Sheffield Wednesday's average attendance at Hillsborough compared to last season, it is worse so far | OneFootball

We looked at how Sheffield Wednesday's average attendance compares to last season.

It has been a decent first few months of the season for Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.

Wednesday secured survival last season following a remarkable turnaround under Danny Rohl, and after a busy summer transfer window, many expected them to climb the table this campaign.

It has been an inconsistent start to the season for the Owls, but there have still been plenty of positives for Rohl to take, and they head into the November international break sitting 15th in the table, three points clear of the relegation zone.

It is fair to say that some of the pre-season optimism around the club has been diminished, and the recent Steel City derby defeat to local rivals Sheffield United was incredibly disappointing for Wednesday supporters, but the fan base remain firmly behind Rohl and his team.

The power of the Hillsborough crowd was seen towards the end of last season as they helped to push Rohl's side to safety, and Owls supporters have turned out in big numbers to support their team once again in the early stages of this campaign.

With that in mind, we looked at how Wednesday's average attendance so far this season compares to last term.

Wednesday had an average attendance of 26,762 last season, which was an impressive number considering that they struggled towards the bottom of the table for the entirety of the campaign.

The Owls' highest attendance last season came in the 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in their final home game in April, with 33,295 coming through turnstiles that day, while they also welcomed more than 30,000 for games against Leeds United and Stoke City.

Wednesday recorded their lowest attendance last season in the EFL Cup second round game against Mansfield Town, when just 10,724 people watched them suffer a humiliating exit from the competition on penalties, but their Championship attendance figures were significantly better, and their average was the seventh-highest in the division.

Given the pre-season positivity around the club, many would have expected the Owls' attendances to increase this season, but after the first eight home games, their average has actually decreased slightly to 26,227.

Despite the game being a televised fixture, Wednesday's highest attendance so far this season came in the 4-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle on the opening day at 29,535, and they recorded similar numbers for the home matches against Leeds United and Burnley.

Owner Dejphon Chansiri's high ticket prices will no doubt have contributed to the drop in attendances, while Swansea City and Norwich City brought smaller away followings for their long midweek trips to Hillsborough, and that will also have affected the figures.

However, just like last season, the Owls' have the seventh-highest average attendance in the Championship, with only Norwich, Coventry City, Sheffield United, Derby County, Leeds and Sunderland registering a greater number.

Any decrease in attendance figures is certainly not an indication that Wednesday supporters have any less affection for their manager, and Rohl recently spoke of his strong relationship with the fan base, telling The Telegraph: "It’s crazy here in this city – sometimes they make the traffic stop in the street just to say hello when I’m crossing the road. When I go for a run they see me and give me a signal. It’s all the good side."