Given the cost of watching football I think people are perfectly entitled to make choices regarding their attendance and use whatever criteria they choose whether its the attractiveness of the opposition or competitive vs friendly or even transport.
I'm showing my age! Yes, and my father had worked out some formula which he could apply to the half-time lottery winnings (I think first prize was 50% of the ticket sales or similar) to estimate the gate. Happy days.
This is a very misleading figure though as there are thousands of 1901 seats for which this game is free. If they all turn up, or have given their seats to people who will, it's a very different gate.