The club are sharing QPR's Loftus Road as chairman Mohamed Al Fayed fights a legal battle over planning permission for a 28,000 ground in Fulham.

The six league matches at Fulham's temporary home have averaged 16,389 fans - Loftus Road can hold 19,148 - compared to 19,545 at Craven Cottage last season.

But consultants hired by the club are adamant that Fulham can recruit another 22,000 fans.

Fulham chief executive Bruce Langham said: "We hired some very expensive consultants to help us and we're pleased with the outcome.

"We're confident as we have a robust business plan over the next two or three years to get our crowd up to around 85% of 38,000, plus a fairly consistent away support for the rest of the figure.

"There are three strands of our business plan. We want to get fans who aren't coming now, fans who've supported us but never come and new fans."

Langham said the example at Southampton showed what could be done.

The Saints' 32,551-capacity St Mary's Stadium averaged attendances of 30,633 last season - doubling the 15,115 figure from The Dell the previous season.

Paltry attendance

Langham said: "Our plan is based on precedent, not field of dreams. Look at St Mary's Stadium, for example.

"If you build a stadium and give people a Premiership experience - which with respect to QPR, you don't get at Loftus Road - people buy that experience."

But Langham said he was frustrated at the 9,000 gate for Fulham's Uefa Cup match with Hajduk Split.

The paltry attendance was thought to be down to a protest over the plans to leave Craven Cottage.

"People have to make up their minds whether they support Fulham or Craven Cottage," said Langham.