The EFL's decision to start the season with the Carabao Cup appears to have paid off – after record attendances flocked to matches over the weekend.
Last September, Daily Mail Sport revealed that league bosses were considering a break from tradition and kicking off the new campaign with a round of League Cup fixtures, rather than league games.
They were forced to act in the midst of an increasingly pressurised calendar, further complicated by the fact that this September will feature an extended three-week international break which reduces the amount of time to play Carabao Cup games before clubs enter European competition.
And the move has delivered the highest crowd numbers since the current format of the League Cup, which came into play in the 2001-02 season.
A total of 313,852 people attended the first round ties, smashing the previous record of just short of 250,000 set in 2023-24. The staggering attendance of 53,369, recorded at the London Stadium for West Ham United's clash with Portsmouth (which included 9,000 away fans), has had a major impact. However, without that fixture, the record would still have been broken.
The average crowd for this season has been 8,967, while the two previous seasons have been around the 6,000 mark.
And of the 15 sides who had first round fixtures at home last season and did so again this time around, all but three recorded higher gates.
'It has been fantastic to see club football return with such strong support across the opening Carabao Cup fixtures, with supporters once again demonstrating in record numbers the passion, loyalty and commitment that sits at the heart of the EFL, said EFL chief executive Trevor Birch.
'As we look ahead to the start of the league season this weekend, there is a real sense of anticipation across our clubs and their supporters. The opening fixtures have provided an exciting early marker, and we now look forward to a season that will once again show why supporters can 'expect everything' from the EFL.'