How did Reading’s attendance v Cardiff compare to the rest of the Championship? | OneFootball

Reading enjoyed a happy return to the Select Car Leasing Stadium last weekend as they claimed a 2-1 victory against Cardiff City last weekend, coming behind to secure all three points.

The Bluebirds looked set to take control of the tie when they went ahead through Callum O’Dowda in the fourth minute, with the ex-Bristol City man having the simple task of heading past Joe Lumley from close range.

Lumley then made a very good save to keep the score at 1-0, before Tom Ince managed to win a penalty after being dragged down by Curtis Nelson. Shane Long was the man to convert the spot-kick, marking his competitive return to the SCL Stadium with a bang.

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This equaliser set the tie up for a fascinating second half – and the winner was spectacular with Tom McIntyre, Nesta Guinness-Walker and Ovie Ejaria all combining well before the latter set Tom Ince free, who smashed the ball past Ryan Allsop.

Although Steve Morison’s side attempted to secure an equaliser late on, the Royals defended extremely well to see out the game and win what could potentially be a crucial three points after a disappointing loss against Blackpool on the opening day of the campaign.

A crowd of 13,866 enjoyed this tie according to Fan Banter, the lowest number in the second tier compared to the nine other ties in the division on Friday and Saturday.

Coventry City’s tie with Rotherham United was postponed after a pitch inspection on Saturday and with West Bromwich Albion managing to draw in a larger crowd last night than the Royals did, this game against the Bluebirds was the lowest attended game in the league.

Although the cost of living crisis has arguably played a part in the Berkshire outfit drawing in a large crowd, this isn’t the only reason with many supporters becoming disillusioned with the club earlier this year and even before then.

However, some promising off-field appointments have been made this summer along with several signings and this is potentially why their attendance last weekend higher than the one they were able to draw in for their first home league match of last season against Preston North End (12,156).

Still, they would ideally want to attract even more supporters to the SCL Stadium, with ninth-placed QPR managing to fill nearly 2,000 more seats despite having a smaller arena. Those at Loftus Road were treated to a thriller as the hosts overcame Middlesbrough 3-2.

The highest attendance came at Bramall Lane with 27,738 watching Sheffield United’s 2-0 victory over Millwall – and the South Yorkshire side will surely be near the top of the average home attendance table along with Sunderland following their promotion from League One.

The Royals, on the other hand, haven’t even got the room to fit over 27,000 in their arena. However, more victories and further improvements regarding their off-field situation will only see attendances rise once more.