Leicester City have published the results of a survey they conducted following January’s fixture against West Brom at the King Power Stadium, when there was a boycott scheduled
Jordan Blackwell
12:42, 19 Mar 2026
Leicester City fans during the 3-1 defeat to QPR at the King Power Stadium(Image: Stephen White – CameraSport via Getty Images)
On the face of it, there should not be too many concerns with Leicester City’s attendance.
They are staring at the worst season in their history and yet their average gate of 29,099 is the second highest in the Championship and the 16th highest in the country.
But that number does not tell the full story, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, there’s a negative trend. Not only has the average attendance fallen in comparison to recent years, it’s falling through the campaign.
Last Tuesday, when City hosted Bristol City, the attendance of 25,476 was their lowest for a league fixture in 12 years.
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The other, more concerning issue, is that the figures are not an accurate reflection of the number of fans in the ground.
City’s attendance figures show tickets sold, rather than fans coming through the turnstiles, and so season-ticket holders who don’t turn up would still be counted as present.
Really, there have been games this season where it would not feel out of place to suggest that City’s attendance was actually in the low 20,000s, maybe the high teens. It has felt half-empty at points.
That was especially true for the home game against West Brom at the start of the year. It was a match when fans called for a boycott over the running of the club.
City conducted a survey of season-ticket holders in the wake of the game and have now released the data, and it may come as a surprise.
Of the 911 fans that responded to the questionnaire, only 57, six per cent, said they chose not to go to the game because they were boycotting.
Other reasons far outweighed the boycotters. And there were many reasons why fans may not have turned up.
It was a Monday night game and for many it was the first working day after the Christmas break. It was also bitterly cold. These are legitimate reasons for skipping a game and they were cited more often by City supporters for missing the West Brom fixture than the boycott was.
But it could be argued that staying away for any reason, other than perhaps health concerns, is a boycott in itself.
Yes, the weather and the kick-off time were inconvenient, but they are inconveniences that supporters, especially those who have a season ticket and so have already paid for their seat, overlook because they want to get to the ground to cheer on their team.
With the way things are going at City, fans are increasingly looking for excuses not to go. That’s a concern with details for season tickets for the 26-27 season to be released over the coming months.
For the club, apathy is perhaps the most dangerous emotion fans can feel. If fans are angry and show that inside the stadium, at least they’re paying to be there.
The longer City spend outside of the Premier League, the bigger the difference gate receipts make.
TV money and sponsorships will still form the majority of the club’s revenue, but attendances of 20,000 rather than 30,000 would still see the club miss out on a few million pounds a season.
Part of the reinvigoration of the club, with the restructure of the hierarchy, needs to focus on getting supporters interested and committed again. Otherwise the attendance will keep falling.
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