly like that, how do you want to develop the championship ?”, one of them moans. Barely a hundred spectators are expected for this match against Paris FC, which is nevertheless one of the summits of the championship, while on average, more than 1,200 supporters are present during the club’s matches at the Océane stadium, according to Flashscore figures, a figure boosted by the receptions of Nantes, Lyon and Reims in the first part of the season.
“On a Wednesday, at 5 p.m., there might not be too many peopleconfirms 26-year-old midfielder Christy Gavory. We would have preferred to play on the weekend, to have more people, to bring our familiesexplains the native of Rouen. I hope that with the few supporters there will be, there will still be a little noise.”
A program that surprises, while the French Football Federation boasts of the promotion of the Arkema Premier League during the first part of the season: increasing attendance (1,495 spectators per match this season compared to 850 two years ago) and increasing audiences (+48% in one year for matches broadcast for free on social networks). Figures to be welcomed, but very far from the results of other European championships, particularly English. But then, how can we explain this astonishing programming?
This resumption of the championship is played in the middle of the week, due to the round of 16 of the Coupe de Francewhich takes place this weekend. Amateur teams can only play at the end of the week. However, the calendar could perhaps have been modified, to avoid scheduling a championship day in the middle of the week, says a member of the Le Havre club. And if that wasn’t possible, maybe it would have been better avoid scheduling matches in the middle of the afternoonlike four of the six matches this day. According to a specialist in the case, who prefers to remain anonymous, this may be linked to the TV broadcaster. Canal+, which broadcasts two of the six matches per day of the championship, perhaps preferring avoid any competition for his “own” matchesbroadcast this Tuesday and Wednesday evening.
“I’ve been in women’s football for fifteen years, I remember matches with 50 or 100 spectators”wants to qualify Maxime Di Liberto, the Le Havre coach. “You have to take your time, it’s like everything. We’re not going to fill the 22,000 seats at the Océane stadium all at once”he believes, preferring to remember this evolution, and the conditions in which the HAC team evolves: “We were the first team, and I believe that we remain the only team in the championship where the girls always play in the same venue as the boys, a stadium that meets Ligue 1 standards. This works for the image of the championship.”
Whatever happens, Le Havre will hardly be able to count on their audience to face the PFC, despite being the third team in the championship. The HAC aims to remain in the first division. Halfway through, they are relegated, although tied on points with two teams above the waterline.
???? Women / Before HAC – Paris FC, interview with Maxime Di Liberto
