Most of the fans cramming the stadium for international friendlies and qualifiers are after a fairly cheap night out. The result matters rather less than it used to
They are among the hardest working men and women in football. Even before Spain arrive at Wembley on Tuesday night to provide the latest obstacle to the tottering baby steps of Gareth Southgate’s tenure as England manager, those whose job it is to continue to fill Wembley began trumpeting their wares for March’s home qualifier against Lithuania.
No matter how big the humiliation or how small the pool of English talent, the masses keep trudging up Olympic Way for the friendlies and qualifying ties that keep the FA’s tills ringing and have helped contribute to a changed financial picture which, the FA chief executive Martin Glenn told an industry event last week, will boost its revenues by £100m a year. “The Wembley Stadium proposition is profitable, it is not a stone in our shoe any more,” he said.
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