 The return to third-tier football led to a dramatic decline in attendance at Highfield Road, with average gates dropping from 22,000 to 13,000.This placed a strain on the club's finances, and they were forced to sell winger Norman Lockhart to Aston Villa for £15,500.They finished in a reasonable sixth-place in their first season in the division but poor form returned in the 1953–54 campaign.