Premier League Relegation, An Attendance Killer?

The 2025/26 Premier League season draws near, with three sides coming up from the EFL Championship hoping to do what last year's promoted sides failed to do: survive in the top-flight.

Alongside the riches that simply existing in the Premier League bubble brings, from TV rights to sponsorship from U.K. bookmakers, attendances unsurprisingly get a boost too, with fans watching their side welcome the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool to their stadium, as opposed to Charlton Athletic or Oxford United (no disrespect intended by the way!).

Last season's relegated sides (Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton) will receive parachute payments from the Premier League to help make the financial transition easier, but what will fans do?

Will they return to support their fallen heroes, or will fair-weather supporters disappear?

Looking at the last ten seasons, and discounting the two seasons affected by Covid, only two clubs have seen average attendances rise after relegation.

Newcastle United (2016-17) - Up 2.7%
Luton Town (2024/25) - Also Up 2.7%

Every other club relegated in the last decade has seen attendances drop, with the following four clubs feeling the pain substantially. Hull City can arguably be attributed to the ownership of the club, with disgruntled fans turning on the then-owner, Assem Allam, who famously attempted to change the club name to Hull Tigers at one point!

Team and Year	% Drop
Hull City (2017/18)	24.4%
Middlesbrough (2017/18)	16.2%
Stoke City (2018/19)	14.0%
Swansea City (2018/19)	9.2%

Among the three relegated sides from the 2024/25 season, Southampton and Leicester City both have recent experience, having been relegated in the 2022/23 season. In the following campaign, attendance dropped by 3.4% and 2% respectively.

All three promoted sides have previously experienced relegation from the Premier League in the last decade, with Leeds United and Burnley suffering relatively modest drops in attendances.

Leeds United's attendances dropped by 1.6% in the 2022/23 season, while Burnley saw a 6.4% drop last season.

However, Sunderland is the standout side here, with a massive 33% loss of spectators following their relegation in the 2016/17 season.

The Black Cats won just three times at home in the league, and it's fair to say there wasn't much love for owner Ellis Short at the time, which arguably contributed to this staggering drop in numbers.

So, what can we learn from these figures?

A committed team will be supported staunchly, even in a post-relegation season. Yes, there are a few fair-weather supporters who will disappear when the going gets tough, but overall, fans are committed to the cause in the following season.

However, the biggest impact on attendances comes from above, at the boardroom level, as seen with Hull City and Sunderland's disastrous combination of owner mismanagement and relegation, responsible for huge drop-offs in attendances.

Outside of the mega-riches of the Premier League, clubs are finding it more difficult to survive than ever before, and with attendances the bread and butter for hundreds of clubs in the pyramid, owners need to be aware that fan power is still king!