One thing that tends to fill fans with pride in their club is how high that their attendances are, with higher attendances bringing a sense of kudos to a club.
Over on social media fans of different clubs can be seen ripping in to each other about levels of support that their respective clubs can boast. Taunts of “tinpot” and “plastics” can be heard being hurled from fan to fan and bounced back again.
Yes, there is a certain degree of pride associated with just how well a club is attended by fans, fans who are either on the edge of their seats in anticipation of a play-off/promotion chance, chewing their fingernails down after a run of bad games or just shaking their head at another season of missed opportunity.
Here’s the top five sides after the current round of games.
Top 5 Championship Highest Average Attendances (2017/18)
1st – Leeds United
- 31,648 average attendance (83.5% capacity)
- 664,610 total attendance
- 35,377 highest attendance (93.4% capacity)
- 26,434 lowest attendance (69.8% capacity)
2nd – Aston Villa
- 31,527 average attendance (73.7% capacity)
- 630,547 total attendance
- 41,233 highest attendance (96.4% capacity)
- 26,631 lowest attendance (62.2% capacity)
3rd – Wolverhampton Wanderers
- 28,168 average attendance (88.9% capacity)
- 591,521 total attendance
- 30,239 highest attendance (95.4% capacity)
- 23,045 lowest attendance (72.7% capacity)
4th – Derby County
- 26,798 average attendance (79.8% capacity)
- 535,962 total attendance
- 31,196 highest attendance (95.9% capacity)
- 23,296 lowest attendance (69.3% capacity)
5th – Sunderland
- 27,839 average attendance (56.8% capacity)
- 556,784 total attendance
- 31,237 highest attendance (63.7% capacity)
- 25,733 lowest attendance (52.5% capacity)
Verdict
It comes as no surprise that Leeds United fans (31,648) top the average attendance charts, they are a fanbase proud of their support through thick and thin – and there’s been plenty of thin times for the Whites this season. Their lead is, however, slim (121) over nearest rivals Aston Villa with a bigger gap (3,480) to 3rd place Wolves.
Villa have the league’s highest attendance of the season (41,233) of the top 5 sides, this also being the highest capacity fill (96.4%) of their ground with this attendance. However, it is Wolves that top the highest average capacity fill (88.9%) of their Molineux ground – perhaps understandable bearing in mind their run to the very edges of what will be a certain promotion to the Premier League.
Outside of that top three, Derby County’s season back has shown the level of support that the Rams have, with an average crowd of 26,798 – 79.8% of Pride Park’s capacity. Strugglers Sunderland, who could be suffering successive relegations, have seen an average of 27,839 hardy souls attend league games at the Stadium of Light – filling it to just 56.8% of its 49,000 capacity.
