FOOTBALL attendances in the Midlands have plunged in the last four seasons with thousands of cash-strapped fans turning their backs on soccer.

Birmingham City and Aston Villa have seen crowds fall compared to 2007, with both clubs currently involved in a relegation dogfight.

Fellow strugglers West Bromwich Albion have also seen gates dip this year compared to their last stint in the top flight in 2008/09.

Attendances at Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Molineux stadium have slipped over the past 12 months. Yet despite their lowly league position they are among the best supported clubs in the Premier League, with 96 per cent of seats taken for the average game.

In contrast Blues, Villa and West Brom are in the bottom half of the stadium-filling table, with around 15 per cent of their seats remaining empty.

Supporter groups last night blamed a combination of economic conditions, pitch performances, and saturation TV coverage for the slump in matchday crowds.

Blues have seen a steady slide in matchday attendances, despite their success in staying in the Premier League and nail-biting Carling Cup triumph over Arsenal last month.

The average attendance in 2007/08 was 26,181, and this fell away sharply when Blues spent a season in Championship. Attendances rose to 25,246 in 2009 but this season have slipped again, to 25,046.

Tickets for their next home game against Bolton on April 2 are on sale for as little as £20 for adults and £5 for under eights.

Linda Goodman, head of the Birmingham City Supporters’ Club, said: “I believe the main problem over the past couple of years has been the employment situation.

“I now know more fans in part-time work or who are unemployed than those who have a solid full-time job.

“The club has brought ticket prices down, so there’s nothing more they can do.

“But people are out of work or facing redundancy.

“We had a great season last year, but the economic downturn hit the fans hard, and the lack of entertaining attacking football this year may be another factor in attendances going down.”

A Birmingham City spokesman said: ‘‘We have managed to largely maintain our level of season ticket holders and matchday ticket sales.

“Given the current financial climate, we appreciate this support at a time when many Blues fans may not be in a position to regularly attend fixtures.”