Attendances fall at The Valley

Charlton is one of eleven Premiership sides to see attendances fall this season from an average of 26,195 in 2005/6 to 25,794 this year, a drop of 1.53 per cent, although the team is still playing to 96 per cent of capacity. The drop in crowds at The Valley is small compared to a 18 per cent fall at Wigan, nearly 12 per cent at Bolton and almost 6 per cent at Manchester City. Attendances in the Premiership as a whole are up, but this is largely because of ground capacity increases at Arsenal and Manchester United.

The four London grounds that have the most expensive tickets - Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and West Ham - are also playing to the largest crowds as a percentage of capacity, the other club who was in the Premiership last year that is over the 98 per cent level being Manchester United. The other London club in the Premiership (Fulham) has seen a larger fall in attendances than Charlton, 2.7 per cent, and only plays to 89 per cent of capacity. Attendances at Portsmouth have actually declined despite their good start to the season.

Seven clubs have smaller average attendances than Charlton (Blackburn, Bolton, Fulham, Reading, Portsmouth, Watford, Wigan), but average attendances at The Valley are only just over a third of those at Old Trafford.