On Istanbul's Sukru Saracoglu stadium was packed with 41,000 fans on September 21, Wednesday night - but not one of them was a man.

Turkish grounds are infamous for their febrile atmospheres, with fans often greeting visiting teams with 'Welcome to Hell' banners. And after crowd trouble in the club's 'friendly' against Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk, Fenerbahce were ordered to play two games behind closed doors.

But the club were keen to avoid playing at an empty stadium and appealed to the Turkish FA, who permitted them to bend the rules and allow only women and children into the ground - for free.

The players were so impressed by their support during the 1-1 draw that they threw flowers into the stands after the match.

"We have to thank the ladies for coming to support us," said Fenerbahce's Joseph Yobo, who is on loan from Everton. Fenerbahce captain Alex de Sousa added: "The memory will stay with me forever," DailyMail reported.