Reading's 2-0 win over Watford on Saturday marked the lowest crowd at the SCL Stadium for a weekend FA Cup fixture for 20 years.

Kelvin Abrefa and Shane Long netted in each half to set up a glamour tie at European giants Manchester United later in the month.

Over 2,000 Hornets travelled to Berkshire to see their injury-ravaged side battle hard, but ultimately lose out.

A crowd of 7,954 is the lowest weekend crowd for an FA Cup tie since Welling United visited in the first round back in 2002- a crowd of 5,338 seeing Jamie Cureton's winner over the non-league outfit.

A midweek replay against Stevenage in 2018, which was won 3-0 after Jon-Dadi Bodvarsson scored a hattrick, was attended by just 4,986.

Saturday was one of just three matches to have a crowd of under 10,000 since 2004, with a 5-2 win over Huddersfield Town in a 2016 replay was attended by 8,119.

Other matches with non-league outfits at the beginning of the Millennium, including Yeovil Town, Halifax Town and Grays Athletic, saw crowds of under 6,000.

In comparison, big ties against giants such as Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa drew in crowds of over 22,000.

Overall crowds have fallen from last season, with the 2021/22 campaign averaging 12,852 compared with 12,389 at the halfway stage of the season.