Attendances outside the Premier League soared to a 60-year high with the biggest crowd of last season recorded at Sunderland in the third tier.
More than 18.3million supporters went through the turnstiles in the Championship, League One and League Two, at an average of over 11,000 per game, according to figures set to be released by the Football League (EFL).
This is the highest total since the advent of the Premier League in 1992 and the highest in those three tiers since 1958-59, when attendances topped 18.8m.
Sunderland recorded the largest EFL crowd with 46,039 at their League One fixture against Bradford on Boxing Day. There were 41,129 at the Stadium of Light for Portsmouth’s visit last month.
Aston Villa drew eight of the 10 biggest crowds across the three divisions, with an average in the Championship of 36,026 and a high at Villa Park of 41,696 for the final game of the campaign against champions Norwich.
Leeds had an average of 37,004 and Derby were third in the second tier with 32,055.
The biggest crowd in League Two came at Milton Keynes as they clinched promotion on the final day of the season against Mansfield, with the visitors contributing more than 5,000 to an attendance of 20,718.
Figures across the EFL represent a 1.5 per cent increase in match-going fans on the previous year and come at a time when there have never been more home-viewing options, including controversial live streams.
The Checkatrade Trophy final between Sunderland and Portsmouth took place before a record crowd of 85,021 and the same clubs meet again in the League One play-offs, with the first leg on Wearside on Saturday.
Lawrencium
0
Still doesn't beat the Aston Villa v Bournemouth Game at Villa Park in 1972 when over 48000 packed into the ground - Great Game, Great Crowd, Ted McDougall's flying header was World Class.
I was there , great game with an atmosphere that with live in the memories forever
isolationh
1
Crowd more than etihad stadium
Desirben
1
Still doesn't beat the Aston Villa v Bournemouth Game at Villa Park in 1972 when over 48000 packed into the ground - Great Game, Great Crowd, Ted McDougall's flying header was World Class.
pinkmans
1
Still doesn't beat the 1972 Div 3 Game played at Villa Park against Bournemouth. Amazing game between 2 teams playing for Promotion and the flying headed goal by Ted McDougall was as good as any you will see in the modern game. I can still hear the Villa crown chanting "Villa - Villa - Villa" !! Even the wooden floor boards were shaking, and that atmosphere sucked all the energy out of the Cherries resulting in a 2-1 win for the Villa.
Nelsoner
0
You can always judge a Clubs real Fan base if that Club ends up going from PL to the Championship or lower. Sunderland,Leeds, Wolves and a few more will always have huge support no matter what. There are a couple in the PL top six that have a few thousand real supporters, the majority of the rest being the prawn sandwich munching glory hunters. If only their true loyalties could be tested.
civilization
0
Great support for the lads, the supporters have got there club back.
Olivers
0
Attendances at Villa Park were remarkable because although they finished well to make the playoffs, Villa spent most of the season in mid-table Championship obscurity. What a season though for English football with the incredible performances from Liverpool and Spurs and the battle between two fantastic teams at the top of the Premier league. To think that Liverpool could finish second with 97 points shows the quality of the top two
runaway
0
Great supporters, great people x
Lanpandra
0
It's because at the moment, the premier league has some small clubs in it. They deserve to be there as they have been well run, have great managers etc. However, clubs like Villa, Forest, Derby, Leeds, Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland are languishing outside the big league but draw big crowds and would draw even bigger crowds if they were up there.
siccdream
0
Yet the BBC only cover the EPL, and then the Scottish PL and now a huge section taken up by women's football, yet the Championship and other EFL don't get a mention. More people watch and follow the Championship than most major leagues in Europe or the world. I read some weeks attendances in the Championship is greater than the German league, or the French top flight. But hey, let's cover women's football and tick the PC box.
Williamskeller
0
I'm a Sunderland supporter and everything about the club is Premier League , except of course the players. They are third division and that's where we'll be playing again next season. Recent form leads most of the fans to believe that ,as well. The players will have to try and prove us wrong, I hope they watched the Champions League semi finals , they showed what a positive mental attitude and teamwork can do.
funv
0
Few people have a true understanding of just how big the support can be for the two NE giants...both Sunderland and Newcastle United. If either or both were truly successful in the Premiership, their stadia could not contain the fan base, because home grown support is unmatched in all of England. An example, Newcastle has a smallish number if season tickets available each year, brought about by such as Deaths and Redundancies, rumour is it¿s a couple of thousand....for which they receive applications from 120,000. Sunderland getting 46,000 in League One is no surprise. Both clubs have upgraded stadia with insufficient capacity compared to previous, but no other clubs in England would match their attendances playing outside the Prem. For Newcastle and Sunderland are alone in one major respect.....they can fill their grounds to capacity playing badly, winning nothing, even outside the Premiership. And their fans travel further than any. As such, they have the greatest loyalty.
secretary
0
Good on them, support your local team not the one at the top of premier league. It's a great atmosphere when supporters sing together