QPR's average attendance at Loftus Road compared to last season, it is worse | OneFootball

QPR's average attendances in the Championship this season are worse than they were last campaign

Queens Park Rangers are enduring a tricky Championship season, and sit bottom of the table heading into the November international break, having played 15 games.

The R's only win of the season so far came back in August, as the west London outfit produced a 2-1 triumph at Luton Town, who are also struggling and are just one position above the relegation zone.

The R's also experienced a torrid start to life last campaign, and therefore sacked former manager Gareth Ainsworth in October 2023, after he led the side through a nine-game winless run in the Championship.

That led the Loftus Road outfit to appoint current boss Marti Cifuentes, who remarkably guided the club to safety with a game to spare, despite inheriting a side who sat 23rd in the table.

The west London club clinched safety with a 4-0 victory over eventual play-off finalists Leeds United during the penultimate Championship gameweek last term, which shows just how impressive the Spanish manager was for them.

However, the R's faithful are once again fearful of the fact that their club could end up in League One next season, as results under Cifuentes have taken a dramatic turn for the worse this campaign.

Meanwhile, cup competitions have not offered QPR much respite either so far, as following a penalty shoot-out victory over Luton in the first round of the EFL Cup, Cifuentes' side would soon suffer a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Premier League strugglers Crystal Palace in the second round.

Perhaps the R's can take some heart from the fact that the Eagles have subsequently reached the quarter-final stages, where they will meet Arsenal, courtesy of a victory over Aston Villa.

But there is no getting away from the fact that Cifuentes and co are having a terrible season which the club's supporters are not enjoying.

QPR's average attendances are down

In fact, the displeasure of the R's faithful towards their side's performances have seemingly had a major impact on attendances at Loftus Road.

According to TransferMarkt, the R's eight home games in the Championship so far this season have attracted an average attendance of 11,021.

This is significantly lower than last season's figure, which shows that the club's 23 home fixtures in the second tier last term attracted a healthier average attendance of 15,957 spectators.

These are already worrying times for the QPR faithful, as the potential threat of relegation looms large, but seeing these numbers will only exacerbate any negative feelings among supporters.

TransferMarkt's attendance figures also highlight that the R's have not managed to sell out a home game in the Championship since the 2020/21 season, during which attendances were severely limited by COVID-imposed restrictions.

The site also shows that the last time the club managed to sell out at Loftus Road during a campaign which was not subject to such strict regulations came all the way back in the 2012/13 Premier League season.

QPR have the fourth-lowest average attendance in the Championship

TransferMarkt statistics also reveal that the R's boast the fourth-lowest average attendances in the second tier, while only Blackburn Rovers, Luton and Oxford United have attracted fewer supporters on average so far this term.

Such a stat highlights just how poorly Cifuentes' men have been performing this campaign, but perhaps it is somewhat surprising to see Blackburn appear so low down on that particular list, given the fact that John Eustace's men are in the hunt for a play-off spot.

On the other hand, it is not a surprise to see that former Premier League duo Sunderland and Leeds boast the two highest average attendances in the division.