BRISTOL City will record their biggest crowd for 22 years when Newcastle United come to Ashton Gate this weekend (Saturday, 3pm).
Lee Johnson’s side have made a cracking start to the 2016/17 campaign, winning their first three games against Wigan Athletic, Wycombe Wanderers and Burton Albion.
It’s actually the first time since 2001/02 that City have opened a season with three straight wins. Danny Wilson’s side in that campaign actually won four in a row, beating Northampton Town, Swindon Town, Cheltenham Town and Wigan.
In the stands, City have only attracted nine 20,000-plus attendances since 1990, the largest against Chelsea in the FA Cup back in January 1990 (24,535).
With the Lansdown Stand lower tier operating at a ten per cent capacity reduction for the Newcastle game, and the upper tier – open to home fans for the first time but still with safety limitations on numbers – it looks unlikely the attendance from that Chelsea game will be surpassed.
However, the crowd will top the Bristol derby attendance of 1996 (20,007), the last to attract a figure in excess of 20,000.
Sales have just surpassed the 21,000-mark, so this weekend’s Sky Bet Championship encounter will be the biggest football crowd at Ashton Gate since the 1-1 draw with Liverpool in the FA Cup third round tie of January 1994 (21,718).
Fans can still secure a seat for Saturday’s match by booking online through bcfc.co.uk or by calling 0117 963 0600 during office hours.
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