Last updated on .From the section Football

A League One record crowd of 46,039 watched Sunderland beat Bradford City 1-0 on Boxing Day

Attendances in the English Football League reached a 60-year high this season.

Almost 18.4 million people attended the 1,655 matches in the Championship, League One and League Two - the most in tiers two to four since 1958-59.

Sunderland's Boxing Day crowd for their match with Bradford City was the largest of the season at 46,039 - setting a new League One record.

The figures are up 1.5% on last season with an average gate of 11,113.

Aston Villa were responsible for eight of the 10 biggest attendances. When Carabao Cup and Checkatrade Trophy games are included, almost 20 million spectators attended games under the English Football League (EFL) banner.

Figures are also up when comparing the 67 teams that played in the EFL last season and this season.

"It is clear from this analysis that EFL clubs are finding new, innovative ways to attract new supporters while also improving the match-day experience for those fans who regularly attend week in, week out," said EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey.

"The rise in match-day attendance is set against a backdrop of increasing viewing options for all football fans.

"iFollow external-link is providing an alternative option for those supporters who can't attend games, but the product EFL clubs have been turning out on the pitch has brought supporters back through the turnstiles."

In total 18,391,454 people attended the 1,655 league matches played this season - 18,863,685 went to games in 1958-59.