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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 |
