Women's football in England "has seen continued growth in interest after the World Cup in Canada last summer," with attendance figures for the Women's Super League up 48% this season from last, according to Christine Younan of the London INDEPENDENT. The WSL, which ended on Sunday with Chelsea beating Man City to the title on a dramatic final day, "saw an increase in average attendance from 728 in 2014 to 1,076 in 2015." FA Dir of Football Participation & Development Kelly Simmons said, "2015 has been a landmark year for women's football, with the success of the England team at the World Cup and the first-ever SSE Women's FA Cup final at Wembley and this is another marker of just how far the game has come." Right now women's football is the "largest female team sport in the country and the third largest team sport after men's football and cricket." The England Ladies were "successful in finishing third at this summer's FIFA Women's World Cup and also had a positive impact on the game with attendances up by 29 percent compared to matches before the tournament" (INDEPENDENT, 10/6).
