ANOTHER amazing chapter is set to be written in the Eastleigh FC success story this afternoon.

The club are set to shatter their league attendance record at the Silverlake Arena for the second time in their remarkable Conference Premier debut term.

Last September the Spitfires welcomed a new record 2,621 attendance for the visit of former Football League club Bristol Rovers. But that figure will be dwarfed today as Eastleigh expect a crowd of around 4,500 for the BT-televised clash with high-flying Macclesfield (12.45pm).

The record attendance will further boost the club’s average crowd beyond the current 1,537 mark.

That in itself is a whopping 126 per cent increase on the 680 average recorded during last term’s Conference South title-winning term.

It is also an eye-watering 355 per cent increase on the attendances Eastleigh were recording ten years ago.

Back in the 2004/05 campaign, the Spitfires’ average crowd during their Isthmian Premier League promotion winning term was just 338.

That was almost 100 higher than the crowds who were watching Paul Doswell’s Eastleigh the season before, in 2003/04, when the league average was just 252.

Eastleigh are currently the 13th best supported club in English football’s elite non league division.

Overall, they are 16th best in the whole of the non league pyramid as lower division trio Stockport County, Maidstone and FC United of Manchester have a higher average.

Illus-trating just how popular watching non league football has become, the Spitfires’ current average would have regularly been one of the highest attendances outside the top four divisions in the early 1990s.

In 1991/92, Kidderminster were the fifth best supported non league club with a 1,303 average.

Kettering were the fourth best supported in 1992/93 with 1,454, while Dover were fifth highest in 1993/94 with 1,347.

In 1994/95, Stevenage were fifth best with 1,424.

In that latter season, the overall Conference Premier average crowd for each game was barely over the four-figure mark – 1,064. Compare that to this season’s 1,824 average, which in itself is down on the 2013/14 average of 1,866.

Though relegated Bristol Rovers are currently averaging almost 6,000, the Conference last season lost champions Luton Town.

The Hatters boasted the highest average crowd in Conference history of 7,387 in the season where their five-year non league stay ended.

The Conference was created back in the summer of 1979, with the merger of the Southern and Northern Leagues.

In its first season, the average crowd was 1,218, though that quickly dropped to 1,057 in 1980/81.

Crowds then dwindled, reaching a record average low of just 775 per game in 1985/86.

Boston United possessed the highest average that season, just 1,301 – 236 fewer than Eastleigh currently average.

Community sponsor Compass Vehicle Leasing has bought 2,000 tickets for local junior football teams to attend today’s game.

Thousands of blue-and-white banners, balloons and flags will be given out ahead of the official opening of the Mackoys Community Stand.

Parking will be available for £2 at Lower Hardmoor Sports Ground and at Stoneham Park and The Concorde Club car parks (a small fee will apply), with pedestrian access provided from each.