Longford Town’s average attendance rose by 36% in 2023 compared to the 2022 season.
An average attendance of 679 attended Bishopsgate for Longford Town’s 18 home games in 2023. A season where town won just five of those home games.
The FAI are reporting, attendances in the League of Ireland rose 20% in 2023. 826,086 people attending fixtures across all three Divisions compared to 688,272 attending in 2022.
This figure grows to nearly one million to 935,415 with the inclusion of attendances from the Sports Direct Men’s and Women’s FAI Cup, the Avenir Sports All-Island Cup and the President’s Cups.
Crowds in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division increased 22.4% in 2023 compared to last season. Whereas, the average attendance rising from 2,687 in 2022 to 3,294 as Shamrock Rovers won an historic fourth title in-a-row. The total number of spectators in the League of Ireland top flight increased from 486,365 to 596,196.
Eight Clubs in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division experienced rises in their average attendance. Bohemians, Drogheda United and St. Patrick’s Athletic rising 32%, 31% and 21% respectively. Bohemians saw home fans return to the Des Kelly Stand while away fans were located in the new Mono Stand for 2023.
Meanwhile, the addition of Kerry to the SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division in 2023, there were a further 18,050 people at games in the SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division compared to 2022 with 196,050 in total. Six Clubs in the Division all saw increases with Athlone Town’s crowds jumping 184% to 872 from 307. Longford Town increased by 36%.
The FAI report, 44 games sold out across the League of Ireland in 2023 with games in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier and First Divisions regularly reaching capacity.
Women's league reports attendances over 1,000
Attendances in the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division also rose from 23,907 to 33,840 compared to 2022. Whereas, the average crowd increased from 196 to 308. An increase of 57% as the interest in women’s football continues to grow.
The largest attendance of the League of Ireland season was at Tallaght Stadium where 8,021 saw Shamrock Rovers lift the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division title against Sligo Rovers.
For the first time, there were four SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division games with over 1,000 people at them while the biggest crowd to date was Shamrock Rovers v Peamount United with 1,464 at Tallaght Stadium.
These figures are in addition to the Sports Direct Men’s and Women’s FAI Cup Finals which had crowds of 43,881 and 3,526 respectively.
While, both Men’s Semi-Finals in Turners Cross and Eamonn Deacy Park selling out, St. Patrick’s Athletic’s win over Bohemians in the Aviva Stadium saw the competition’s highest ever attendance.
