Ranked: 20 Most Hated Football Clubs In England
13. Newcastle United
Newcastle United were founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End. The club has been a member of the Premier League for all but three years of the competition’s history, spending 88 seasons in the top flight as of July 2020, and have never dropped below English football’s second tier since joining the Football League in 1893
Newcastle’s main rivals are Sunderland, against whom the Tyne–Wear derby is competed. This is dislike between Middlesbrough and Newcastle fans too. With their new rich owners, they are very likely to rise on this list soon.
12. Aston Villa
Aston Villa were one of the founding members of the Football League in 1888 and of the Premier League in 1992. Villa are one of only five English clubs to have won the European Cup, in 1981–82. They have also won the Football League First Division seven times.
Aston Villa have had several hooligan firms associated with them: Villa Youth, Steamers, Villa Hardcore and the C-Crew, the last mentioned being very active during the 1970s and 1980s.
Villa have a fierce local rivalry with Birmingham City and the Second City derby between the teams has been played since 1879. Historically though, West Bromwich Albion have arguably been Villa’s greatest rivals, a view highlighted in a fan survey, conducted in 2003. The two teams contested three FA Cup finals in the late 19th century. Villa also enjoys less heated local rivalries with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Coventry City.
11. Stoke City
Founded as Stoke Ramblers in the 1860s, the club changed its name to Stoke Football Club in 1870 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke-on-Trent was granted city status. Stoke were one of the twelve founding members of the Football League in 1888.
Stoke City have carved out a niche as a club that is disliked almost across the English Football League. That reputation was established under the Tony Pulis regime, with their ‘rugby team’ moniker founded on accusations of long throws, long balls and physicality. In fact, there is an argument to label Stoke as the most disliked club without a true rival in the same division. Stoke are everyone’s second or third least favourite team.
Stoke’s local rivals are Port Vale, based in the Burslem area of Stoke-on-Trent. Due to the rarity of this fixture, Stoke have more established rivalries with Midlands clubs Derby County, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Arsenal supporters also consider Stoke City to be more fierce a rival than some of their closest and most competitive Premier League opponents.
10. Manchester City
Founded in 1880 as St. Mark’s, it became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894. Manchester City entered the Football League in 1899, and won their first major honour with the FA Cup in 1904.
The club’s biggest rivals are Man Utd, Liverpool, and Tottenham. Manchester City is also disliked by the fans of these clubs. One of the reasons for the dislike could be the massive investment by the Abu Dhabi United Group, since the takeover in 2008. City has also been one of the best English teams domestically over the last decade, this has also made them a hate figure among the rival clubs.
9. Arsenal
Arsenal was the first club from the South of England to join The Football League, in 1893, and they reached the First Division in 1904. Relegated only once, in 1913, they continue the longest streak in the top division.
Tottenham fans loathe everything to do with Arsenal and vice-versa. West Ham fans also hate the red and white. Manchester United are not big fans either nor are Chelsea or Liverpool. Stoke and Manchester City also dislike the club.
To their credit, they have a rich history. But no one wants to be reminded of their Invincibles team. But in recent history, Gunners have consistently underperformed and do not aim to challenge for the title. Their ambition is top-four.
8. Tottenham
Whether Tottenham Hotspur are one of the biggest club in London or not, they have always been the club that has attracted the most envy and hatred from their rivals. It has been obvious to most Spurs fans that Arsenal, West Ham and Chelsea all consider Spurs to be their main rivals.
Football.London reported the results of the ‘League of Love and Hate’, an annual survey that asks tens and thousands of fans across the country who they support and what they think of the other teams in their league.
Arsenal, Chelsea and West Ham all picked Tottenham as the club they hated the most while Leicester City and Southampton supporters also didn’t show much love for the Lilywhites. This makes Tottenham one of the most hated football clubs in England.
7. West Ham
The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. They moved to the Boleyn Ground in 1904, which remained their home ground for more than a century. They now play at the London Stadium.
West Ham have strong rivalries with several other clubs. Most of these are with other London clubs, especially with Tottenham Hotspur in an East versus North London derby and with Chelsea in an East versus West London rivalry. The rivalry between West Ham and Tottenham has been fuelled by players such as Michael Carrick, Martin Peters, Paul Allen, Jermain Defoe and Scott Parker leaving the Hammers to join Tottenham.
The oldest and fiercest rivalry is with Millwall. The two sides are local rivals, having both formed originally around local companies, with players living in the same localities.