Manchester City’s first home match of the new Barclays Women’s Super League season is almost upon us…

Gareth Taylor’s side welcome Chelsea to the Joie Stadium on Sunday 8 October, with kick-off set for 12:30 (UK).

Two of the WSL’s pre-season title favourites lock horns in what is sure to be a captivating occasion in front of a sell-out crowd.

The fixture also ties into the Club’s ‘Week of Joie’ celebrations surrounding our first WSL fixture since the historic unveiling of our new Stadium name.

Find out what you can get up to before, during and after the match below…

Joie at City

In September, City became the first WSL side to secure a commercial agreement for its stadium naming rights.

To mark this special moment, several competitions and experiences are available for match going fans this weekend.

Get involved in the ‘Joie at City’ colouring in challenge in the Fanzone for the chance to get your design featured in our official Matchday Programme.

You can also take part in a Joie themed pre-match quiz, with the chance to win a bundle of Joie giveaway package!

On top of that, 1000 themed cookies and 500 Joie foam fingers will be given away to celebrate the start of the season and the first match at Joie Stadium, so arrive early to avoid disappointment.

Next Fixture

All fixtures

FA WSL

Man City
Manchester City

BST

Chelsea
Chelsea FC

Autograph Alley

Following feedback from the FA and security advisors, we have introduced a new dedicated zone for engaging with and meeting our players after the full-time whistle.

Autography Alley, located in the West Stand post-match, will see a number of first team players spend time with randomly selected fans after the match, taking part in photos and signing autographs.

Members of staff will be on hand to direct fans who have been chosen to the correct place to give you time to get pictures and merchandise signed.

The controlled space will have a limited capacity, meaning you should only visit the area if you have been formally invited by the Club.

Please note that the introduction of Autography Alley means that players are not expected to take photos with fans pitch-side post-match.

Battle of the Bands

Battle of the Bands returns for the 2023/24 campaign, providing you with the chance to enjoy some pre-match and half-time music.

Our first band are Queen Cult, who will be performing live in on our brand-new stage area above the players tunnel.

Make sure you have your smart phones at the ready during the break as you, the fans, will be scoring the band out of 100. Just head over to mancity.com/botb.

The winner of our competition, announced towards the end of the season, will receive a weeks’ worth of studio time.

WEEK OF JOIE: FIND OUT MORE

The Big Blue Button

A new initiative for this season, one lucky young Blue will get selected each home fixture to be our ‘Fan of the Match’.

Not only will they have the chance to meet their favourite players, get autographs after the match in the Autograph Alley, and even get some selfies with some of the players – they will also start the match off by pressing the ‘Big Blue Button’!

The ‘Big Blue Button’ starts the countdown on the big screen to the players coming out to start the match. The lucky supporter will feature on the stadium big screen – cheered on by thousands of fans.

Joie Stadium Fanzone

Fanzone at Joie Stadium is set to return for another year, and this season it promises to be bigger and better than ever before.

It will open 90 minutes before kick-off, offering a range of interactive competitions and activities to get you ready for the upcoming match.

To access the Fanzone, simply enter through the North West gate.