Middlesbrough's average attendance at the Riverside now compared to 10 years ago | OneFootball

FLW compares how Boro's crowds have changed in the decade since the 2014/15 season...

Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium has been home to Boro since 1995, and has played host to some of the club's brightest and darkest moments in modern times.

From European nights on the banks of the Tees, to pivotal afternoons in their fight for Championship survival, Middlesbrough supporters have seen quite the contrasting occasions at their 30,000+ capacity home over the years.

But despite finding themselves stuck in the second tier for the majority of the last decade, Teessiders have continued to show up in support of their team.

One of the club's real golden eras since their move to the Riverside was the Aitor Karanka years between 2013-2017, in which the club reached the Championship play-off final in 2015, before winning promotion to the Premier League the following season.

So, how does the average attendance from the 2014/15 season compare to the average number of fans passing through the turnstiles so far in 2024/25? Football League World investigates...

2014/15 was a season that will always hold a place in Middlesbrough supporters' hearts, as despite Karanka's side falling short in the Championship play-off final to Norwich City, it was a campaign laden with memorable moments and a squad laced with cult figures.

The play-off semi-final second leg against Brentford remains one of the greatest nights at the venue in recent times, but how packed out was the Riverside Stadium on average that year?

As per Transfermarkt, Middlesbrough's average Championship attendance for the 2014/15 season was 19,562.

Aitor Karanka era was turning point in Boro's attendance figures

Certain managers and their respective team capture the imagination of a fanbase more than others. For Karanka and Middlesbrough, that was certainly the case.

Prior to his arrival in 2013, Tony Mowbray was doing his best to pull the club out from the dark shadow that the Gordon Strachan era had cast over the Riverside, and as such, sections of the fanbase were still somewhat disillusioned with their football club when the Spaniard was appointed.

In the year leading up to his appointment, Middlesbrough saw average crowds of 16,269 (2010/11), 17,558 (2011/12) and 16,794 (2012/13) - as per Transfermarkt.

However, he would play a pivotal role in altering fan perception and pride in their team, and attendance figures changed for good as a result.

Despite another dip in average crowd numbers in 2013/14 (15,748), by the end of his first full season in charge (2014/15), the Riverside was drawing an average crowd of 19,562.

That grew further to 24,627 during the 2015/16 season, and further still for the 2016/17 campaign, as Premier League football saw average attendance numbers rise to 30,449.

So, how do those figures compare with Middlesbrough's current average attendance numbers?

Middlesbrough's 2024/25 average Riverside stadium attendance so far

2024/25 has seen Middlesbrough make a mixed start to their season, as Michael Carrick's side look to finally win promotion back to the Premier League.

In order to give themselves the best chance of succeeding with that mission, the Riverside Stadium must become a fortress for Boro this term, as it was when they were promoted under Karanka.

So, to what extent are Middlesbrough fans packing out the terraces so far this term? As per Transfermarkt, Boro's average Championship attendance so far this season stands at 25,225 after their first six home league games.

Michael Carrick's tenure has brought notable rise in fan attendance

Middlesbrough supporters have been on a largely positive ride since the appointment of Carrick in October 2022, and that's translated into consistently large attendance figures.

With crowds of 25,000+ becoming the norm at the Riverside Stadium since the Manchester United legend took over, Boro's home is becoming one of the toughest and most hostile venues for opposition teams to play in across the Championship.

That wasn't necessarily the case prior to him taking the job, however, as the club failed to make an instant return to the Premier League, compounded with a string of managerial appointments that didn't go to plan.

Boro saw their average attendance of 23,217 for the 2018/19 season fall drastically to 16,467 for the 2019/20 season - a year in which Boro narrowly avoided relegation to League One.

Whilst the average number of fans attending games did jump back up to 21,825 for the 2021/22 season, that was perhaps in large part due to the excitement of stadiums reopening their doors after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Carrick has evidently got the support of the fanbase behind him and his team, and Middlesbrough's home atmosphere will no doubt play a big role in their promotion push this season.