Just over 21,000 tickets had been sold by early Wednesday afternoon for Sunderland's Carabao Cup third round match against Brentford, leaving the Stadium of Light on course to be only about half full again for a cup tie with a place in the quarter-finals on the line.
The figure is being compared with the 25,000 crowd Sunderland drew for their previous Carabao Cup third round match at the Stadium of Light. That gap has already become a talking point among supporters, with some fans treating the low sales as embarrassing and others arguing there are reasons for the reduced demand.
Why the attendance matters
The match comes at a time when Sunderland's recent history is still part of the discussion around the club. The long wait for silverware and the limited recent European history mentioned by supporters have both been folded into the debate about how much interest a midweek cup tie can generate, even when a quarter-final place is available.
Ticket prices have also been part of the conversation, with adults priced at £18 and under-14s at £6. That is not a huge barrier for many families, but it has not been enough to push sales toward the level Sunderland managed in the previous round.
On the same night, the quarter-final draw was due after Liverpool v Chelsea, which adds a little more urgency to the tie. For Sunderland, the equation is simple: beat Brentford and move one step closer to the last eight. For the club's fans, the bigger question is why the crowd is set to look smaller than many expected.
There is also a wider timing factor, with half-term part of the backdrop to the low turnout. Even with that in mind, the expected attendance has become a source of frustration for some and a reminder that cup interest does not always translate into a packed house, even at the Stadium of Light.
