Most Passionate Fan Bases : All 20 EPL Clubs Ranked
English Premier League is the most watched football league in the world. People across the world supports different teams from this league with full passion and love. Having passionate fans inside the stadium creates an incredible atmosphere that act as the 12th man for the team. In this article we have all the 20 EPL clubs ranked according to most passionate fan bases.
Here are the most passionate fan bases in the Premier League –
[nextpage title=”1″ ]
20. Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a Premier League newcomer. Its a new experience for their fans and they are loving it. HTFC are hoping to capture the attention of a three billion strong global football fanbase as soon as they arrived in the top flight. The West Yorkshire club has already started to work on strengthening its brand identity.
There are some real opportunities for Huddersfield Town to tap into the Premier League’s international fan base if they can promote a recognisable club identity and engage with high profile global sponsors.
19. West Bromwich Albion
Everyone noticed what Premier League football meant to the West Brom fans in 2005 when they poured onto the pitch which is known as “great escape.” The Baggies were the first team who survived from the bottom of the table at Christmas and escaped on the final day of the season.
West Brom host a respectable 24,000 fans per game almost selling out The Hawthorn. But that’s quite low in terms of percentage attendance.
18. AFC Bournemouth
No one’s heard of us, no one’s heard of us, no one’s heard of us – but we don’t care…” So go the words of the strong, determined and loud AFC Bournemouth fans have sung on the terraces for so long.
Thanks to Maxim Demin’s investments, AFC Bournemouth is one of the world’s richest clubs, having joined the £120m club. It will be sufficient to expand their 12,000-seater stadium. Among the newly expanding fan bases, this club may be leading the chart for their own good.
17. Watford
Watford fans are passionate and hard working. Founded in 1881 as Watford Rovers. They entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886. 136 years of heritage and pride is reflected in their attitude.
Owner Gino Pozzo is also the heir of the Italian club Udinese Calcio. Watford home ground at Vicarage Road has a capacity of 21,438. The ground observed a humongous attendance of 20,552 in the match with Manchester United this season.
16. Burnley
Burnley’s population is around 80k and the average attendance for the last Premier League season was a massive 20.5K. It was a ‘wow’ achievement considering the size of Burnley.
This club has got a tremendous local support. A fair number of fans come from Colne Nelson Brierfield which roll into Burnley. Then come Clitheroe and a catchment area right into Yorkshire.
Sean Dyche once said, “Burnley have a fanbase to be proud of. After my first season we sold Charlie Austin and there was the usual response from crowds, not always positive, and I said then it’s important we focus on what the team are doing, and they’ve been amazing since then.”
[/nextpage]
[nextpage title=”2″ ]
15. Brighton And Hove Albion
If you ever visit the Amex Stadium, you will fall in love instantly with this amazingly decorated piece of art. It got the facility of 30,750 which is more than a match for most of the top-flight. With its sweeping curves, the Amex is not less than a Hollywood beauty to a football fanatic.
The potential fan base for the club is humongous. Brighton has a population of just under 300,000 and there are no such big rivals in near locality.
Some may feel they missed out a generation of potential supporters when they used to play at Gillingham and the Withdean. But when The Amex opened, the fans rushed back to cheer their home team. With an average attendance of 20,000, this is something many teams would dream of.
14. Southampton
When you’re at home and you’ve got a great backing, it’s brilliant. And when you go on the road and you can hear your fans signing it’s what you want as a player. It’s credit to the Southampton fans who stuck to the team when they were in League One and on the brink of liquidation. It’s good that the fans stuck with them, and now they’re seeing Southampton playing week in, week out, in the Premier League
Southampton was relegated in 2005 after their 27 years in top flight of English football. After playing six years in the second and third tier, Southampton gained promotion back to the Premier League. St. Mary’s Garden is their home ground having a capacity of 32,505. It maintains an average attendance of 30,734 which means a 94% filling rate.
13. Tottenham Hotspur
As Harry Kane continues to lead his team to success on the pitch, Tottenham’s fans continue to support them greatly off it. As one of London’s oldest Premier League clubs, Tottenham has a long history that includes an FA Cup win in 1091 and a European Cup Winners’ Cup victory in 1963.
