From Sell‑Outs to Spare Seats: The 2025/26 Story of England’s 92 Grounds

In a country where a wet Tuesday night still draws thousands through the turnstiles, few barometers say more about a club’s pull than bums on seats. The 2025/26 attendance numbers are in, and they paint a cracking picture of passion, expectation and, for a few, the awkward reality of a ground that outgrows its fanbase.

All attendance figures come from Transfermarkt and are correct as of 09/06/2026. Headline number: the Premier League averaged 41,658 per match in 2025/26.

Here’s who packed them in, who had room to stretch, and what it all tells us about the state of play across the English game.

League Two: Small grounds, big heart

Start at the basement and you find proper football country. Harrogate Town operate out of the smallest ground among the 92 (a tidy 5,000), and even after the sting of relegation they still drew 3,054 on average — that’s 61.1% and proof the locals aren’t fair‑weather.

Cambridge United set the standard for full houses in the division, filling 81.2% of the Cledara Abbey with 6,600 on average. Chesterfield (77.5%) and Grimsby Town (68.5%) weren’t far behind, while Bristol Rovers (67.1%) and Bromley (64.8%) kept the tills ringing nicely too.

It wasn’t rosy everywhere. Gillingham (52.5%), Notts County (51.5%) and Colchester (50.5%) sat in the lower half for occupancy, with Barrow (43.2%) also feeling the pinch. Tranmere (40.9%) and Accrington (41.5%) suggest the ground is a size too big right now, and the starkest case is Milton Keynes Dons — just 28.1% of a 30,500‑seater. Newport’s 55.0% in a tough season, though, speaks to a fanbase that sticks around.

League One: Luton lead the crush, big names mixed

Up a level and the gates get meatier. Luton Town were the league’s standard‑bearers for squeeze, at 93.2% capacity in a tight Kenilworth Road. Hot on their heels: Lincoln City and AFC Wimbledon (both 93.1%), with Leyton Orient not far back at 89.4%. Stockport (87.2%), Mansfield (86.4%) and Plymouth (86.4%) all showed strong pull.

There’s a curious contrast lower down. Cardiff City climbed the table on the pitch but only filled 58.8% of their 33,280‑seater. Blackpool (59.2%), Doncaster (59.6%) and Burton (59.8%) hovered around the same mark, while Reading (50.5%) and Barnsley (46.4%) left swathes of plastic on show. The biggest drop‑offs? Wigan Athletic at 39.9% and Port Vale at 38.3% — figures that underline how quickly momentum can drain when the wind changes.

Championship: Fratton faithful flying

Portsmouth’s fanbase showed its teeth, packing Fratton Park to a whopping 97.3% — one of the most impressive ratios anywhere. Norwich (95.0%) and Ipswich (94.2%) kept East Anglia bouncing, while Coventry (92.9%) and Birmingham (92.4%) were right in the mix. Leicester (89.6%), QPR (90.8%) and Oxford (89.0%) also posted robust numbers, with West Brom and Southampton each at a steady 87.9%.

Down the order, Charlton’s 74.7% felt middling for a club of that size, Wrexham’s Hollywood glow translated to 79.9%, and Preston sat at 71.8%. The real worry lines came for Sheffield Wednesday (58.2%) and Blackburn Rovers (just 47.8%), where attendances didn’t match the size of the grounds.

Premier League: Wall‑to‑wall sell‑outs (almost)

The top flight, as you’d expect, was bursting. Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Newcastle each ran at a scarcely believable 99.9% capacity, with Manchester United (99.7%) and Arsenal (99.3%) snapping at their heels. Then came Brentford (99.2%), Chelsea (98.9%), Everton (98.8%), Liverpool (98.6%) and Manchester City (98.6%) — so much for the old “empty seats” gags; the numbers say otherwise. Bournemouth (98.5%) and Brighton (98.2%) also made the most of compact homes, while Aston Villa (97.8%) and Crystal Palace (97.7%) were relentless ticket machines.

Among the promoted sides, Leeds United (97.5%), Sunderland (96.1%) and Burnley (93.2%) all held their own admirably. Spurs clocked a healthy 97.1% in their modern arena, and even Fulham’s genteel Craven Cottage sat at 91.9% — not bad in a division where the bar is sky‑high.

The pundit’s verdict

Big picture? Demand at the top is fearsome — matchday culture is alive and kicking, and most Premier League clubs could flog a few thousand more if safety regs allowed. In the EFL, you see the push‑and‑pull of ambition versus reality: Cambridge squeezing every inch out of a modest ground; Luton and Lincoln proving that smart football and identity fill seats; while MK Dons, Wigan and Blackburn serve as reminders that capacity alone doesn’t equal clout.

Standout contrasts tell the tale: Forest, West Ham and Newcastle at 99.9% in the elite; Portsmouth at 97.3% roaring in the Championship; Cambridge leading League Two at 81.2%; and the other extreme — MK Dons at 28.1% (League Two), Wigan at 39.9% (League One), and Blackburn down at 47.8% (Championship).

Pricing, performance, travel, tradition — they all bite. Get the cocktail right, and you’ve got a sell‑out shrine. Misjudge it, and you’re hearing your own echo. If you’re weighing form and fervour before the weekend, our hub for best betting sites is a handy companion to these turnstile truths.

Source: Transfermarkt — figures correct as of 09/06/2026.