Ipswich Town: Kieran McKenna effect has helped attendances swell

Well, not literally you understand. But one look at Portman Road attendances pre-McKenna and since McKenna, tell the story of how Ipswich Town have won their fanbase back in recent seasons.

Quite simply, McKenna's style of football and what he's getting out of his team, as well as the feel-good factor at Portman Road has helped put more than 4,000 fans, on average, on home attendances. That's a lot of fans... and a lot of extra cash.

If that's not a positive, I don't know what is!

Here are the 2021/22 Portman Road attendances pre-McKenna.

Morecambe 21,037; MK Dons 18,622; AFC Wimbledon 19,051; Bolton 19,267; Sheffield Wednesday 21,338; Doncaster 18,111; Shrewsbury – 19,256; Fleetwood 20,099; Oxford 21,322; Rotherham 18,221; Crewe 18,883; Sunderland (McKenna given job but not running things) 29,005.
Total before McKenna: 244,212.
Average before McKenna: 20,351.

Something to be proud of: Since Kieran McKenna arrived at Portman Road, attendances have gone up substantially (Image: © Copyright Stephen Waller)

Now take a look at attendances since the Northern Irishman arrived.
2021-2022 (games under McKenna).

Wycombe 26,456; Accrington 20,126; Gillingham 20,698; Burton 20,516; Cheltenham 21,318; Lincoln 24,989; Portsmouth 25,500; Plymouth 23,256; Cambridge 26,515; Wigan 21,329; Charlton 26,002.
Total: 256,705.
Last season average under McKenna: 23,336.
Last season’s average overall (inc McKenna and non-McKenna): 21,779.

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2022-2023 season so far.

Bolton 26,688; MK Dons 23,043; Barnsley 25,001; Bristol Rovers 22,209; Portsmouth 28,434; Cambridge United 26,414; Derby County 28,415; Cheltenham 25,400; Fleetwood 22,801; Oxford – 28,072.

Total: 256,477.
Average: 25,647.
OVERALL AVERAGE (total since McKenna took over – both seasons): 24,437.

Miscellaneous stats

There have been three crowds over 28,000 this season (and you’d expect Plymouth this weekend to be around that mark).

League crowds haven’t dropped below 20,000 since McKenna took over.

The highest crowd of Town's last 'successfull' season (play-offs under McCarthy in 2014-15) was 26,157 v Charlton on December 30 (if you ignore the play-offs themselves when it was 29,000+ v Norwich).

In that 2014-15 season Town averaged 19,958 and had 12 home league games where the attendance was under 20,000.

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And one more thing...

The travelling Blue Army have also been making noises. Ipswich Town have the third best supported following in League One, behind Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County. Top fans.