Top 10 best-supported clubs in the EFL Championship | OneFootball

FLW ranks the top ten best-supported clubs in the EFL Championship by average attendance

The 2026/27 EFL Championship season is well and truly underway, as fans flock in their numbers home and away to follow their side up and down the country, but who are actually the best-supported teams in the division?

The Championship is back for another year, with teams across the United Kingdom vying and competing for a place in the Premier League.

West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Burnley have all been relegated to the second tier, whilst Lincoln City, Bolton Wanderers, and Cardiff City have all been promoted from League One as the newcomers in the division.

As a general rule, when a team starts to play well, attendances increase, and when a team plays poorly, attendances decrease, but that isn't always the case, especially not in the volatile league that is the Championship.

Only the German second tier can rival the English second tier in terms of attendances, as Football League World takes a look and ranks the best-supported clubs currently in the Championship, using data from Transfermarkt.

10 ? ? Bristol City

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Bristol City are as Championship regulars as they come, with the Robins currently in their 12th consecutive season in the English second tier, and their 18th in total since the division was renamed in 2004.

Ashton Gate has hosted Bristol City since 1887, and though it has undergone major renovations since then to bring it to a more modern standard, it has yet to host any Premier League football.

With a capacity of 27,000, Bristol City have averaged 24,151 spectators so far this campaign, as Robins supporters enter a new era under the leadership of James Ellis and Michael Skubala, having enjoyed an excellent start to the season.

Despite having never played Premier League football, Robins fans will dare to dream that it can become a reality under this new leadership model, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see that attendance increase as that outcome begins to look possible.

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Norwich City gained a reputation for being something of a yo-yo club throughout the 2010s and early 2020s, but have been stuck in the second tier since 2022, now into their fifth consecutive year in the division.

The Canaries are the only major club in the Norfolk region, with Ipswich Town just south of them in Suffolk as the only other contender in the East Anglian region, as Norwich have a large catchment area.

This has translated into the stands, with Norwich having had one of the most consistent attendance figures in the country across the past decade or so despite their turbulent nature, and so far this season, have averaged 25,936 supporters at their home games at Carrow Road.

It would take something drastic for those attendance figures to drop significantly anytime soon, as the Canaries remain one of the best-supported teams in the Championship.

8 ? ? Birmingham City

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Birmingham City is a club with a plan, with that plan to become the biggest club in their region; though their task of doing so is far from simple, especially with bitter rivals Aston Villa down the road.

The Blues, under the ownership of Tom Wagner and Tom Brady of Knighthead Capital Management, have invested heavily both on and off the pitch in recent years, with over £50 million being spent on the playing squad in the past couple of years, and have announced plans to build a new 62,000-seat stadium by 2030.

With an average attendance of 26,146 at St Andrews @ Knighthead Park so far this season, it will take a huge boom in the fanbase to come remotely close to filling their new ground, but the ambition remains there.

Birmingham are one of the best-supported teams in the Championship, and Wagner's vision is for the club to become one of the best in the Premier League in years to come.

7 ? ? Cardiff City

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Cardiff City are one of three Welsh clubs currently in the Championship, alongside Swansea City and Wrexham, though the capital-based outfit is by far the best-supported out of the bunch.

The Cardiff City Stadium can hold 33,280 spectators, and whilst that has rarely been sold out, the Bluebirds' average attendance of 26,229 this campaign still ranks them well within the top ten of best-supported teams in the Championship.

Brian Barry-Murphy's main goal will be to keep the club afloat following promotion, though the Irishman will be daring to dream about a place in the top-eight; if he can continue leading the Bluebirds on this trajectory, attendances will only increase.

6 ? ? Sheffield United

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Sheffield United share their city with bitter rivals Sheffield Wednesday, as Bramall Lane and Hillsborough can go toe-to-toe with one another for average attendances over recent years.

The Blades have enjoyed a few spells in the Premier League in recent years, but now, with parachute payments having run out and going through a summer of signings predominantly on frees and loans, it would take something special for them to be back there anytime soon.

Attendances in South Yorkshire have averaged at 26,639 this season, though it is almost 5,000 less than their city rivals in League One, who have entered a new era after Dejphon Chansiri's departure.

Despite this, the Blades remain one of the best-supported teams in the division.

5 ? ? Derby County

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Derby County, under John Eustace, narrowly missed out on a place in the play-offs last campaign, and this time around, the Rams are not looking to make a similar mistake.

Supporters have recognised their recent success and potential, and flocked in their numbers to Pride Park on a weekly basis, averaging 27,751 supporters so far this season.

Derby have consistently had a strong fanbase, even during their time in League One, and should they continue to be successful on the pitch, that will only increase.

4 ? ? Southampton

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Southampton supporters will be disappointed that St Mary's is not the host of Premier League football again this season after being expelled from the play-offs at the end of last campaign for allegedly spying on their opponents.

For the first time since 2007 and 2009, the Saints will spend back-to-back seasons in the second tier, having spent the majority of their recent history in the Premier League, as their fanbase largely increased due to their time in the top flight.

Despite last year's disappointing end, an average attendance of 29,176 almost fills St Mary's on a weekly basis, and should the Saints sustain another promotion charge, that number will surely only increase.

3 ? ? Middlesbrough

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Middlesbrough, like Southampton, ended last campaign in disappointing circumstances, though for very different reasons.

Boro missed out on automatic promotion after falling away in the final stages of the season, lost in the play-off semi-final to the Saints, but were reinstated in the final following Southampton's expulsion, but lost out for a third time, as Hull City prevailed at Wembley.

Middlesbrough's support has always been exceptional, and having spent big on the likes of Will Lankshear, Ashley Phillips, and Radek Vitek this summer, there is a growing expectation among supporters that this year could finally be their year.

Averaging an attendance of 30,529 at the Riverside so far this campaign, Boro fans will be hoping to pack out their ground in the Premier League next season, with the belief that Kim Hellberg can guide them back to the top flight after nearly a decade away.

2 ? ? Wolverhampton Wanderers

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Wolverhampton Wanderers are back in the Championship this campaign for the first time since 2018, when they fired themselves to the league title under Nuno Espírito Santo.

Top-half finishes in the top flight, trips to Wembley, and European nights have followed, but now, after a disastrous campaign, in which they won just three league games all season, they are back in the second tier, but don't intend to stick around for long.

The Old Gold, despite their shambolic home form last year, have retained the majority of their support following relegation, as Cesar Peixoto has been tasked with instilling belief back into this fanbase.

With an average attendance of 30,659, Molineux has been close to sold out on a weekly basis, and if the Black Country outfit can sustain a title charge, expect there to be occasions where not a single seat is empty at the stadium throughout the course of the season.

1 ? ? West Ham United

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Absolutely dwarfing the rest of the competition, West Ham United's support in the Championship is second to none, having averaged a staggering 60,852 supporters at the London Stadium so far this season.

The Hammers, whilst not totally enamoured with their home ground, can boast attendances like this which they wouldn't have been able to otherwise back at Upton Park, which held just 35,016 before its demolition.

West Ham were only second to Manchester United for average attendances in the Premier League last season, and still average more supporters than each of Manchester City, Liverpool, and Arsenal this year despite their Championship status.

The East London outfit are a reminder that, no matter how large a team's fanbase is, it's never too big to go under, as West Ham