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Record 400,000 enjoy opening day

Last updated : 14 August 2005 By Simon Head
A total of 404,027 fans attended the opening matches of the new Football League season, the highest since 1963.

The average attendance was up from last season - the figure of 11,223 being 5% higher than in 2004/2005.

The biggest crowd of the first weekend was at Carrow Road, where 25,355 enjoyed the 1-1 draw between Norwich and Coventry, but six other sides in the Championship attracted attendances in excess of 20,000, as did Nottingham Forest in League One.

Football League Operations Director Andy Williamson said, "League clubs are making a real effort to ensure that the next generation of football supporters watch live football and these figures are a fitting reward for their hard work and investment."