Superstars are different. FC Seoul is hoping to break the record for the largest crowd for a home opener with the ‘Lingard Effect’.
Seoul will open the Hana Bank K League 1 2024 at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 4 p.m. on Oct. 10. Their opponent is Incheon United. Both teams lost in the first round and will be looking for their first win of the season.
As always, the Gyeongin Derby is a fierce affair, and many fans are expected to come to the stadium to show their support. As of the afternoon of the 6th, more than 33,000 tickets had already been reserved. 홀덤사이트 Seoul is cautiously expecting a crowd of over 40000.
At this rate, it will be the largest crowd for a K League 1 home opener since the introduction of the promotion system in 2013. The previous record is 39,871 (vs Jeonnam), set by Daegu in 2013. Considering that the ticket sales started less than a day ago, over 33,000 seats were sold.
Setting a new record for the largest paid attendance in the K League is also not an impossible dream. Seoul hit the jackpot last April when they invited singer Lim Young-woong to perform in Daegu. A whopping 45,007 fans traveled to the stadium to watch Lim’s ceremonial start and halftime performance. It was the largest crowd since 2018.
The Lingard effect is expected to be similar. Seoul started the season with a new coach, Kim Ki-dong, and shocked everyone by signing Lingard, the biggest name in K League history.
Lingard is a former Premier League player who played for Manchester United and West Ham United. Not only did he play over 200 games in a United shirt, but he also represented England at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Even though he’s past his prime, the news of Lingard’s arrival in the K League was enough to generate a lot of buzz, with fans and media packed the airport upon his arrival. Seoul’s social media videos featuring Lingard also went viral.
Lingard’s jersey, which wears the number 10, also sold out quickly. Less than two hours after the jersey went on sale online on Nov. 22, all 1,000 were sold. The website even crashed due to fans trying to purchase Lingard’s jersey.
Now, Seoul is set to have a hotter year than ever with Lingard. On top of that, 2024 holds special significance for Seoul fans. It will be the 20th anniversary of the club’s return to Seoul in 2004, and 2024 will also mark the 20th year that Seoul has called Seoul World Cup Stadium home.
Seoul has created the ’20th Anniversary of Seoul’s Return to the League’ emblem and will utilize it this season. In addition, the K League’s best supporters, the Suho Shin, also celebrated their 20th anniversary. In the Incheon game, Suho Shin will have a special 20th anniversary card section in N seats to coincide with the players’ entrance.
The Seoul club has also prepared a variety of gifts for the home opener, with captain Ki Sung-yueng and the squad’s memorabilia ready to greet fans. Seoul has been collecting team memorabilia this season through the “BangtulKi” corner on the club’s official YouTube channel, where players collect team memorabilia for fans.
Starting with the opening match, Seoul will give away the memorabilia to fans through a home game intuition authentication event. In addition, various giveaways from GS SHOP, Prospex, Handon, Timon, The Class Hyosung, Humom, Granology, Photoism, and more will be offered through various on- and off-field events.
Lingard, meanwhile, made his K League debut on Feb. 2 against Gwangju. He came on as a 22nd-minute substitute in the second half, marking his return to the pitch after nearly 11 months. Coach Kim Ki-dong said he hoped he wouldn’t have to use Lingard, saying he wasn’t up to full fitness yet, but when the pressure was on, he pulled out his card.
Even though he didn’t score, Lingard’s warm-ups, shots, crosses, and every other move he made was talked about. When he was cautioned, chants for his ejection filled the stadium.
After the game, Lingard took to social media to reflect on his debut in both English and Korean. “I am blessed and grateful to be back on the field doing what I love most,” he wrote alongside a photo of his debut.