Oxford United chairman Kelvin Thomas says that this season’s home attendances show just how far the club have come.

Saturday’s crowd of 7,033 means that the U’s are averaging 6,812 this season – second to only Bradford City in npower League Two.

And looking back to when the club were last in the Football League, the difference is telling.

United have so far had more than 2,000 extra home fans at every game than in the corresponding fixtures in 2005/6 – and they included a home match against Wycombe.

More than 6,000 home fans have been at every league game this season, and Thomas believes that the level of support gives everyone great heart.

“I feel that our home attendances this season give an excellent indication of how far we have come as a football club,” he said.

“To have well over 2,500 more home fans for the first game of the season in 2010 than we did in our last season in the Football League in 2005 shows that the people of Oxford are really getting right behind the club.

“And it’s nice that people appreciate that we have played some entertaining stuff this season and are continuing to come back every week.”

The good news for United is that their next three home games should all produce big gates.

The U’s entertain high-flying Port Vale on Saturday, October 2, with the two home matches after that against near-rivals Aldershot and Northampton.

“People can see the direction that the club is going in,” the chairman added.

“To have an average gate of 6,812 at this early stage of the season is exceptional, because as a rule you will get bigger gates later in the season.”