A PALTRY 12,949 people witnessed Tuesday night's home defeat to Hull City - Reading's lowest crowd for a league match in 12 years.

Apathetic Royals fans are voting with their feet as a season of frustration and unfulfilled promise painfully peters out.

The loss to Hull was Reading's fourth straight Championship defeat, leaving Brian McDermott's men languishing in 15th position in the table.

Last night's attendance plunged below the 13,000 mark for the first time this season.

It was also the lowest at Madejski Stadium for a league fixture since just 11,857 turned up to see Steve Coppell's side beat Preston 3-1 in 2004.

McDermott confessed: “Does it worry me? Well, you don’t want crowds of 12 or 13,000 at Madejski Stadium.

“Of course it is a concern. You want to put something on and get wins for the fans.

“But we are where we are. We have to build something in the summer, we have to build a squad that is capable of being in the top six in this division."

Last night's match started well for Reading, who led through Jake Cooper's fourth-minute header.

But Abel Hernandez equalised for Hull before Andy Robertson lashed home a winner for the visitors 11 minutes from time.

Reading travel to QPR this Saturday (3pm).