Wembley wasn’t even half full for the friendly against Norway.
Lionel Messi WAG Antonella Roccuzzo in hot pictures.
England boss Roy Hodgson fears his side will be playing in front of small home crowds for much of their 2016 European Championship qualifying campaign.
In the Three Lions’ game against Norway, their first since the 2014 World Cup, just 40,181 fans turned up, meaning Wembley Stadium wasn’t even half full.
Although England won 1-0, their drab performance is unlikely to get fans back to watching games at Wembley.
Hodgson fears that fans may continue to stay away from the home of football during the European Championship qualifiers due to a lack of top quality opponents.
“We’ll find it hard to bring attendances back because the opponents we’re playing won’t excite the public,” Hodgson told BBC Sport.
England’s qualifying group contains San Marino, Estonia, Lithuania, Slovenia and Switzerland.
The attendance for England’s victory over Norway was 7,000 fewer than the previous lowest attendance at the new Wembley when 48, 876 watched a friendly against Sweden in 2011.
“We are grateful for the fans who came, there was still a lot at Wembley,” said new captain Wayne Rooney.
“We understand that after the World Cup it is difficult for the fans and for the players too. We have to make sure we do well in this qualification campaign to make fans believe again and that is what we aim to do.”
England take on Switzerland on Monday in their first qualifier for Euro 2016. The game in Basel will be the toughest assignment that Hodgson’s men will face in their qualifying campaign.
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