For Sunderland fans, May’s League One play-off final victory over Wycombe Wanderers represented a long-awaited pay-off for a considerable spell of disappointment and toil.
Alex Neil’s men will make a welcome return to the Championship next season for the first time since 2018 after a torrid time in the third tier.
Despite repeated setbacks on the pitch, however, support in the stands has, for the most part, remained intact.
Attendances at the Stadium of Light have stayed relatively high considering the club’s position in the footballing pyramid, and away allocations continue to sell-out on a regular basis.
But just how good are the crowds that Sunderland draw on average?
We’ve taken a look back over the past five seasons with fans (not including the 2020/21 campaign, which was predominantly played behind closed doors for most clubs), and compared the Black Cats’ attendance to every Premier League side outside of the much-fabled ‘top six’.
Check out the rankings, from 15th to first, below...
Despite repeated setbacks on the pitch, however, support in the stands has, for the most part, remained intact.