Posted on 12th June 2026
Lionesses: More work needed to help travelling fans
Fans in the women’s game are calling on national associations, host venues and UEFA to work together more closely to create consistent standards across the continent after Lionesses fans experienced issues in Spain.
England Women played a World Cup qualifier in Mallorca earlier this month and the fixture was beset by organisational and logistical issues, a persistent theme for international away games.
Just weeks before the fixture between England and Spain in Palma limited ticketing information had been provided to supporters looking to support the Lionesses overseas.
Lionesses supporters have reported to the FSA that this is not the first instance of ticketing details – along with information about allocations and venues – being extremely difficult to find. Prior to the game, the English FA repeatedly pushed for ticketing and logistical information to pass onto supporters.
In addition to late sales, travelling supporters also have to deal with poor treatment: for instance for Spain away England fans were charged more than double what home fans paid for the fixture – away prices were €40 compared to just €12 for home supporters.
The Lionesses ticket price did not reflect the location in the ground, as away fans were penned into an upper tier.
No concessionary pricing was made available to away fans for the game. Accessible ticketing was confusing for supporters too, with one supporter reporting having no assigned seat despite paying for it. The supporter was not allowed back out to any ticket office to resolve the issue.
Deborah Dilworth, who leads our Free Lionesses Fans’ Embassy, said: “Fans were once again left in the dark over ticket prices and policy until the last minute.
“Supporters will travel to give their backing to the national team but it’s made more difficult by the lack of information which has been made available by the Spanish FA.
“Responsibility surely lies with the home nation to release ticketing details but we would like UEFA to implement and enforce rules to ensure fans have this information well in advance.”
In addition to ticketing, supporters faced excessive queueing to get into the Son Moix Stadium with many supporters barely making their seats in time for kick-off.
Some power banks were confiscated by stadium staff, despite being told beforehand certain size powerbanks would be permitted. Confiscated items would later be left unattended by a turnstile after the game – resulting in some supporters losing their property.
Deborah said: “Everyone wants to see attendances in the women’s international game continue to grow but, for that to happen, supporters must be at the centre of the game’s thinking.”
Wales women – issues in Montenegro
Wales were also in action last week, as they travelled to Montenegro for a World Cup qualifying match. Away supporters travelling to that game reported water and other drinks being confiscated from them by stadium security at the turnstiles.
This is common practice, however Wales Women fans learned that no refreshments were available at all on the concourse, amid 30°C heat in Podgorica. Similar issues were reported at Wales’s away game in Nikšić back in 2024.
Penny Miles, co-founder of Wal Goch y Menywod (Wales Women’s Red Wall), said: “The away fan culture in the women’s game varies significantly from nation to nation, with fan groups in various stages of development across Europe.
“There are persistent issues around infrastructure and ticketing information – as some away followings grow rapidly, we’re repeatedly seeing issues across the board.”
What does the FSA think?
We value away fans – whether that be in the men’s game or women’s game – and want to see everyone working together to nurture and protect the away fan culture in the international women’s game.
Ultimately, we want to see a thriving away fan scene in between major tournaments.
While responsibility for these issues lies with the home FA as the match organiser, we would like to see UEFA step in with stronger pre-match rules to build a more consistent approach across the continent.
There have been persistent problems in the women’s game with away fans, over many seasons, with no real signs of improvement anywhere to be seen.
Ahead of this fixture the English FA pushed hard for information for travelling fans, repeatedly asked for more considerate treatment in the fixture planning process and we’d like to thank them for their support.
