Many on here have forgotten (or are too young to remember) that we spent three years in the top flight with relatively pathetic crowds compared with the rest of the division.
I don't think that's true. While we were at the lower end of the attengdance tables, we were above one or two and if our average is about half the league average that's not too bad. Certainly better than what Sevenage are managing.
Barclays League Division One 1987-1988
Club Average vs '87
1 Liverpool 39.582 7,9%
2 Manchester United 39.152 - 2,5%
3 Arsenal 29.910 3,1%
4 Everton 27.771 -15,7%
5 Tottenham Hotspur 25.921 0,2%
6 Newcastle United 21.059 -15,1%
7 Chelsea 20.118 13,7%
8 West Ham United 19.802 - 3,9%
9 Sheffield Wednesday 19.797 -14,5%
10 Nottingham Forest 19.670 3,1%
11 Coventry City 17.509 8,6%
12 Derby County 17.158 NEW
13 Norwich City 15.942 - 9,2%
14 Portsmouth 15.923 NEW
15 Southampton 14.544 - 0,3%
16 Watford 14.530 - 8,0%
17 Queens Park Rangers 13.268 12,9%
18 Charlton Athletic 8.685 - 3,6%
19 Oxford United 8.355 -19,3%
20 Luton Town 8.039 -21,6%
21 Wimbledon 7.995 2,4%
Total 19.273 - 2,6%
Today League Division One 1986-1987
Club Average vs '86
1 Manchester United 40.594 -12,4%
2 Liverpool 36.286 2,9%
3 Everton 32.935 2,2%
4 Arsenal 29.022 21,8%
5 Tottenham Hotpsur 25.881 24,1%
6 Newcastle United 24.792 5,8%
7 Sheffield Wednesday 23.148 0,2%
8 Manchester City 21.922 - 9,5%
9 West Ham United 20.608 - 2,7%
10 Nottingham Forest 19.086 13,5%
11 Aston Villa 18.172 19,3%
12 Chelsea 17.694 -19,5%
13 Norwich City 17.564 NEW
14 Coventry City 16.120 39,1%
15 Watford 15.800 2,9%
16 Southampton 14.950 - 1,9%
17 Queens Park Rangers 11.754 - 7,2%
18 Leicester City 11.697 - 0,8%
19 Oxford United 10.357 - 5,9%
20 Luton Town 10.256 - 7,3%
21 Charlton Athletic 9.012 NEW
22 Wimbledon 7.811 NEW
Total 19.777 1,1%
Canon League Division One 1985-1986
Club Average vs '85
1 Manchester United 46.321 8,0%
2 Liverpool 35.271 2,4%
3 Everton 32.227 0,8%
4 Manchester City 24.229 NEW
5 Arsenal 23.824 -23,7%
6 Newcastle United 23.434 -10,7%
7 Sheffield Wednesday 23.111 -16,8%
8 Chelsea 21.985 - 4,7%
9 West Ham United 21.179 14,9%
10 Tottenham Hotpsur 20.859 -27,9%
11 Nottingham Forest 16.809 0,2%
12 Watford 15.360 -15,8%
13 Aston Villa 15.237 -16,8%
14 Southampton 14.877 -17,6%
15 Ipswich Town 14.469 -16,0%
16 Queens Park Rangers 12.665 - 9,5%
17 West Bromwich Albion 12.164 -12,2%
18 Leicester City 11.793 -18,9%
19 Coventry City 11.590 - 9,8%
20 Luton Town 11.062 2,3%
21 Oxford United 11.009 NEW
22 Birmingham City 10.900 NEW
Total 19.563 - 7,2%