For the second time overall and the first since 2005, England will host the UEFA European Women’s Championship this summer.
The action is set to start on July 6 as England take on Austria in the opener at Old Trafford.
Ten different stadiums in eight different English cities have been chosen to host the various matches of the tournament across the country.
However, not all selections have been well received by fans and players due to some of the smaller abilities on offer.
The Sporting News takes a quick look at each venue, looking at the size of the stadiums, their location and whether they’ve ever been used for major sporting events.
UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 stadiums
Wembley Stadium (London)
- Ability: 90,000
- local clubs: England national team
The home of English football will host the final of the showpiece event this summer, although it will be the only match of the 2022 competition to be played at this venue.
Old Trafford (Manchester)
- Ability: 74,879
- local clubs: Manchester United
The famous home of Premier League club Manchester United will only be used once during the tournament for the opening game between England and Austria on July 6.
The iconic stadium has an illustrious past as it has already hosted an FA Cup final and a Champions League final as well as 1966 World Cup matches, Euro 96 fixtures and the 2012 Olympics.
Bramall Lane (Sheffield)
- Ability: 32,702
- local clubs: United Kingdom of Sheffield
Bramall Lane in Sheffield will host three Group C matches as well as a tournament semi-final match.
Considered one of Britain’s oldest football grounds, it is one of only two stadiums to have hosted an English international football match, an FA Cup final and a Test cricket match in England, United Kingdom. sides of the Oval in London.
St Mary’s Stadium (Southampton)
- Ability: 32,505
- local clubs: FC Southampton
St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton is another stadium set to host three group matches at Women’s EURO 2022. England will face Northern Ireland at this venue on July 15.
The stadium is named after a local church whose members founded Southampton FC.
Brighton and Hove Community Stadium (Brighton)
- Ability: 31,800
- local clubs: Brighton and Hove Albion
Completed in May 2011, the Brighton & Hove Community Stadium is one of the newest to feature in this tournament and will host two Group A matches as well as a quarter-final clash.
Specially built to host events for other sports, the stadium has already been used during the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
MK Stadium (Milton Keynes)
- Ability: 30,500
- local clubs: The Gifts of Milton Keynes
The third-largest stadium in English League 1 over the coming season, Stadium MK will host three group stage matches and will also be the ground used for the second semi-final after Bramall Lane.
Like the Brighton & Hove Community Stadium, the MK Stadium was also used during the 2015 Rugby World Cup and in recent years has hosted a host of major concerts by Rod Stewart, Take That and Olly Murs.
Brentford Community Stadium (London)
- Ability: 17,250
- local clubs: Brentford FC and the London Irish
The second London venue to be used for the upcoming tournament is Brentford Community Stadium, which will host three Group C fixtures.
Opened in mid-2020, it is the newest ground on the list and is home to Premier League club Brentford and Rugby Union side London Irish.
New York Stadium (Rotherham)
- Ability: 12,201
- local clubs: Rotherham United
No, it’s not the New York you instantly think of. Rotherham United’s original ground is named after the area of the city in which it was built, called New York, in 2012.
The South Yorkshire stadium has already hosted an England women’s match in 2016, the Men’s Under-17 Euro final in 2018 and will host three Group D matches and a quarter-final during this competition.
Leigh Sports Village (Leigh)
- Ability: 12,000 (reduced to 8,100)
- local clubs: Manchester United Women and Leigh Centurions
Nestled on the outskirts of Manchester, Leigh Sports Village has the second lowest capacity of any venue that will be used for Women’s EURO 2022.
In fact, its capacity was further reduced to just 8,100 by UEFA due to standing room restrictions. The ground is the only one on the list that does not regularly host men’s football matches, although it is home to Manchester United Women. It will host three Group C matches and a quarter-final.
Manchester City Academy Stadium (Manchester)
- Ability: 7,000 (reduced to 4,700)
- local clubs: Manchester City Women
UEFA’s most controversial selection to host the upcoming competition, Manchester’s Academy Stadium has come under scrutiny due to its capacity being reduced to just 4,700 for the tournament.
Described as “embarrassing” and “disrespectful” by Iceland international Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir after being included as a host venue, the stadium will host three Group D clashes.
Comments are closed.