Following the first eight matches of the 2026/27 Championship season, all 24 teams will take a three-week vacation due to a lengthy stretch of international competition.
Despite the fact that the current season is just two months old, the second division of English football has already delivered a multitude of dramatic narratives both on and off the play.
The drama on the field has been more than matched by the unwavering fervour in the stands of numerous fanbases, even if their early-season fortunes have been anything but smooth.
With that said, Football League World analysed the current statistics and ranked all 24 stadiums in the division based on how full they have been so far this season.
24Ewood Park – Blackburn Rovers
The Championship’s emptiest venue this season is Blackburn Rovers’ Ewood Park, which has only been 44.1% filled throughout four games.
Rovers’ stadium is the eighth-largest in the division, with a capacity of 31,367, but the club’s current situation, notably under Venky’s ownership, is having a negative impact on attendance figures.
23Cardiff City Stadium – Cardiff City
Cardiff City’s aptly called Cardiff City venue is the division’s second-emptiest venue, with Bluebirds and visiting fans filling only 68.9% of its 33,280 seats.
Brian Barry-Murphy’s team hasn’t had the smoothest return to the Championship, but they are still unbeaten at home moving into the current break.
22The Valley – Charlton Athletic
Despite their promising start, Charlton Athletic fans haven’t exactly packed The Valley in the early going this season.
With an average attendance of 18,875 so far, only 70.2% of the stadium’s capacity has been filled, though that figure could soon rise if Nathan Jones’ team continues to defy the odds.
21Preston North End – Deepdale
Preston North End have had a poor start to the season, winning only one of their first eight games and parting ways with Paul Heckingbottom.
The Lilywhites also have the third-worst home record this season, and the fanbase’s present discontent is mirrored in the fact that only 71.2% of Deepdale has been filled on average since August.
20Bet365 Stadium – Stoke City
Despite Stoke City’s recent strong run under Mark Robins and a total capacity of 30,089, the Bet365 Stadium has been only 73.9% full this season.
The Potters have never been in contention for promotion since their last relegation from the Premier League eight years ago, but if that trend is broken, the aforementioned statistic might skyrocket as the season develops.
19Wrexham – Racecourse Ground
Despite the club’s lofty goals, Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground has been the sixth-emptiest venue in the Championship thus far this season.
The historic stadium has been 78.9% full, albeit such results are influenced by the fact that the Kop Stand is still being reconstructed, which is expected to increase the current capacity by 7,750 by the start of 2027/28.
18Sheffield United – Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane is one of English football’s most iconic grounds, but the atmosphere around Sheffield United is anything but cheerful right now.
Even though Blades fans are recognised for being among the most passionate in the Championship, their stadium has only been 81.2% full so far this season, with an average attendance of 26,540.
17Bristol City – Ashton Gate
Bristol City launched a new chapter under Michael Skubala this season, and despite the club’s initial optimism, attendance at Ashton Gate has remained small.
With an average attendance of 21,969, the BS3 ground was 81.4% filled in the early weeks of the season, a figure that can be improved with time.
16Derby County – Pride Park
Derby County have only one point from a possible 12 at Pride Park this season and remain in the Championship’s relegation zone during the international break.
As a result, pressure has increased on John Eustace’s shoulders, with the home crowd in DE24 anticipating more.
Nonetheless, 82.6% of the 33,597-capacity ground is still being occupied on average.
15Bolton Wanderers – Toughsheet Community Stadium
Bolton Wanderers’ first four home matches following winning last season’s League One play-off final have been inconsistent, with two wins and two losses.
Despite their varying fortunes, the Trotters have retained a strong core of supporters in this section of Lancashire in recent years, and this has, predictably, continued post-promotion.
So far, their average attendance of 23,724 brings them level with Derby in this category, with 82.6% of the stadium full.
14Swansea City – Swansea.Com Stadium
Swansea City presently leads the Championship after eight games and is undefeated at Swansea.The attendance counts at Com Stadium, where the South Wales team plays, do not quite represent such achievements.
Even though the stadium is the sixth-smallest in the league, with a capacity of 21,088, Vitor Matos will be hoping that the average attendance increases significantly from its current 17,588 figure as a reward for his team’ strong start.
However, because of the distance from many other stadiums, away audiences in this region of the world are hit-or-miss.
13Watford – Vicarage Road
The next stop is Watford’s Vicarage Road, which can accommodate 21,577 spectators.
The Hornets’ recent performance under recently appointed Alessio Dionisi has been far from perfect, and it is fair to assume that many locals are still growing dissatisfied with the Pozzo family’s day-to-day management of the club.
Despite this, their stadium has remained 85.5% filled through the first four of their 23 league matches.
12Middlesbrough – Riverside Stadium
Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium is halfway through the season and has been 87.7% filled in the opening two months of Championship activity.
The Teesside club currently has the second-best home record on goal difference under Kim Hellberg, and their fans will be hoping that their loyalty over the last decade is rewarded with a return to the Premier League after suffering play-off heartbreak in May.
