Crowds at matches in the npower Football League have topped the 16m mark for the seventh consecutive season despite a 6% decrease on the 50-year high recorded twelve months ago.

A total of 16.1m supporters attended league matches during the 2010/11 season, just over a million fewer than in 2009/10.

Championship matches were watched by more than nine and a half million fans with crowds falling by 3% to an average of 17,389 per match. In League 1, crowds decreased by 18% to an average of 7,527.

However, League 2 bucked the trend with an 8% increase in crowds taking the average attendance up to 4,162.

Football League Chairman, Greg Clarke said: "Given the difficult economic climate, it is heartening to see League crowds reaching the sixteen million mark, once again.Our competitions are in good shape and the enduring loyalty shown by fans is a constant encouragement.

"However, we have to be realistic about the challenges we face as it is unlikely that the state of economy will improve in the near future.The League and its clubs will continue to focus on getting new fans into grounds and ensuring that the clubs they support are sustainable in the long term."