Average Attendance: Sunderland Association FC, normally called Sunderland AFC, has a storied record each on and stale the pitch. One of the most telling signs of the membership’s stature and fan engagement is its matchday attendance figures.
Historical Overview of Sunderland AFC’s Attendances
Sunderland’s domestic ground, the Stadium of Light, has witnessed fluctuating attendance figures over the years, reflecting the membership’s overall performance, league status, and local financial conditions.
Early Years at the Stadium of Light (1997–2000): Upon shifting to the Stadium of Light in 1997, Sunderland experienced a surge in attendance, with crowds exceeding 40,000 for the duration of their Premier League campaigns.
Premier League Years (2000–2006): The membership’s presence in the Premier League for the duration of this era noticed common attendances around 40,000, peaking at 46,790 in the 2000–01 season.
Relegation and Championship (2006–2017): Following relegation, Sunderland’s common attendance dipped, stabilizing among 30,000 and 35,000.
Recent Seasons (2017–2024): The membership’s fluctuating league status, inclusive of relegations to League One and next promotions, has brought about various attendance figures.
Current Attendance Statistics (2024–2025 Season)
As of January 2025, Sunderland AFC competes in the EFL Championship. The membership has confirmed a sturdy fanbase, with the subsequent attendance statistics:
Average Attendance: Approximately 40,755 spectators in keeping with the domestic game.
Highest Attendance: 42,781 towards Middlesbrough on September 21, 2024.
Lowest Attendance: 39,017 towards Derby County on October 1, 2024.
Comparative Analysis with Other Championship Clubs
Sunderland’s attendance figures are significantly better than a lot of their Championship counterparts:
Leeds United: Average attendance of 35,338.
Leicester City: Average attendance of 31,387.
These figures underscore Sunderland’s sturdy aid base in the league.
Factors Influencing Attendance Figures
Several factors make a contribution to the fluctuations in Sunderland’s attendance:
Team Performance: Successful seasons and promotions have a tendency to reinforce attendance, whilst relegations can result in declines.
Economic Conditions: Regional financial fitness impacts disposable income, influencing fans’ cap potential to wait matches.
Ticket Pricing: Affordable price price tag alternatives can appeal to large crowds, while better fees can also additionally deter attendance.
Community Engagement: Active network applications and fan engagement tasks can decorate attendance figures.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge effect on matchday attendances:
2019–2020 Season: The season has been curtailed, and matches have been performed behind closed doors, leading to a total attendance of 572,241.
2020–2021 Season: All video games have been performed in the back of closed doors, ensuing in 0 matchday attendance.
Post-pandemic, Sunderland has visible a resurgence in fan attendance, reflecting a sturdy preference amongst supporters to go back to stay matches.
Stadium of Light: A Hub for Fans
The Stadium of Light, with a capability of 48,707, serves as a primary hub for Sunderland’s fanbase. Its current centers and strategic area make a contribution to its excessive attendance figures.
Notable Attendance Records
Highest Football Attendance: 48,353 on April 13, 2002, for the duration of a Premier League match towards Liverpool.
Highest Non-Football Attendance: 60,000 on June 3, 2022, for an Ed Sheeran concert.
Who are Sunderland’s rivals?
Newcastle United – This is Sunderland’s most severe and anciental contention, called the Tyne-Wear Derby. The fierce opposition among the 2 clubs has been a supply of ardour and anxiety for decades, with matches regularly being excessive-stakes, excessive-emotion affairs. The contention has its roots in the geographical proximity of the 2 cities (about 10 miles apart), and it’s one of the most sour rivalries in English football. The matches among Sunderland and Newcastle are regarded for his or her fierce ecosystem each on and stale the pitch.
Middlesbrough – Sunderland additionally stocks a contention with Middlesbrough, called the Tees-Wear Derby. This contention has its origins in the geographical area of the 2 clubs, located in the northeast of England. Although it isn’t as severe because of the Newcastle contention, matches among Sunderland and Middlesbrough nonetheless bring a sturdy aggressive edge, especially because of the neighborhood satisfaction involved.
Hull City – Although now no longer as long standing because of the Newcastle contention, Sunderland has evolved a contention with Hull City, specially in greater current seasons while each teams were competing for merchandising or survival in the Premier League and Championship. The contention has been fueled through numerous dramatic encounters in current years.
Southampton – Sunderland has additionally had extremely good rivalries with Southampton, frequently due to the common encounters among the club in each the Premier League and Championship. While now no longer as fierce because of the North East rivalries, video games towards Southampton have regularly been aggressive and tightly contested.
Recent Fixtures and Results
Saturday, 7th December 2024: Sunderland 2–1 Stoke City
Tuesday, 10th December 2024: Sunderland 1–1 Bristol City
Saturday, 14th December 2024: Swansea City 2–3 Sunderland
Saturday, 21st December 2024: Sunderland 2–1 Norwich City
Thursday, 26th December 2024: Blackburn Rovers 2–2 Sunderland
Sunday, 29th December 2024: Stoke City 1–0 Sunderland
Wednesday, 1st January 2025: Sunderland 2–1 Sheffield United
Sunday, 5th January 2025: Sunderland 0–0 Portsmouth
Saturday, 11th January 2025: Sunderland 0–0 Stoke City (FA Cup)
Friday, 17th January 2025: Burnley 0–0 Sunderland
Tuesday, 21st January 2025: Derby County 0–0 Sunderland
Upcoming Fixtures:
Saturday, 25th January 2025: Sunderland vs. Plymouth Argyle
Monday, 3rd February 2025: Middlesbrough vs. Sunderland
Saturday, 8th February 2025: Sunderland vs. Watford
Wednesday, 12th February 2025: Sunderland vs. Luton Town
Monday, 17th February 2025: Leeds United vs. Sunderland
Saturday, 22nd February 2025: Sunderland vs. Hull City
Looking Ahead
Sunderland AFC has one of the most passionate fan bases in English football, with the membership’s attendance figures presenting a clean indication of this sturdy connection. Although the team’s overall performance has fluctuated over the years, the unwavering loyalty of Sunderland’s supporters has ensured excessive common attendance, in particular while the membership performs in the Championship.
FAQs
How does Sunderland’s attendance evaluate different Championship clubs?
Sunderland’s common attendance of about 40,755 is many of the most in the Championship, surpassing clubs like Leeds United and Leicester City.
What elements make a contribution to Sunderland’s excessive attendance figures?
Sunderland AFC: Factors encompass team overall performance, local financial conditions, price price tag pricing, and network engagement tasks.
How did the COVID-19 pandemic have an effect on Sunderland’s attendance?
Sunderland AFC: The pandemic brought about matches being performed behind closed doors, considerably decreasing attendance figures for the duration of the 2019–2021 seasons.
What is the highest recorded attendance at the Stadium of Light?
Sunderland AFC: The highest recorded attendance is 48,353 during a Premier League match against Liverpool on April 13, 2002.
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