There you go, randomly picking out stats without context. You averaged less than 20k in 1988 and less than 15k in 1965. We averaged over 56k in 1948 in Div 2. In 1989 Chelsea averaged less than 16k while winning Div 2 and had an average of less than 13 a few years before that. We’ve been relegated twice under Ashley and averaged over 43k and then over 51k the last time.16k? Ah well that's so much better than 13k.
We averaged 28,273 in the third tier in 1998/99. And, unlike you, we're not a single club conurbation. Yet we hear this constant nonsense about the Geordies being fanatical supporters. Where were those missing 30k when you were in the second (not third) tier?
Btw Manchester has a population of 2.7M, Newcastle is 800k.