In this article we take a look at the top 200 average attendances in Non League for the 2024/25 season now that it has come to an end.
Football fans watching the lower levels of English football is thankfully on the up with many clubs struggling for a number of reasons, be it coping with rising costs, league restructuring, the demands of ground grading or meeting with FA requirements.
Supporters of Premier League or EFL teams are also being priced out, while the love for local non league level increasing and more affordable.
The following reasons as to why fans love non league:
Having a beer in the stands, reasonably priced food, usually easy to get to/park, other spectators who actually know about football, no VAR, no tourists, no half and half scarves, cheap entry, stand where you like, friendlier, more accessible, it feels like a family, it’s still about football and not the greed or money…
Right then, time to find out the Top 200 Average Attendances in Non League for the 2024/25 season, with the figures taken from league websites, Blue & Gold Trust Official Site, Non League Matters and Football Web Pages, (all around the same number)…
200) Maldon & Tiptree – 364
199) Tiverton Town – 366
198) Bishop Auckland – 369
197) Bourne Town – 369
196) Royston Town – 372
195) Canvey Island – 374
194) Mickleover – 375
193) AFC Sudbury – 375
192) Winchester City – 378
191) Heaton Stannington – 381
190) Ashington AFC – 384
189) Cheshunt – 388
188) Ashford United – 389
187) Basford United – 392
186) Sheffield – 393
185) Plymouth Parkway – 398
184) Falmouth Town – 399
183) AFC Rushden & Diamonds – 401
182) Lowestoft Town – 402
181) Leighton Town – 402
180) Trafford – 403
179) Berkhamsted – 403
178) Wythenshawe – 406
177) Newquay – 413
176) Leatherhead – 413
175) Melksham Town – 413
174) Brentwood Town – 417
173) North Ferriby – 423
172) Sheppey United – 424
171) Sittingbourne – 425
170) Harlow Town – 426
169) Merstham – 428
168) Hungerford Town – 429
167) Bootle – 430
166) Bishop’s Stortford – 433
165) Bamber Bridge – 436
164) Whitstable Town – 438
163) Witton Albion – 441
162) Bracknell Town – 451
161) Cleethorpes Town – 452
160) Evesham United – 453
159) Herne Bay – 454
158) Morpeth Town – 458
157) Spalding United – 460
156) Felixstowe & Walton United – 461
155) Hebburn Town – 463
154) Warrington Rylands – 471
153) Chichester City – 474
152) Emley AFC – 475
151) Nuneaton Town – 479
150) Rushall Olympic – 482
149) Aveley – 483
148) Curzon Ashton – 485
147) AFC Portchester – 485
146) Needham Market – 487
145) Chertsey Town – 487
144) Mossley – 487
143) Alfreton Town – 490
142) Cambridge City – 501
141) Burgess Hill Town – 501
140) Stamford – 502
139) Whitby Town – 509
138) Frome Town – 510
137) Lancaster City – 511
136) Sholing – 511
135) Harborough Town – 514
134) Yate Town – 521
133) Chasetown – 525
132) Nantwich Town – 527
131) Carshalton Athletic – 531
130) Runcorn Linnets – 533
129) Belper Town – 547
128) Margate – 552
127) Gainsborough Trinity – 573
126) Banbury United – 579
125) Blyth Spartans – 594
124) Worcester City – 600
123) Leek Town – 609
122) Ilkeston Town – 610
121) Stalybridge Celtic – 612
120) Hyde United – 617
119) Deal Town – 617
118) Hitchin Town – 619
117) Droylsden – 620
116) Redditch United – 631
115) Farnham Town – 640
114) Guernsey – 648
113) Leamington – 658
112) Cray Wanderers – 659
111) Oxford City – 664
110) Hornchurch – 678
109) Poole Town – 682
108) Stafford Rangers – 684
107) Welling United – 688
106) Congleton Town – 700
105) Chippenham Town – 705
104) Guiseley – 711
103) Taunton Town – 716
102) Basingstoke Town – 728
101) Corby Town – 734
100) Hampton & Richmond Borough – 738
99) Stratford Town – 741
98) Bury Town – 745
97) Stourbridge – 752
96) Walton & Hersham – 760
95) Clitheroe – 761
94) Wimborne Town – 765
93) Bognor Regis Town – 766
92) Prescot Cables – 768
91) FC Isle of Man – 777
90) Workington AFC – 780
89) Buxton – 786
88) Dorchester Town – 792
87) Bromsgrove Sporting – 796
86) Havant & Waterlooville – 809
85) Chelmsford City – 816
84) Worksop Town – 824
83) Chesham United – 836
82) Jersey Bulls – 839
81) Bedford Town – 843
80) Gosport Borough – 858
