FA have sold just 10,000 tickets for Norway friendly at Wembley... and Roy Hodgson hints that Wayne Rooney could be England captain
Friendly game against unglamorous opposition is a tough sell
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Your support makes all the difference.The Football Association have so far sold just 10,000 tickets for the friendly against Norway at Wembley on 3 September, according to reports.
The FA, England's first friendly since a disastrous World Cup campaign in Brazil, have a long way to go if they are to avoid setting a record low for the national stadium since it was re-opened in 2007.
Only 57,897 bothered to turn up to the 90,000-seat stadium for a World Cup qualifier against Andorra in June 2009 because the game took place in the middle of a Tube strike.
England boss Roy Hodgson is expected to have to drum up interest for the unglamorous tie and will held an interview with Sky Sports News, his first since the World Cup.
The Three Lions face a critical qualifier away to Switzerland during the same international break.
According to the Daily Mail, the FA are also planning a print and online marketing campaign and will be selling discounted seats.
Hodgson has also hinted that Wayne Rooney will be the next England captain.
The international retirement of Steven Gerrard left the role void, but Hodgson said the two obvious candidates are Rooney and veteran midfielder Frank Lampard.
“There have been plenty of dark moments, plenty of times where – looking back on things – you can’t believe that fate has put you in that situation,” Hodgson told Sky Sports News
“But that fact is I would quite happily relinquish this job at any time when my employers think that they don’t want me there any more or when I feel that the players don’t have the respect necessary or feel that they want to continue playing for me. In that moment, if it’s time for me to walk away, I’ll do so.
“But, this time, it was made clear to me that that wasn’t the situation, that the FA wanted me to continue in the job, and the feedback from the people around the team was the same.
“So, therefore, there were never any doubts in my mind that I would continue, because I think you only walk away when a: you don’t feel you can stand the pressure, or b: you don’t feel that you’re good enough or competent enough to do the job.
“I can safely say and strongly say that I never felt that at all.”
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