Ipswich Town CEO Mark Ashton recently told us that he believes the Blues could attract crowds of 35-40,000 fans in the future. Mark Heath takes a look at how Town's support compares to the rest of English football so far this season...
Just a few seasons ago, Portman Road often looked and felt half empty.
Back in the 2017/18 campaign - Mick McCarthy's last as boss after a pragmatic, rather than pulsating reign - the Blues averaged just 16,272 fans a game.
That was the lowest point of the century so far, with crowds steadily sliding downwards from the high of 25,651 Town attracted in 2004/05 under Joe Royle, when they finished third in the Championship and missed out in the play-offs.
Like everything else around Town though, things have changed. A lot.
The rocket ship launched by Ashton, Kieran McKenna and co last season pulled the best crowds at Portman Road this century, with an average of 26,184 roaring their heroes on in Suffolk.
As you'd expect, that trend has continued this season, with high-flying Town boasting an average home crowd of 28,862 thus far.
That's good enough for fifth in the second tier, behind only Sunderland (41,329), Leeds United (35,695), Leicester City (31,411) and Southampton (29,315).
It's well over 2k per game better than old rivals Norwich City (26,059) too - the second straight year Town have outdrawn the Canaries.
Indeed, Town's average home crowd puts them in the Premier League, in terms of support, with their following currently the 19th best in the country.
The Blues enjoy bigger home crowds than six Premier League sides - Crystal Palace (24,879), Fulham (24,385), Burnley (21,644), Brentford (17,025), Bournemouth (10,985) and Luton Town (10,918).
Speaking to Stuart Watson for our exclusive interview, Ashton was asked how many tickets Town could sell if capacity wasn't an issue.
He said: "It would be dangerous to put ceilings on things.
"We sold around 50,000 shirts last season and we’re already over 30,000 across the three strips this year.
"Season ticket numbers, home average attendances, away following, even at midweek games, shirt sales – every time we turn to our fanbase they deliver, and they deliver in spectacular numbers.
“Our Foundation has only just started on the work growing the next generation of supporters too.
"We look at all different football clubs across Europe with the ownership group, consistently comparing numbers and different models, and I just think this fanbase is totally unique.
"When you look at the size of the wider county and where the fanbase could grow to, there is so much opportunity.
“To go back to your original question, we’ll be limited probably by land size on how big we can get. But 35/40,000 – a successful Ipswich team fills that stadium."
Town's incredible support is even more impressive when compared to the top European leagues.
The Blues boast better home crowds than 12 teams in each of France's Ligue 1, Italy's Serie A and Spain's La Liga.
They even outdraw seven of the teams in Germany's Bundesliga, often held up as the gold standard for fan support in Europe.
Best average attendances in English football so far in 2023/24:
- Manchester United (73,504)
- West Ham United (62,469)
- Tottenham Hotspur (61,726)
- Arsenal (60,130)
- Manchester City (53,311)
- Newcastle United (52,106)
- Liverpool (50,073)
- Aston Villa (41,378)
- Sunderland (41,329)
- Chelsea (39,763)
- Everton (39,133)
- Leeds United (35,695)
- Brighton & Hove Albion (31,612)
- Wolverhampton Wanderers (31,466)
- Leicester City (31,411)
- Sheffield United (30,870)
- Southampton (29,315)
- Nottingham Forest (29,214)
- Ipswich Town (28,862)
- Middlesbrough (27,116)
Ipswich Town average home attendances this century
- 2023/24: 28,862 (so far)
- 2022/23: 26,184
- 2021/22: 21,779
- 2020/21: N/A - Covid
- 2019/20: 19,549
- 2018/19: 17,764
- 2017/18: 16,271
- 2016/17: 16,980
- 2015/16: 18,989
- 2014/15: 20,001
- 2013/14: 17,110
- 2012/13: 17,526
- 2011/12: 18,267
- 2010/11: 19,615
- 2009/10: 20,841
- 2008/09: 20,960
- 2007/08: 21,935
- 2006/07: 22,445
- 2005/06: 24,253
- 2004/05: 25,651
- 2003/04: 24,520
- 2002/03: 25,455
- 2001/02: 24,396
- 2000/01: 22,504
- 1999/00: 18,524
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