Sydney derby attracts record A-League crowd
A crowd of more than 60,000 took in the derby between Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers — a new A-League record.
The A-League's attendance record was shattered on Saturday as 61,880 watched Sydney FC beat cross-city rival Western Sydney Wanderers 4-0 at ANZ Stadium.
The crowd for the opening round fixture of the new season eclipsed the previous mark of 55,436 for the 2007 Grand Final between Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United.
Football Federation Australia chief executive David Gallop is optimistic the interest will continue throughout the rest of the campaign.
"The crowd figure at the Sydney Derby at ANZ Stadium is a clear sign that the A-League season is off and running and that there is a huge groundswell of interest in the league this season," he said.
"All those people and families out there involved in football at some level but yet to have a connection with the A-League or any of the clubs, tonight's game is evidence of why you've got to have a team."
The top five all-time attendances in the A-League are as follows:
61,880 – 2016/17 Round 1 at ANZ Stadium (Western Sydney Wanderers v Sydney FC) 8 October, 2016
55,436 – 2007 Grand Final at Etihad Stadium (Melbourne Victory v Adelaide United) 18 February, 2007
53,273 – 2009 Grand Final at Etihad Stadium (Melbourne Victory v Adelaide United) 28 February, 2009
51,153 – 2014 Grand Final at Suncorp Stadium (Brisbane Roar FC v Western Sydney Wanderers) 4 May, 2014
50,334 – 2012 Grand Final at Suncorp Stadium (Brisbane Roar FC v Perth Glory) 22 April, 2012
