David Cuffley Norwich City already top one table as they step up their bid to regain Championship status.The Canaries are currently the best supported team in League One with average home attendances more than 500 higher than leaders Leeds United and over 4,000 ahead of anyone else.

David Cuffley

Norwich City already top one table as they step up their bid to regain Championship status.

The Canaries are currently the best supported team in League One with average home attendances more than 500 higher than leaders Leeds United and over 4,000 ahead of anyone else.

Saturday's gate of 25,025 for the 2-0 win over Tranmere Rovers, their highest since the opening day of the season, pushed the league average at Carrow Road up to 24,223.

Leeds are the only club to come close with an average of 23,646. Elland Road also housed League One's highest gate of the campaign so far, 31,838 for the visit of Charlton in October.

City's move into the top five under manager Paul Lambert has helped keep crowds close to last season's Championship levels, when the home average was 24,542.

City, who began the season with nearly 19,000 season ticket-holders, have just launched half-season ticket sales for the final 11 home games, starting with the visit of Exeter on January 9.

And with at least four of their potential promotion rivals - Leeds, MK Dons, Huddersfield and Boxing Day opponents Millwall - yet to visit Carrow Road, there is every prospect of maintaining or improving that average.

And the figures also stand up well against the top two tiers of English football. The Canaries would sit fourth in the Championship attendances league, behind only Sheffield United, Derby and comfortable leaders, Newcastle United.

While six teams cannot match Norwich's average level of support this season, despite mixing it with the Premier League elite - Hull, Birmingham, Bolton and Burnley, with gates at Portsmouth and Wigan regularly less than 20,000.

t League One top attendances

Norwich City average 24,223 (best gate 25,127)

Leeds United average 23,646 (best gate 31,838)

Southampton average 19,843 (best gate 21,932)

Charlton average 16,898 (best gate 19,441)

Huddersfield average 13,126 (best gate 14,921)

MK Dons average 10,063 (best gate 16,713)

t Premier League comparison

12th Stoke City average 27,324 (best gate 27,500)

13th Blackburn Rovers average 25,470 (best gate 29,584)

14th Fulham average 24,788 (best gate 25,700)

15th Hull City average 23,759 (best gate 24,735)

t Championship comparison

1st Newcastle United average 41,478 (best gate 43,949)

2nd Derby County average 28,578 (best gate 33,010)

3rd Sheffield United average 26,403 (best gate 29,210)

4th Leicester City average 24,094 (best gate 28,875)