I think theres still a similar pool of folk in the N/E that will go to games,as there was back in the Fergie days.Aside from the season after the ECWC win in 83/84 where our average home attendance was around 17500,our home crowds now,in a less successful era,arent that much different from back then.Our away support over the last 20 years is as big as its ever been IMO.
In the seventies and eighties,Outside of Dundee,or big cup games,some of our away supports were tiny.So,I would say theres still a good core of folks that will turn up for games if theres competition
EDIT - in response to DeeDon