Bristol Rovers secured their place into the last 16 of the Leasing.com Trophy last night as they beat League Two Leyton Orient 4-2 on penalties after drawing 1-1 in 90 minutes.
However, just 865 fans were present as the Gas recorded their lowest home gate of the season, with the O’s also bringing 106 from Brisbane Road.
We’ve delved deeper and looked into how last night’s crowd compares to others downs the years.
Rovers saw a low crowd for the final group stage game in the EFL Trophy against Swindon Town last month, but it was higher than last night’s effort with 1,083 being present for the 1-0 win over the Robins.
The EFL Trophy has always struggled to attract crowds through the gates, particularly since the under-21 sides were introduced into the competition in the 2016-2017 season.
Rovers saw a low crowd for a clash in last season’s EFL Trophy, but not as low as last night, as 1,179 saw the Gas see off Yeovil Town 2-0.
There have been some low crowds for Rovers in this decade; however, the majority of these have come in cup competitions including the EFL Cup and FA Cup, whilst the Gas do consistently get better crowds for their league games.
League One crowds have generally been consistent for Rovers this season, going past the 6,000 mark in every game, peaking at the Portsmouth game in October with 8,648 present, although that would have been helped by a strong backing from the South Coast.
It is very much middle of the road for the Gas in terms of average attendances in comparison to the rest of League One, seeing 7,368 spectators come through on average each game.
It is clear that the EFL Trophy doesn’t hold a very high regard all around the country, and in particular for Gas fans.
Get lots more news, opinion and transfer updates on our dedicated Bristol Rovers page and add a bookmark to find it quickly next time.
