Following a complete summer overhaul of the playing squad by Paul Cook, Ipswich Town were expected to be a major promotion challenger in League One this season - but it never quite worked out as planned at Portman Road.

Cook's revolution at the Suffolk side ended with him getting the sack in December after a poor run of form, and in came former Manchester United coach Kieran McKenna to oversee proceedings.

After an initial upturn in results, the Tractors Boys' push for the play-offs eventually faded, with no wins in the previous five showing that their season has well and truly petered out.

How have this season's results affected the attendances at Portman Road though? Let's see how the numbers stack up compared to seasons of the past.

With 22 league matches played at Portman Road this season and with one remaining this Saturday against Charlton Athletic, Ipswich's average attendance at home stands at 21,587 - per transfermarkt.

That is the highest average attendance the club have had since the 2009/10 campaign, where the Tractor Boys finished in 15th position in the Championship.

This season's figure is by far the highest that the club have had since their relegation to the third tier of English football in 2019, although last season was a write-off with just two matches allowing attending fans, with a maximum crowd of 2,000.

The only other League One season that can be compared is the 2019-20 one, which saw Ipswich host 17 matches in a campaign cut short due to COVID-19.

That year, Ipswich averaged 19,549, so they are a full 1,000 fans up this year - perhaps due to the renewed sense of optimism following the summer transfer dealings and the club's takeover earlier in 2021.

The numbers are still not on the level of the early 2000's - between 2001 and 2006 the club were getting at least an average of 24,000 through the gates - but there must be happiness within the hierarchy at Portman Road that the numbers have surpassed 20,000 for the first time in a long, long time.