Sheffield Wednesday fans among 12.7m who set new Championship attendance record

Wednesdayites travelled in their numbers up and down the country over the course of their great escape campaign, and their last two matches saw over 32,000 through the turnstiles at Hillsborough.

It’s been confirmed by the English Football League that this season’s attendances in the second tier of English football was the highest since records began in 1892, and was up over 20% on 2022/23 – and Owls fans played a big part in that.

A statement from the league read, in part, “The Sky Bet EFL has achieved the distinction of being the highest attended league body in Europe, after welcoming more than 21.5 million fans through the turnstiles in 2023/24.

“The cumulative attendance figure is the most since the 1951/52 season, representing an 11 per cent increase on the previous season and sees the League finish ahead of Germany’s Bundesliga & Bundesliga 2.

“Contributing to that is the Sky Bet Championship breaking the record for total attendance, with 12,723,678 fans (22 per cent increase on previous season) representing the highest-ever cumulative attendance for the second-tier competition since records began in 1892.

“The Championship has also beaten the likes of the Bundesliga (12.1 million attendees), Spain’s La Liga and Italy’s Serie A to be the second most attended league division in Europe. This is an increase from fifth position after the 2022/23 season.”

It’s a ‘remarkable feat’ said the EFL’s Chief Executive, Trevor Birch, who added, “The 2023/24 numbers - not just in stadiums, but inside homes all around the world – are tangible proof that our competitions now rank among some of the most exciting and popular in European football. To be the highest attended league body in Europe is testament to our League and Clubs.

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“It really is a remarkable feat when you consider the quality of players and football on show across the continent. These numbers are not only a result of the strength and depth of the EFL but also highlight the importance of the football pyramid and the reasons why we need to protect it.”