Who Are the 8 Best Football Fans in England?
We take a look at the best football fans in England. To work out who can lay claim to being the best fans in the Premier League, we took into account who's the loudest, most passionate, has the best matchday experience and best who has the best food.
8. Wolverhampton Wanderers
The Wolverhampton fan base is one of the fastest growing in the Premier League with the Wolves global brand showing signs of explosive growth. Wolverhampton, on the back of their rise, have even launched a high end fashion range in China.
It's a world apart from the "Dingles" nickname rival supporters have given to Wolves fans in reference to the fictional family from the British soap opera Emmerdale.
According to American Factman it's Wolves fans who are the loudest Premier League fans. Fans at the Molineux generate 85 decibels of sound over a 90-minute period which is just below the sound levels of a Boeing 737. It's remarkable considering the capacity of the Molineux is just over 31,000.
7. Crystal Palace
Rivals of Crystal Palace see them as boring and call them "Stripey Nigels". That's far from the truth as Crystal Palace supporters are among the loudest football fans in England. In fact, a fan poll ranked them third for most noisiest Premier League fans and second most likely to sing for their team.
When it comes to football in London, Crystal Palace are overshadowed by their more fashionable London rivals. But the South London club has been voted as having the best matchday experience in England.
Selhurst Park is one of the last remaining examples of Archibald Leitch football architecture and the old fashioned brown-brick facade and stadium atmosphere is how a stadium should look and feel.
6. Manchester United
Manchester United are the most supported club in England and third in the world. The club is so popular all over the world thanks to the success of the Alex Ferguson era where Manchester United won 13 Premier League titles during a 26-year reign.
It's little wonder rival fans describe Manchester United fans as "glory hunters", but the dedication of fans sticking by their team during the failed days of David Moyes and beyond, is proof that fans of the Red Devils are up their with the best in the league.
One of the best places to watch football on the planet is at the world famous 75,000 capacity Old Trafford. The Manchester United Red Café on the third floor of the Sir Alex Ferguson stand is a must visit for any die-hard Red Devils fan.
5. Aston Villa
Despite the lack of emotional return, Aston Villa fans are among the most loyal fan bases in England. Villa Park is considered to be the best stadium experience in the UK and has one of the best matchday menus with a diverse range of dishes headlined by the famous chicken balti pie.
Aston Villa is a popular club with a large fan base and boisterous support across the Midlands. Villa Park is one of the most filled stadiums in the Premier League and is almost always above 98% full despite their up and down success.
Villa Park's away fan allocation is tucked in behind the Doug Ellis Stand and is close by to the vocal North Stand home supporters. The result is one of the best matchday experiences in the Premier League with spine-tingling back-and-forths between both sets of fans.
4. Leeds United
Leeds United is one of the most hated football clubs in the world mostly because of the "Dirty Leeds" team of the 60's and 70's. A study found that Leeds had the most negative football chants sung about them by other clubs fans with 117 in total. Perhaps it's because Leeds fans love to travel, and according to one online poll are the best away fans in England.
The South Yorkshire club has some of the most passionate fans in England. Leeds United has the most loyal and supportive fan base with the highest percentage of local support in the Premier League. Even when Leeds were in League One they averaged crowds of over 24,000 at Elland Road.
Speaking of Elland Road it offers one of the most authentic traditional English football experiences. There's something special about the two-mile walk from the city centre to Elland Road, having a pint at the Old Peacock on the way in and stopping by the insanely popular Graveley's Fish and Chips.
3. Arsenal
I truly feel sorry for Arsenal fans. Emirates Stadium's "most affordable" season ticket prices have exceeded £1,000, one of the highest ticket prices in Europe, but Arsenal fans still manage to fill the Emirates at over 98%. It's remarkable just how passionate Arsenal fans are to keep turning up even in the post-Arsene Wenger era when things haven't been going their way.
Arsenal have a very good fan following because of the attractive and entertaining brand of football they've played over the years. It can be a very frustrating experience being an Arsenal fan and you can quite literally tell when the Emirates is quiet on TV. But don't mistake nervous Gooners for a lack of passion.
North Londoners love their club and when Arsenal are firing, the Emirates offers one of the best gameday atmospheres in the Premier League. You'd want to eat before you get to the ground though. Prices inside the Emirates are outrageous, but what do you expect with season ticket prices so high? Just sneak some snacks in.
2. Newcastle
Newcastle United is a massive club locally but isn't as global as some of the clubs in the Premier League. It doesn't matter as Newcastle supporters are the most passionate supporters and have the best away fans in England. In 2011 a 6,000-strong contingent of Newcastle fans made the away trip to non-league Darlington for a pre-season friendly in 2011.
Local football heroes - like one of the best Premier League strikers of all time Alan Shearer, Andy Carroll, Steven Taylor and Shola Ameobi - are treated like demigods and St James' Park is simply stunning. In the heart of Newcastle city, St James' Park dominates the skyline with its unique asymmetric design like no other. Newcastle fans are so football-mad that there’s hardly an empty seat at St James' even when they're playing in the Championship.
Newcastle United is on its way to becoming one of the top clubs in England again. A trip to St James' Park is certainly one of the best away trips in the Premier League. Away fans are packed into the top tier of the Leazes Stand which has one of the best away section views in England, with views of the Newcastle skyline and countryside.
1. Liverpool
Liverpool has the best football fans in England and what makes Liverpool the best fans in the world is the Anfield atmosphere on matchday. The Liverpool faithful know how to put on a show with ther pre-match rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" so it's no surprise that Liverpool fans have been voted the loudest in the Premier League.
"The Kop" is the most famous football stadium stand in the world and Liverpool showed an immense deal of loyalty by choosing to stay at Anfield and expand the Anfield Road End rather than relocating and building a new stadium like many other clubs.
Liverpool is the most successful club in England with the most combined English and European trophies. No wonder Liverpool are the most hated club in the Premier League and the envy of other fans. Away fans can enjoy street food at Anfield’s Fan Zone at Paisley Square or keep the kids entertained at Family Park on Anfield Road.
