Away games prove Toon are top draw

By MARK DOUGLAS NUFC Editor mark.douglas@trinitymirror.com @MsiDouglas

SHEFFIELD Wednesday will open the lower tier of the West Stand at Hillsborough to home fans as the club predicts one of their “highest crowds of the season” for the April 8 clash.

The Owls have limited the allocation available to United supporters partly because of demand among home fans, who will be roaring the team on as they bid for a play-off place.

It will come as a frustration for Newcastle fans but they are used to being a draw in the second tier.

There has been a sizeable black-and-white bounce when Newcastle come into town – with all 20 away games that United have played so far this term seeing higher gates than the club’s average.

Clearly, sizeable away followings have contributed to those figures.

But some clubs have seen rises of more than 30% in the gate when Newcastle roll up – a surefire sign that the club are one of the division’s biggest draws when it comes to home crowds. Across the division, there’s been a 17% average bump in the home gate when Newcastle have arrived.

Rafa Benitez warned before the season started that Newcastle would be one of the teams there to be shot at, telling his players they would have to cope with sides raising their levels against the Magpies.

United have just three away games left this season: at Ipswich, Sheffield Wednesday and then their penultimate match of the season against Cardiff City on a Friday night.

Two of the three are on Sky but bumper gates are expected.

BIGGEST BUMPS:

1 Preston: 38% increase (average crowd 12,888; crowd when United played there 20,724) 2 Blackburn: 34% (12,182; 18,254) 3 Barnsley: 26% (13,811; 18,597) 4 Reading: 25% (17,280; 23,121) 5 Leeds: 25% (26,298; 36,022) 6 Burton: 24% (6,665; 5,050) 7 Fulham: 23% (18,606; 23,922) 8 Wigan: 20% (11,712; 14,562) 9 Bristol City: 17% (18,850; 22,512) 10 QPR: 17% (14,374; 17,404) 11 Bristol City: 17% (18,850; 22,512) 12 Rotherham: 16% (9,786; 11.653) 13 Wolves: 12% (21,944; 24,876) 14 Huddersfield: 12% (20,343; 23,213) 15 Brentford: 11% (10,202; 11,453) 16 Brighton: 9% (27,619; 30,230) 17 Nottingham Forest: 8% (19,599; 21,317) 18 Derby: 4% (29,104; 30,405) 19 Norwich: 2% (26,264; 26,841) 20 Aston Villa: 0.05% (31,901; 32,062)