The EFL Championship is home to some notable football clubs and stadiums.

From Hillsborough and Bramall Lane in Sheffield to Carrow Road in Norfolk and Portman Road in Suffolk, to The Den and The Valley in London, and to Ewood Park and Deepdale in Lancashire, English second-tier venues are among the best in the world.

Fans are the lifeblood of any football club; without them, they are nothing. Football would not be the same without fans traveling across the country on a weekly basis and gathering in large numbers to support them at home.

However, there are always scenarios in which a team’s attendance drops. Poor results and performances, protests against the club’s current position, and ticket pricing are just a few of the many elements that influence a team’s attendance over the season.

Using Transfermarkt data, FLW examined the top eight emptiest stadiums in the EFL Championship this season, based on average attendance, and investigated each club’s condition over the course of the year, determining the likely explanations.

8 Middlesbrough – Riverside

Middlesbrough has had a terrific season thus far, and under Swedish manager Kim Hellberg, they have the opportunity to make it genuinely unforgettable.

This is Boro’s ninth consecutive season in the Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in 2017, and it is their strongest position since then to try to return to the top level.

They, like Coventry City, have spent much of the season in the top two, so it’s surprise that they’ve made the list.

Boro fans attend an average of 27,283 games with a stadium capacity of 33,746, filling approximately 80.8% of the seats for each home game.

A significant reason for this is likely owing to their ticket prices, with the Teesside club having the most costly cheapest season ticket in the league at £620, thereby pricing potential supporters out.

If they are promoted to the Premier League next season, their attendance will most definitely increase, but ticket costs would almost probably rise, much to the chagrin of Boro fans.

7 Stoke City – bet365 Stadium 

Stoke City were once synonymous with the Premier League; now, the Potters are a shadow of their former selves and a confirmed Championship dweller.

The days of Tony Pulis and Mark Hughes seem a million miles away, as do the days when the bet365 Stadium was practically full every game.

Stoke has yet to finish in the top half of the Championship table since relegation, with a 14th-place finish being the most notable achievement in that time, with attendances declining owing to on-field performance.

Under Mark Robins, it appeared almost clear that the Potters would finally reverse the trend this season, but a poor run of play has seen them drop down the league, with another year in the bottom half looking likely.

With an average attendance of 24,507 in a 30,089-capacity stadium, the Potters have the division’s seventh-emptiest stadium this season, with their main factor being on-field performances, as well as one of the league’s cheapest season tickets.

6Hull City – MKM Stadium

Hull City has had some intriguing proprietors throughout the years, to say the least.

While initially popular, the Allam family’s reputation gradually deteriorated after attempting to rename the club to ‘Hull Tigers’ and threatening fans on multiple occasions when they did not get their way.

Hull, now owned by Turkish businessman Acun Ilicali, has had a mixed season, finishing just outside of the play-offs in his first season, then controversially sacking Liam Rosenior and narrowly avoiding relegation, and now undergoing a two-window transfer embargo due to financial uncertainty, but still on track for a top-six finish.

The city also has a strong rugby league tradition, with both Hull FC and Hull KR representing the people of Hull, which is likely to influence weekend attendance, with the Tigers averaging 21,049 in the MKM Stadium, which seats 25,586.

5 Swansea City – Swansea.com Stadium

During Swansea City’s Premier League years, the Swansea.com Stadium, originally known as the Liberty Stadium, was virtually always sold out for home games.

Now, the Welsh club is in a bit of a slump in the second division, having unable to make a genuine push for a top-six finish in previous years, resulting in dismal and uninspiring league finishes.

With Cardiff City now in League One, the Swans are the only Welsh team in the Championship, alongside Wrexham, with an average home attendance of 16,500 in their 21,088-capacity stadium.

4 Charlton Athletic – The Valley

Charlton Athletic has long had to compete for attendance with their more noisier rivals in the English capital, with Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham United all undoubtedly luring potential supporters away from The Valley.

its position in the London rankings is not as high as that of some of its second-tier rivals, Queen’s Park Rangers and Millwall, and they have spent much of their recent history in the third and second divisions.

Charlton have been good value for money under Welsh manager Nathan Jones to retain their status as a Championship club heading into next season, and with an average attendance of 19,986 in a capacity of 26,875, the Addicks will undoubtedly want to increase that figure heading into next year, and remaining in the Championship will only help those efforts.

3 Preston North End – Deepdale

When you think of the Championship, few other teams undoubtedly come to mind before Preston North End.

The Lilywhites have already spent more than a decade in the English second division, rarely appearing to be in contention for promotion or relegation.

While many EFL sides would rejoice at the chance to become a steady Championship side, Preston fans’ excitement is likely to have worn off long ago, as they will have grown disgruntled with their club’s lack of ambition to compete in the top level.

Deepdale’s spending has always been tight, resulting in an average attendance of 16,832 this season at a stadium with a capacity of 23,408. Though the club is still in with a chance of finishing in the top six this season, if they do, attendances may increase into next year with a renewed sense of hope surrounding the place.

2 Sheffield Wednesday – Hillsborough

Where to begin with Sheffield Wednesday?

The Owls’ relegation to League One has already been sealed, with only one win this season, and none at the legendary Hillsborough Stadium.

Wednesday has the largest stadium in the second division, Hillsborough, with a capacity of 39,859, although their average attendance this season is only 22,655.

Many supporters elected to stay away from the club this year because they did not want to support Thai tycoon Dejphon Chansiri’s ownership, but now that he has left and the club is seeking for a buyer, a new dawn is on the horizon for South Yorkshire.

If the Owls can instill a new sense of optimism in their fans moving into next season, they will most certainly flock back to Hillsborough in large numbers; yet, few can blame them for not wanting to attend their home games right now.

1Blackburn Rovers – Ewood Park

Blackburn Rovers, former Premier League winners, round off the list, which is unsurprising.

Blackburn is not a particularly large geographical location, and with Ewood Park’s capacity of 31,367, it has always been difficult to fill.

With an average attendance of 13,950 this year, Blackburn are the clear unwelcome winners of this list, with their stadium frequently being less than half filled on a game-by-game basis.

It would be unfair to dismiss the Venky’s factor, with the current owners among the most disliked in the country, their refusal to invest or sell the club irritating supporters and prompting some to boycott.

Their attendance will increase once the ownership regime changes, perhaps for the better. However, Ewood Park is currently the Championship’s emptiest venue.