Currently, Tottenham is based in Wembley Stadium. Previously, the club competed out of White Hart Lane, which has been open since 1899. The Lane is currently being rebuilt as an all new stadium, with plans for Tottenham to move back once the venue has been completed.
12. Everton
Everton’s ground Goodison Park is one of the most iconic grounds in the Premier League. It has hosted more top flight English football games than any other club. It first became the home of “The Toffees” in 1892 and is one of the world’s first purpose built stadiums.
Everton fans are not far behind their Merseyside rivals in terms of passion and dedication. Even though Everton haven’t been their best this season , fans continue to support the club with all their heart.
Goodison Park has the capacity of 39,571 and regularly pulls 39,032 passionate supporters meaning the stadium averages 98.64% attendance completion rate in the Premier League – and other domestic competitions.
11. Leicester City
One of the best atmosphere in English football, partly due to the cardboard clappers issued to all home fans, the noise is amazing. Winning the Premier League in 2016 and then going on to qualify for the UEFA Champions League had worked like a turbo booster in Leicester City’s incredible rise in power – both on the field and in terms of regular attendance figures.
Though they aren’t having the best of their times in the domestic league this time around, they still capable enough to attract their fans on a weekly basis. And at a really high rate, too. It’s almost impossible to get a ticket for most matches unless you are a season ticket holder or a member.
The King Power stadium can host 32,273 fans and regularly manages to bring in 31,948. That’s 98.99% of the stadium covered every match day. The Foxes never let their troop behind alone.
[/nextpage]
[nextpage title=”3″ ]
10. Chelsea
Chelsea fans are behind their team always. They are passionate and loud. The Blues are arguably one of the greatest Premier League sides of all time and Stamford Bridge knows that well. With a capacity of 41,633 seats, they have an average attendance of 41,512 ,which is around 99.71% of the total capacity. It explains a lot about their supporters.
The defending Premier League holders are one of the biggest fanbase holders in Europe. They provide their players with unconditional support, surrounding them in a sea of blue flags and cheering them on loudly at every game.
9. Manchester United
Manchester United is the most supported football club in the world. Though the club has suffered a lot after the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, there is no decline in the number of supporters turning out at the Old Trafford.
‘The Special One’ might not be that same charismatic anymore but he is still good enough to galvanise one of Europe’s biggest fan bases to pour in the week in and week out. Old Trafford is England’s largest club stadium and can host 75,643 fans at any given instant.
Manchester United have a global fan base with supporters from around the world showing their support for the club. Even when the Red Devils have suffered in a match, the fans stay loyal and cheer them on even louder, come rain or shine.
8. Manchester City
Being in the shadow of Manchester United for many years, Manchester City have now turned the tide in recent years and hold the bragging rights in Manchester. Etihad Stadium may not have the best atmosphere in England but Manchester City do in fact have some great supporters, a majority of whom have been supporting the club for years. There’s little denying that success brings new fans , but the majority of City’s local fan-base , have witnessed a pre-Sheikh Mansour era. Their fans have historically shown tremendous support to their team.
In their first campaign at the Etihad Stadium in 2003/04, City fought relegation and finished 16th in front of an average crowd of 46,834 , which was better than most of the teams in the division. Also, when City were in League One in 1998/1999, the Blues had an average attendance of 32,547 – a record that remains untouched. Manchester City fans are quite the loyal group of supporters.
Although Manchester City has been spending a lot of money in the recent years, this money has clearly been put to good use. With the quality of football Manchester City is playing this season , we only expect things to get better from them in terms of support.
7. Crystal Palace
Although Crystal Palace isn’t as well known internationally as Arsenal or Chelsea, it has a large, passionate fan base in its home district of Selhurst, as well as in surrounding counties like Kent and Surrey. Crystal Palace’s stadium Selhurst Park is one of the most Intimidating grounds for the opponents. The atmosphere inside the stadium is one of the best in the league.
They are known for their miraculous escape and it’s because of that fans pour week in week out to witness their side’s fight to stay in the top tier. Selhurst Park can hold 25,456 fans and manages to regularly average 25,080 – a 98.52% fill rate – exceptional figures for a club that continues to flirt with danger.