79) Matlock Town – 865
78) Weymouth – 868
77) Salisbury – 876
76) West Didsbury & Chorlton – 877
75) Hemel Hempstead Town – 880
74) Brackley Town – 887
73) Slough Town – 913
72) Stockton Town – 935
71) Folkestone Invicta – 937
70) Hastings United – 957
69) Enfield Town – 978
68) Warrington Town – 985
67) Boreham Wood – 985
66) Farnborough – 987
65) Lewes – 994
64) Radcliffe – 1,014
63) Tonbridge Angels – 1,046
62) Gloucester City – 1,066
61) Dover Athletic – 1,105
60) Weston-super-Mare – 1,108
59) King’s Lynn Town – 1,112
58) Braintree Town – 1,159
57) Halesowen Town – 1,160
56) Billericay Town – 1,184
55) Ramsgate – 1,201
54) Bath City – 1,265
53) Horsham – 1,274
52) Spennymoor Town – 1,278
51) Merthyr Town – 1,278
50) Dartford – 1,289
49) Tamworth – 1,306
48) Southport – 1,312
47) AFC Fylde – 1,327
46) AFC Telford United – 1,343
45) Maidenhead United – 1,399
44) Marine – 1,383
43) Eastbourne Borough – 1,385
42) Kettering Town – 1,396
41) Scarborough Athletic – 1,399
40) Chorley – 1,412
39) Gateshead – 1,416
38) Solihull Moors – 1,430
37) Darlington – 1,436
36) Ebbsfleet United – 1,452
35) AFC Totton – 1,459
34) Hednesford Town – 1,460
33) Chatham Town – 1,473
32) Wealdstone – 1,602
31) Dorking Wanderers – 1,628
30) FC United of Manchester – 1,667
29) St Albans City – 1,686
28) Dagenham & Redbridge – 1,715
27) Worthing – 1,740
26) FC Halifax Town – 1,744
25) Truro City – 1,814
24) Forest Green Rovers – 1,839
23) South Shields – 1,924
22) Altrincham – 2,122
21) Boston United – 2,126
20) Eastleigh – 2,242
19) Barnet – 2,315
18) Woking – 2,330
17) Chester – 2,368
16) Maidstone United – 2,374
15) Aldershot Town – 2,442
14) Dulwich Hamlet – 2,555
13) Sutton United – 2,652
12) Rochdale – 2,551
11) Kidderminster Harriers – 2,688
10) Hereford – 2,826
The average attendance at Hereford for the 2024/25 National League North season was 2,826, the 10th biggest in the non league pyramid.
They finished 10th in the 6th tier, with 76 points from 46 games played, just one point from the playoff places.
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9) Bury – 3,125
The average attendance at Bury for the North West Counties League Premier Division 2024/25 season was 3,125, the 9th biggest in the non league pyramid.
They finished 1st in the 9th tier, with 109 points from 46 games played, 3 points clear of second place Lower Breck.
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8) Macclesfield – 3,150
The average attendance at Macclesfield for the Northern Premier League Premier Division 2024/25 season was 3,125, the 8th biggest in the non league pyramid.
They finished 1st in the 7th tier, with 109 points from 46 games played, 26 points clear of second place Worksop Town.
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7) Yeovil Town – 3,215
The average attendance at Yeovil Town for the National League 2024/25 season was 3,215, the 7th biggest in the non league pyramid.
They finished 18th in the 5th tier, with 56 points from 46 games played, 4 points above the relegation zone.
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6) Hartlepool United – 3,796
The average attendance at Hartlepool United for the National League 2024/25 season was 3,796, the 6th biggest in the non league pyramid.
They finished 11th in the 5th tier, with 60 points from 46 games played, 8 points from the playoff places and 8 above the relegation zone.
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5) Torquay United – 3,943
The average attendance at Torquay United for the National League South 2024/25 season was 3,943, the 5th biggest in the non league pyramid.
They finished 2nd in the 6th tier, with 89 points from 46 games played, but lost to Boreham Wood in the National League South playoff semi final.
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4) Scunthorpe United – 4,399
The average attendance at Scunthorpe United for the National League North 2024/25 season was 4,399, the 4th biggest in the non league pyramid.
They finished 2nd in the 6th tier, with 90 points from 46 games played, and made it all the way to the National League North playoff final, beating Chester.
