Attendances On The Up

Swansea’s attendance against Northampton of just over 9,500 contributed to a weekend of high attendances in the football league giving the competition it’s highest return on the opening weekend since 1965/1966.

Attendances in the three divisions, under the new sponsor of Coca Cola totalled 383,265 in the 36 games played last weekend – an increase of 12% on the opening weekend of last season. The average attendance across the 36 matches came out at 10,646 compared to 9,474 last season.

The aggregate figure was the highest recorded since 1965/66 when a total of 388,002 watched the opening fixtures in the lower three divisions. The total attendance has come along way in the last ten years with the figure up 46% on the same day 10 years ago.

The aggregate figure was boosted attendances of over 30,000 at both Elland Road and the Walkers Stadium whilst 25,000 at Hillsborough and 18,000 at the KC Stadium were the top attendances in League 1. In League 2, the Swans recorded the highest attendance of the day with Nott County second highest at just under 6,500.

Swansea’s own attendance was up 8% on the opening fixture of last season.

Football League Head of Communications John Nagle said:

“These figures are a tremendous way to start the new season.It is very encouraging to see that the public’s appetite for live football is still on the increase at all levels of the professional game.”

Opening Weekend Attendances (aggregate figures)

1965/66388,002

1966/67295,022

1967/68380,472

1968/69364,384

1969/70346,013

1970/71362,978

1971/72300,862

1972/73297,824

1973/74295,117

1974/75285,697

1975/76240,424

1976/77246,783

1977/78259,893

1978/79242,893

1979/80278,522

1980/81231,672

1981/82240,851

1982/83236,214

1983/84220,499

1984/85 173,590

1985/86179,067

1986/87192,423

1987/88215,163

1988/89218,618

1989/90260,100

1990/91271,247

1991/92241,349

1992/93256,375

1993/94 265,532

1994/95 261,845

1995/96262,846

1996/97276,932

1997/98329,236

1998/99347,741

1999/00335,974

2000/01314,493

2001/02338,098

2002/03 354,892

2003/04341,065

2004/05383,265