The relatively low attendance may have been because both Newport and Tranmere have been to Wembley already in recent seasons. The fans of lower league clubs tend to grasp their first opportunity to see their club play at Wembley, no matter what the distance or cost, as it may prove to be the only chance they get for a long time.
But repeat visits are less tempting to the less committed among a club’s fan base. I can remember when Notts played Bradford City in the playoffs final in 1996. It was our fifth visit to Wembley in 6 years and there were only about 11,000 Notts fans there, far less than there had been when we played Tranmere in our first ever visit to Wembley in 1990.
If we reach the National League playoffs final next season, it’ll be Notts first visit to Wembley for 24 years and our first visit ever to the rebuilt stadium. I reckon we’d take more than 11,000, despite the match being at a lower level than the one in 1996.