Attendances at Premiership football matches have dropped below 90 per cent of ground capacity this season, as England's rekindled love affair with cricket appears to have diluted its obsession with football.

After the first 46 matches of the Premiership season which continues on Saturday with the top two teams, Chelsea and Charlton, playing against each other attendances have totalled 1.53m, equivalent to 89.9 per cent oftheoretical capacity, based onfigures compiled byFootball365.com.