11Southampton – St Mary’s
Southampton, their ‘Spygate’ rivals, are ranked 11th on this list, with 89.4% of St Mary’s seats occupied in the first four matchdays of the season.
Saints have wiped out their four-point deficit due to their early-season form under Tonda Eckert – who may still be banned by the FA for his involvement in the aforementioned scandal – which has been imperious in Hampshire, as they have won all four of their home games while scoring 15 goals in the process.
10Queens Park Rangers – MATRADE Loftus Road
Queens Park Rangers fans have demonstrated their allegiance to their team in home games at MATRADE Loftus Road, which has seen 89.8% of its capacity full on average coming into the season’s first international break.
Even though Julien Stephan’s side is now in the play-offs, their early-season form in West London has been subpar, and that must alter if they are to compete for the top eight in a few months.
9West Bromwich Albion – The Hawthorns
West Bromwich Albion fans had nothing to shout about last season, but a strong finish under James Morrison, who was permanently appointed as head coach in the summer, has reignited optimism.
Baggies fans are notorious for their loyalty, having bounced between English football’s top two tiers over the last two decades, and The Hawthorns has averaged 90% capacity this season.
8Burnley – Turf Moor
Turf Moor hasn’t been the happiest of places in the last year, but it hasn’t prevented Burnley fans from going up in droves to support Nicky Hayen’s team.
The Belgian, who was only hired in the summer, is already under strong pressure to keep his job, while fans have expressed their displeasure towards American owner Alan Pace, as they presently sit at the bottom of the table, winless in their first eight league games.
The Clarets have not won a home league game since October 18th, 2025, when they defeated Leeds United 2-0, although their historic venue has remained 90.2% filled this season.
7Birmingham City – St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park
Birmingham City’s St. Andrew’s at Knighthead Park has the eighth highest attendance in the Championship this season, with 90.8%.
Throughout Chris Davies’ tenure, the B9 ground has become a stronghold for Blues, even if their overall fortunes have been mixed, with only three teams winning league games in this portion of the Second City since April 2024.
However, due to the ongoing construction of the 62,000-seater Powerhouse stadium, visiting fans won’t have much time to add this to their list of potential ground-ticks.
6Millwall – The Den
The Den may be the fourth-smallest stadium in the division, but Millwall fans have turned out in force in the first few weeks of the season.
With an average gate of 19,014 in the 20,146-capacity stadium, the stadium is now 94.4% full, including a sell-out crowd for the Dockers’ derby against West Ham United on September 19th.
5Norwich City – Carrow Road
Carrow Road has traditionally been a popular Championship venue for Norwich City fans, so it’s no wonder that it’s ranked among the highest.
Although Philippe Clement’s side hasn’t enjoyed the start to the season that many expected, Canaries fans haven’t given up on their team, with the stadium 95.5% filled so far with average attendances of 26,030.
Carrow Road has traditionally been a popular Championship venue for Norwich City fans, so it’s no wonder that it’s ranked among the highest.
Although Philippe Clement’s side hasn’t enjoyed the start to the season that many expected, Canaries fans haven’t given up on their team, with the stadium 95.5% filled so far with average attendances of 26,030.
4Wolverhampton Wanderers – Molineux
Wolverhampton Wanderers fans only witnessed three league wins at Molineux last season, but even after eight years in the Premier League, relegation hasn’t reduced attendance in WV1.
Wolves’ Last Five Average Attendance Figures
2021/22
30,773 2022/23 31,423 2023/24 31,037 2024/25 30,755
2025/26
29,835
All stats from Transfermarkt.
Despite only playing three home league games this season owing to fixture changes, the historic old ground has been 96.8% filled, with an average attendance of 30,737.
3West Ham United – London Stadium
West Ham United’s iconic London Stadium has a seismic capacity of 62,500, making it the largest field to host Championship football in the modern era.
The Hammers’ stadium frequently divides opinion when it comes to views and atmosphere, but in terms of home support and the fact that it has emerged as a must-see for visiting fans, it has been 96.9% full in its first four games outside the Premier League, with an average attendance of 60,567.
2Portsmouth – Fratton Park
Portsmouth’s Fratton Park is the runner-up in this rating, with the historic stadium being 98.4% full in its first four games of the current season.
The stadium’s historic view also contributes to a hostile environment for opposing players to play in, which has helped John Mousinho reestablish the club’s status in the Championship.
1Lincoln City – ProAmpac Stadium
However, Lincoln City’s ProAmpac Stadium has been the most full, despite being the smallest in terms of capacity with only 10,669.
Unsurprisingly, the locals’ support has only grown in the Imps’ first season at this level since the 1960s, with Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw managing the team jointly.
Even though the team was heavily favoured in many pre-season relegation predictions, they have already demonstrated that this will be a difficult stadium to win three points from, having won three of their first four home games.
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