EFL Trophy attendances: Do stats back up fan complaints?

The EFL Trophy has long been a crucial piece of silverware for League One and League Two clubs in England, offering them a rare chance of glory. While the lower league clubs compete in both the FA Cup and League Cup, they rarely reach the latter stages, let alone taste ultimate success, with those competitions dominated by the Premier League's ‘Big Six'.

Founded in its modern format for the 1983/84 season, when the competition was restricted to sides in the English third and fourth divisions, the EFL Trophy's original purpose was to offer ‘smaller' clubs the chance of a Wembley final and cup glory.

However, in the last few seasons, the inclusion of Premier League Under-21s sides has caused a stir, with some clubs and their fans feeling that their inclusion undermines and devalues the competition.

As a result, EFL Trophy attendances have dramatically fallen, with several instances of supporter boycotts of these games. Attitudes towards the competition are divided, with some fan bases split down the middle, leading to significant tensions. Low attendance may also discourage sponsors who provide the competing teams with valuable income.

But, is it true that EFL Trophy attendances have declined? Or is it more to do with team performance? Well, Football Ground Guide takes an objective look here…

EFL Trophy 2025/26 format

The group stage of the EFL Trophy during the 2024/25 season had 16 regional groups, each with four teams. Eight teams were from the North, and four were from the South. Most importantly, each group featured one team invited from the U-21 team.

Each team played three matches, one against each team in the group. The top two teams in each group proceeded to the next stage, the round of 32, and competed in a single-elimination knockout format. The knockout games were also regionalised until the quarter-finals, from which extra time or penalty shootouts apply if there is no clear winner in regular time.

The EFL Trophy finals are held at Wembley Stadium, usually in April. In 2025, the Final was played on April 13, a match that Peterborough won 2-0 against Birmingham.

The group-stage draw for the 2025/26 EFL League Trophy is complete. For sponsorship reasons, the competition will remain known as the Vertu Trophy.

🏆 2025/26 Groups confirmed ✅#EFL | #VertuTrophy https://t.co/vJYDhrvgB1

— Vertu Trophy (@VertuTrophy) June 26, 2025

EFL Trophy attendance figures

Out of 48 stadiums used, Pride Park, the home of League One side Derby County, is the biggest to be used in the competition, with a capacity of 33,597. Stadium MK (MK Dons) is the next biggest stadium used in the competition, but again, attendance has been poor.

Does anyone get big crowds for EFL Trophy games?

Yes, but not many. Poor EFL Trophy attendance is a theme throughout. Only one club has broken the 10,000 mark in total, let alone for one fixture, and that's Wrexham AFC, who have had over 7,000 at each of their home games in recent campaigns.

Portsmouth have also had one of the highest attendances, with at least 8,662 turning out for their recent matches.

While these numbers for these clubs are quite low, attendances with other clubs in the competition are even lower due to fans boycotting the tournament, deeming it a training exercise for Premier League Academy sides.

The prospect of watching an Academy team doesn’t draw fans of those lower league clubs, and this has been proven in recent campaigns.

Burton Albion and Newport County have also had low attendances. Burton welcomed in only 473 to watch their match against Everton U-21s during the 2023/24 campaign, while Rodney Parade had just 800 in to watch Newport against West Ham's U-21s.

What was the highest EFL Trophy attendance in 2024/25?

The highest attendance was recorded during the EFL Trophy Final at Wembley, when 42 252 spectators turned up to watch Peterborough and Birmingham take on each other.

Why are fans protesting at EFL Trophy games?

Fans and clubs remain upset at the inclusion of the Premier League and Championship, citing the games as a waste of time and resources. They complain that these fixtures are not competitive matches but merely glorified training sessions for the 16 Academy teams invited to participate.

What is the highest-ever EFL Trophy attendance?

The 2019 EFL Trophy final between Portsmouth and Sunderland at Wembley Stadium saw a record attendance of 85,021.

Who is the EFL Trophy sponsor now?

Due to sponsorship obligations, the EFL Trophy has had numerous names throughout the years. Formerly known as the Papa John Trophy and Bristol Street Motor Trophy, it is now known as the Vertu Trophy.