[/nextpage]
[nextpage title=”4″ ]
6. Stoke City
Stoke City fans are regarded one of the loudest fans in English Premier League. The stadium filled with passionate fans still remains quite a challenge for the visiting teams . The Potters are quite a constant performer in drawing a relatively solid crowd every time. Whether it is a league game, the Emirates FA Cup or the EFL Cup.
Out of the 30,089 fans who can fit into the Bet365 stadium, the club draws an average of 29,514 fans every match – meaning they fill up nearly 98% of their stadium every weekend.
Sir Alex Ferguson once said, of visiting their stadium: “I love the atmosphere because it makes players play. If you don’t pay attention to the atmosphere at Stoke, then it engulfs you. You must perform to get a result.”
5. Arsenal
Arsenal should be proud of their rock-solid attendance at home fixtures. Emirates Stadium can hold a maximum of 60,260 fans at any given time and still manages to pull in 59,988 fans every week – despite having the most expensive season ticket in the country.
The boisterous nature of the Gooners can be seen especially with fans having their opinion on every little thing the club does. The passion and genuine care about the club’s well-being from Arsenal fans is one that is hard to match and it is why they are one of the best fans in the Premier League.
Arsenal regularly manage to cover 99.55% of their seats – a massive figure for a club currently under fire.
4. Swansea City
This team has got something special in their fanbase. The fans have followed their team through thick and thin.
It is brilliantly documented in the BBC’s “Swansea City: The Fall and Rise,”: ‘this is a team that has been through it all. Rescued by the fans on the brink of dropping away from the football league, it’s outrageous to witness the club’s progress over the past decade.’
The Capital One Cup win was regarded as the signal of a new era at the Liberty Stadium. However ,things are not going good for them this season but with a fan base like this , they can overturn the situation.
Just remember ‘If it wasn’t for the fans, this club wouldn’t exist at all’.
[/nextpage]
[nextpage title=”5″ ]
3. West Ham
If you are searching for tradition and the youth development, West Ham United is the place where you must take a halt. The club has seen players such as Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick and Joe Cole coming through their youth ranks. Though they moved on to bigger and better things after spending time in the club’s youth ranks. Local Hammers have never become disheartened or disappointed with the club’s lack of progress.
West Ham haven’t had much success recently but they have always had tremendous support from the stands, that’s something they can be proud of. Fans of West Ham are as passionate as they come, and although their games do not provide the same quality of football as some other games in the Premier League, the West Ham fans make up for it with unfaltering enthusiasm, cheering their team on through thick and thin.
West Ham also tops our list of ‘Premier League Clubs ranked according to percentage attendance’.
2. Liverpool
Whether you love the reds or not, you can’t deny that the club has a terrific support. The Anfield club is built on tradition, success and terrible tragedy. Liverpool has passed through many hard stones, whether it’s the winning of major trophies or the fight for justice after the Hillsborough disaster. This is a club that deserves respect, no matter your allegiance.
“You’ll Never Walk Alone” is one of football’s most famous anthems. It does not matter whether it’s sung in Merseyside halfway through the campaign or belted out in Dublin during the preseason, the club’s support and passion is something to marvel at.
Games against Manchester United and Everton—whose atmospheres have been described as “suffocating” and “not for the faint of heart”— creates an unmatched atmosphere.
1. Newcastle United
Newcastle’s support is regarded one of the most spirited and cheerful inside England. It often piles up against the more successful clubs and creates a cauldron of the atmosphere on the match day.
Newcastle don’t have a particularly global fanbase like Arsenal or Manchester United, but the local support they have is passionate and intense. Game after game, season after season, their St. James’ Park stadium is full and noisy and full-blooded, which is far more than can be said for neighbours Sunderland and Middlesbrough.
The Geordies keep singing—even after many years without winning a major trophy.
[/nextpage]
Stats for the Amex are weird – average attendance of 20k? It’s been open since 2011 and has been practically full every match since then. A simple read of wikipedia will tell you this, assumign you take into account expansion (21k capacity when it opened, expanded several times since)
I guess these figures were based on a very lazy view of capacity for ‘Brighton’ when they were stuck at tiny stadiums after losing the Goldstone Ground