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3) York City – 6,051
The average attendance at York City for the National League 2024/25 season was 6,051, the 3rd biggest in the non league pyramid.
They finished 2nd in the 5th tier, with 96 points from 46 games played, but lost to Oldham in the National League playoff semi final.
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2) Oldham Athletic – 6,073
The average attendance at Oldham Athletic for the National League 2024/25 season was 6,008, the 2nd biggest in the non league pyramid.
They finished 5th in the 5th tier, with 73 points from 46 games played, and made it all the way to the National League playoff final, winning promotion with a win over Southend.
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1) Southend United – 7,339
The average attendance at Southend United for the National League 2024/25 season was 7,339, the biggest in the non league pyramid.
They finished 7th in the 5th tier, with 68 points from 46 games played, and made it all the way to the National League playoff final, losing to Oldham.
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SEE MORE: 13 non league clubs listed by writer as the ‘perfect’ grounds to visit
To show just how tough it is at non league level these days, an FSA Survey found:
The cost of living crisis and its impact upon fans at non-league level is at the heart of a new joint survey between the FSA and the Non-League Paper, which launched this weekend.
With inflation at levels not seen for decades and the rise in day-to-day cost of living putting a squeeze on household budgets across the country, we are keen to see how this will affect attendance and matchday spend throughout non-league, where budgets are at their tightest.
The survey looks to gather data which can be shared with leagues and clubs throughout the pyramid to help them plan for the winter ahead.
Fans will be asked their views on potential cost-saving measures, such as earlier kick-offs to help save on energy usage, as well as views on clubs increasing ticket and food and drinks prices to help them survive.
Andy Walsh, head of the national game at the FSA, said: “Non-league clubs are warning that without assistance the increase in energy prices and the effect of high inflation will create unmanageable financial pressures throughout the game, putting some clubs’ futures in jeopardy.
“This survey in partnership with The Non-League Paper will gather supporters’ views and help in our discussions with the football authorities and leagues, providing real data on how the rising cost of living is impacting fans, and help clubs navigate these difficult times.”
Fans at non-league are already feeling the pinch of the cost of living crisis, with more than half (57.7%) saying it had already impacted on how much money they had available to spend on football, according to the results of a joint survey between the FSA and the Non-League Paper.
In news that will worry non-league clubs, around one in four fans (23.9%) say they expect to attend fewer fixtures over the winter period, and half (49.9%) say they expect to attend fewer away fixtures as a result of rising prices.
While fans at all levels will be feeling the effects of inflation, rising mortgage rates and energy prices, the effect is likely to be more keenly felt in non-league where the margins for financial sustainability are at their tightest, and even small drops in attendances can have very real impacts on clubs’ financial futures.
More than half of our respondents (56.2%) said they expected to reduce their matchday spend on items including food and drink, programmes, raffle tickets and other donations.
Fans were also polled on potential measures that clubs might take in order to combat their own rising costs.
Further findings
When looking at the measures that clubs might take to ameliorate their own rising costs, there was broad support from supporters for moving kick-offs earlier to save on floodlight costs, with three in four (74.8%) in favour.
A significant minority, however (12.3%), said they would likely attend fewer games if kick-offs were to be moved, and so clubs will need to bear this in mind when considering any potential energy savings.
762 fans from across non-league completed the survey, with some of the further findings below
More than half (58.1%) of respondents were season ticket holders/attended more than 16 games per season
A further 28% attended at least six games per season
Less than one in five (17.4%) would be in favour of clubs raising ticket prices to help clubs run more sustainably
Almost two thirds (61.4%) were opposed to ticket price rises
Fans were split on whether they supported part-closures of stadiums, or concession areas – 36.9% were supportive, while 30.4% opposed the measures
Andy Walsh, head of national game at the FSA, said: “The economic uncertainty and increases in the cost of living are having an impact on where football supporters spend their disposable income. Our survey of non-league fans shows the financial squeeze of inflation and the rising cost of energy and housing is already causing supporters to rein in their spending on football.
“Clubs face some difficult questions on what to do for the best. Our data shows attendances would be marginally impacted if kick off times were brought forward to reduce the need for floodlights, but as the nights draw in this measure will have less impact.
“Fans are broadly supportive of clubs’ attempts to address the impact of rising costs, and the FSA encourages clubs to communicate regularly with their fans and consult on any proposed changes to the usual matchday arrangements.”
The FSA will be sharing the results of the survey with the FA, leagues and clubs, to ensure that those involved in running the game are aware of fan sentiment on what will continue to be a hot topic over the months to come.
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