The 6 highest EFL Championship attendances on matchweek 1 | OneFootball

FLW have looked at which matches from the first game of the season drew the largest gates

After a three-month hiatus and a summer of more football with the World Cup, Championship action was back on the agenda this weekend, and the second tier certainly lived up to its usual stereotypes.

The Championship has become one of the most high-profile leagues in European football in recent times, not just because of the calibre of players who have plied their trade in the division and the stature of some clubs, but because of the drama and unpredictability associated with a 46-game season which lasts between August and May.

This season will see even more chaos added after the expansion of the play-offs, and there were certainly some sides harbouring ambitions of finishing in the top-eight and beyond this term who got off to mixed starts.

That said, another key element which makes the Championship so special is the loyalty of the 24 fanbases in the division, who will continue to pack out home and away allocations irrespective of kick-off times, distances and the cost of tickets.

Even with all 12 games televised on Sky Sports this weekend, only one attendance figure was narrowly below the 20,000 mark, and Football League World have looked at the six matches that attracted the largest gates.

6 ? ? Bolton Wanderers 2-1 Preston North End (26,262)

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The lowest attendance on this list, but still one of the largest in the division on opening weekend came at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, as 26,262 saw Bolton Wanderers defeat Lancashire rivals, Preston North End 2-1 on their return to the Championship.

Steven Schumacher's League One play-off winners raced into their lead through Sam Dalby and Thierry Gale to silence the Lilywhites' travelling contingent, which was still 4,435 strong despite complaints over ticket prices, but they saw summer signing, Jusef Erabi's league debut goal come to nothing.

5 ? ? Norwich City 1-2 West Bromwich Albion (26,374)

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In fifth, Norwich City's return to league action at Carrow Road saw 26,374 spectators watch a controversial 2-1 loss to West Bromwich Albion.

Ultimately, it was the 1,848 Baggies fans who went home happy after Aune Heggebo's opener and a continuation of Jimmy-Jay Morgan's excellent form since signing from Chelsea, with Mathias Kvistgaarden's late strike for the Canaries also to no avail for the Canaries.

4 ? ? Sheffield United 0-0 Birmingham City (27,684)

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Sheffield United's clash with Birmingham City was the only goalless encounter played out in the Championship's first round of matches, with both sides lacking in quality at the top end of the pitch.

It has been a difficult summer for Blades fans, which could get worse amid fears of a 12-point deduction, whilst Birmingham are hoping to progress towards the play-offs under Chris Davies.

27,684 watched the match in S2, of which 2,842 were from the Second City, with Bramall Lane currently at a reduced capacity due to repair works.

3 ? ? Wolves 2-2 Blackburn Rovers (30,984)

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The only newly-relegated side on this list is Wolves, with 30,984 packing Molineux out for an entertaining 2-2 draw on Friday against Blackburn Rovers.

All Wolves fans in the South Bank had also been given a free scarf from the returning Raul Jimenez, and it was his 93rd-minute penalty which silenced the 2,015 Rovers fans after they'd initially turned the game on its head through Sean McLoughlin and Andri Gudjohnsen, following on from Marshall Munetsi's early opener.

2 ? ? Cardiff City 1-1 Wrexham (31,421)

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In second is the all-Welsh affair between Cardiff City and Wrexham on Monday night, which saw 31,421 packed into the Cardiff City Stadium, including Manchester City's Jack Grealish.

Kieffer Moore's well-documented form at the CCS continued inside the first minute, sending approximately 3,000 Red Dragons fans wild in what was the first league meeting between the sides since 2002.

However, even greater 'scenes' were produced by the home crowd in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time as Rubin Colwill fired a stunning free-kick past Anthony Patterson to rescue the Bluebirds a point in their first Championship game since May of last year.

1 ? ? Middlesbrough 2-1 Lincoln City (31,487)

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However, topping the opening weekend's attendance charts by 65 fans was Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium, as Kim Hellberg's side fought back to defeat last season's League One champions, Lincoln City, 2-1.

The Imps' fanbase sold out their allocation of 2,118 for their first match at this level in over 60 years, and Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw's side made the dream start through Teesside native, Adam Reach, and his first-time finish after 12 minutes.

However, Boro's big-money striker, Will Lankshear, followed up his EFL Cup winner against Wrexham with his first brace for the club, with the former Tottenham Hotspur man grabbing the winner in the first minute of second half injury-time to deny the visitors what would have been a useful point in their survival hopes.