The crowd for a competitive match on a Saturday night has been at its lowest since the SCL Stadium moved in 1998, when Reading defeated MK Dons in the FA Cup.
The close 3-2 victory, which puts them in round one for the first time in more than 20 years, sets them up for a trip to National League Eastleigh in round two.
There was supposed to be a ticket rush for the match in RG2, but just 4,325 people risked the rain and cold on Saturday.
The club charged £15, and many had protested about the price of the admission.
More than 600 people made the trip from Buckinghamshire, where the League Two MK Dons were relentlessly pursuing the Royals.
This was the lowest attendance overall in 15 months; 4,230 people were there for the Carabao Cup loss to Stevenage last year.
Nonetheless, after the 1998 relocation from Elm Park, fewer spectators have attended any weekend game.
It is the lowest attendance ever for a weekend match, with low numbers from the previous venue, particularly in cup tournaments.
To put things in perspective, the attendance for first-round matches against teams like Welling United, Halifax Town, and Greys Athletic was about 6,000.
For the past ten years, home attendance has generally decreased, which is consistent with the team’s decline on the pitch.
Currently, League One has one of the greatest home averages in the division with 12,436.
Travelling support for the Royals is expected to improve this season; thus far, they have averaged over 1,000 each trip.
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