Attendances at Priestfield are up by almost 30 per cent.

Gillingham have been boosted by the news that attendances at Priestfield have gone up by almost a third since last season – the second-highest increase in League 1 behind Brentford.

The average attendance between August and December was 6,370 compared to 4,916 over the same period last year – a rise of 29.57 per cent.

The Bees top the list after their gates increased by more than 35 per cent.

The figures are part of a positive trend across the Football League, with crowds rising by more than three per cent on the first half of last season.

More than 8.6million fans have attended Football League matches during the first five months of the 2009/10 league season at an average of 10,441 fans per match.

Football League crowds are currently at their highest levels for 50 years and have topped the 16m mark in each of the last five seasons.

Carling Cup and Johnstone's Paint Trophy crowds have also increased. There is a three per cent rise in the Carling Cup, while the Trophy has seen attendances rocket by a massive 37 per cent.

Football League chairman, Lord Mawhinney, said: “It is very encouraging to see more and more supporters going through the turnstiles.

"The dedication they have shown towards their clubs during a challenging economic period further underlines the strength of the domestic game.”