MARKUS Olsson hopes crowds will continue to increase at Ewood Park during the 2015/16 season – but says Blackburn Rovers must perform consistently to bring in the fans.

Olsson joined Rovers when they were in the Premier League but saw average gates dip from 22,500 to less than 15,000 after relegation.

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The average attendance at Ewood Park dropped to 14,962 for the 2013/14 campaign, Rovers’ second season in the Championship, but that figure increased slightly to 15,070 during 2014/15.

Rovers also had their biggest attendance for four years when a crowd of 28,415 watched the FA Cup quarter final replay against Liverpool in April.

Olsson said: “That was very special, playing at Ewood when it was a full house.

“After the game I was hoping it was going to be a full house in the next home game as well.

“That’s how we want it to be. Every player wants a full house at Ewood and a very good atmosphere.

“But to attract more people we need to be more consistent as a team.”

Rovers are not releasing precise figures for season ticket sales at this stage, but it is understood that they are approximately on a par with the numbers at this point a year ago.

Rovers sold between 10,000 and 11,000 season tickets for the 2014/15 campaign.

The club are offering a Premier League pledge for 2015/16, giving fans who purchase a season ticket this year a 75 per cent discount next year if Rovers reach the top flight.

That offer expires on July 4, which is also the deadline for 2014/15 season ticket holders to retain their usual seat.

Rovers look set to go into the new campaign under a transfer embargo after falling foul of the Football League’s Financial Fair Play regulations, but Olsson still believes promotion is possible.

The Swede points to Rovers’ results against the sides who gained automatic promotion from the Championship during 2014/15.

Rovers picked up four points against champions Bournemouth and dominated in defeat at Watford, after drawing at home to the Hornets.

Olsson said: “Hopefully we can push up to the Premier League, which I think we have the ability in the squad to do.

“I think we’ve shown we can play really well.

“Against Bournemouth here we outplayed them, when we were 3-0 up after half an hour and could have had more. Both games against Watford too.

“The only two teams we had a problem with were Norwich and Derby.

“They were the teams we played twice and didn’t deserve to get any points.”