EFL’s Winning Streak: Sky-High Attendance and Unparalleled Fan Engagement
SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - MAY 13: Enthusiastic supporters of Sunderland fill the Stadium of Light with vibrant energy and chants.
Attendance and Fan Engagement in EFL
Loyalty is loyalty. Fans going to football games for years will go anywhere to watch their club. They will follow them everywhere. It doesn’t matter to them if the club is in the Premier League, Championship, League One or League Two.
English football has always had high attendance in every division in comparison to other leagues, in fact, the Championship ranks higher than some of the big leagues in the World.
The Attendance Titans: Derby, Portsmouth, Sunderland, and More
You only have to look at clubs like Derby, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Ipswich, etc. to see how jam-packed their stadiums are every week. Pride Park, Fratton Park, Stadium of Light are filled to the rafters most of the time and despite the fact that these clubs are in the Championship or League One.
Pride Park this season already averages around 26,605 fans in attendance in League One followed by Bolton with 20,915 fans. In League Two, Bradford City led the way with an average attendance of 11,957 fans followed by Notts County with 11,562 fans.
The Championship is a whole other game, Sunderland averages a whopping 42,547 fans per game this season and the season is only 4 games old. Leeds United is second with 35,129 fans.
EFL released a statement recently saying they had a record turn-out for EFL competitions last year. A total of 21.7m footfall in all EFL-related competitions. That is the highest cumulative attendance since 1953-54.
All three EFL divisions featured in the top 20 of the best-attended leagues last year. Now that’s impressive.
How Season Tickets Fuel EFL’s Attendance Records
Sunderland broke the League One attendance record back in 2018 against Bradford City. Remarkably, 46,039 fans turned out for that game on Boxing Day 2018. Sunderland had appealed to the community to come for that game and even distributed tickets as they were actively looking to break the League attendance record and they did it in style.
There has been a rise of 15% in season ticket sales since 2020-21, there has also been a considerable rise in Junior season ticket sales.
EFL clubs have done well to keep the season ticket prices low, that is one of the main reasons the attendance is so high in every EFL league and that is also why they feature in the top 20 best-attended leagues.
EFL season tickets allow fans to get discounts on club merchandise or discounts in the club’s restaurants as an incentive. The perks plus the affordable pricing of season tickets keep the home attendance strong for these EFL clubs.
Maintaining a Loyal Fan Base
EFL clubs often take their roles as community centers very seriously. Many have outreach programs aimed at local schools and hospitals. This not only serves the community but also enhances the image of the club, translating into better fan engagement and ultimately, higher attendance.
EFL clubs have kept up with the modern tradition of keeping their fan bases in the loop about everything. Whenever a club takes or makes a decision they make it a point to involve the community of the club, The clubs also consult with the official fan groups regarding any important steps they would take that could affect the fanbase.
Fans are an important factor in keeping a club stable, an unsatisfied fanbase will eventually lead to the ouster of the ownership or worse – disintegrate the club from within. Sheffield Wednesday and Reading are prime examples of a dissatisfied fanbase.
Impact of Family-friendly Fan Zones: Nurturing the Next Generation
Many EFL clubs have started implementing Fan Zones, areas designed for pre-match entertainment. These zones have food stalls, games, and live music, turning match day into a full-day experience. This has had a direct positive impact on attendance, particularly encouraging families and groups of friends to make a day out of it.
Engaging with the younger generation is crucial for the longevity of the fan base. EFL clubs are investing in junior programs, holiday camps, and school visits to capture the imagination of future fans. Initiatives like “Kids for a Quid” allow children to attend matches at a nominal price, sowing the seeds of lifelong loyalty.
Emotional Connection and Loyalty
At the core of all these initiatives is the understanding that a football club is more than just a sports team; it’s an emotional pivot for the community. The more a club can engage with its fans on an emotional level, the more it can count on their unwavering loyalty through thick and thin.
In a rapidly changing world, EFL clubs are continually evolving to keep their fan bases engaged, happy, and growing. They know that their greatest asset is not just the 11 players on the pitch but the thousands of voices that sing their names. And as long as they keep nurturing this relationship, the stands will continue to be filled.
