Fewer Royals fans have made their way through the turnstiles for the first games of the current season compared to pre-pandemic matches.

The average attendance at the Select Car Leasing Stadium stood at 14,443 before the Covid-19 pandemic led to games being played behind closed doors.

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With the return of supporters to grounds following the easing of lockdown restrictions, an average of 13,182 fans have attended games in RG2 this season.

This is a common trend for clubs across the country.

In fact, Barnsley, Middlesbrough and QPR are the only sides who have not changed divisions to have seen an increase in average attendances this season.

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Derby County have seen the most drastic fall in average attendances so far, plummeting from an average of 26,727 fans in the 2019/20 campaign to 16,186 so far this season.

Huddersfield Town, Reading's hosts this weekend, have also seen average attendaces fall by over 30 per cent (from 21,748 to 15,202).