Manchester United’s Katie Zelem Out To ‘Prove A Point’ At Old Trafford

On Saturday, Katie Zelem will lead out Manchester United Women at Old Trafford for the third time in front of an expected crowd of 30,000 people knowing any victory in which they score twice against Aston Villa will put them, at least temporarily, top of the Women’s Super League.

Following a dramatic last-minute win away to the previously unbeaten league leaders Arsenal a fortnight ago, Manchester United lie third in the league table, level with Arsenal and behind champions Chelsea, who have played an extra game. With the men’s season currently on hold due to the ongoing World Cup in Qatar, the stage is set for the women’s game to take center stage at Old Trafford, the biggest club ground in England.

Any game at Old Trafford will have special significance for Zelem, a local girl, born in the city, and the captian who led the team out in their two previous matches at the stadium against West Ham United in 2021 and Everton earlier this year.

Speaking to me ahead of the game, Zelem explained “being from Manchester and supporting Manchester United, it’s amazing to play at Old Trafford, which I think is one of the best stadiums in world football. We’re all excited for that. There’s no bigger advertisement for women’s football than to be playing at a huge stadium with a great atmosphere.”

One of five players cut from Sarina Wigeman’s preliminary squad for the UEFA Women’s Euro this summer, Zelem, unlike her Manchester United team-mates, Mary Earps, Alessia Russo and Ella Toone, was forced to miss out on the tournament and playing at Old Trafford in the Opening Match in front of a record 68,871 attendance.

“Obviously it was a difficult moment for me”, she told me. “I went to all the prep camps with England and to find out I wasn’t selected was tough to take. It’s something that’s really spurred me on for this season, wanting to do my best and prove a point I think. Everyone has ups and downs in football and that was certainly one of mine that I want to build on.”

“The flip side of not being selected was being England’s biggest fan at the Euros. Not only was it my team-mates but some of my closest friends in the England squad that I’ve known for a really long time. So, to see some of them players shine and to see all the girls lift the trophy was amazing.”

Zelem instead spent the summer working in the media and watching matches at some of the designated fan-parks around London. “I was fortunate to work at BOXPARK and watch some of the games there, so that was an amazing atmosphere. There was pints flying everywhere and whatever else there was! It’s amazing when teams are winning and hopefully something that can be replicated in the World Cup too.”

Manchester United manager Marc Skinner told me on Tuesday that ticket sales for Saturday’s match are around “30,000 and rising”. Nonetheless, there is a feeling that, following crowds in excess of 40,000 at two Arsenal Women’s matches at the smaller Emirates Stadium this season an opportunity has been missed to break the English club record attendance figure. The crowd on Saturday is set to top the 20,241 who watched the club’s victory over Everton at Old Trafford last season but ticket sales are still short of the 35,000 who attended the Dick, Kerr Ladies match against Bath at the stadium 102 years ago.

Manchester United Women season ticket holder and an ambassador for the Her Game Too movement, Natalie Burrell believes more could have been done by the club to push the attendance towards the Old Trafford capacity of 74,315. She told me, “even though more tickets have been sold than last year, we know that in the women’s game there is usally a drop off in the number sold and those who attend. Speaking to a number of fans there is a disappointment at the level of promotion for this game compared to last year. Fans feel like with an increase in promotion there would be a bigger number of tickets sold.”

Skinner believes attracting large crowds to women’s games will be a gradual, long-term process. “We understand our place in terms of the growth of the game. We want to get to a stage where we sell out as a team, regardless of gender. That’s what we’re working towards. I think it’s okay to work towards it and not expect to be in this moment, right this second. For us, it’s a continuous project.”

“If you don’t put a good spectacle on, why would people want to come and watch it? That for us, is our responsibility. Then our fans will come out in their hoardes to support our team. We all have a responsibility to grow the game.”

Zelem agrees that it is the team’s performance on the field that will ultimately convince the club’s massive fan base to regularly attend women’s matches. “It’s not my job to be convincing anyone to come! I think our past results and how we perform is what people should want to come and watch. I think especially after the Arsenal game, we’ve showed what we’re all about and showed the sort of performances we can put on, so hopefully we’ll see as many fans there as possible.”