A RECORD crowd roared on the Lionesses on Sunday as Sarina Wiegman’s side beat Italy 2-1 at the Coventry Building Society (CBS) arena.
The European champions opened the scoring through Rachel Daly’s first-half header but were pegged back by a Sofia Cantore goal just after the hour mark.
But the Lionesses were back in front eight minutes later with Daly heading home her second goal of the match, and fans also got to watch Belgium’s 2-1 victory over South Korea.
A record 32,128 supporters watched the Arnold Clark Cup clash, beating the CBS Arena’s record attendance for a sporting event set by Wasps’ clash with Leicester Tigers, which pulled in 32,019 people in 2015.
And the record-breaking day also saw the biggest-ever attendance for a women’s football match in the Midlands.
The CBS Arena’s commercial director, Paul Michael said: “The chance to see the Lionesses here in the West Midlands was always going to be a huge draw after the summer’s Euro win.
“It was incredible to see the stands full here at Coventry Building Society Arena.
“There was a wonderful atmosphere all around the stadium and before kick-off a real excitement to get the chance to see the Lionesses in action.
“We saw thousands of supporters arrive early to enjoy the fan’s zone, enjoy the hospitality experiences and welcome the England team bus.
“This is a record attendance for a sporting event at the venue and it will be a day that lives long in the memory.”
