It’s the biggest league in the world of soccer, with some of the most successful and well-known clubs in the game, but which Premier League clubs have the best fans?
Most Premier League clubs have fan bases that are worldwide, with supporters clubs in the most unlikely of places. At the stadiums, some fans are notorious for being louder than others, year after year.
How do we decide which fans are the best in the Premier League? It’s not easy; numbers mean a lot, but they don’t mean they’re the most loyal or loudest on match days.
Today we’re going to look at the 9 Premier League teams with the best fans, and we’re basing our choices on factors such as fan loyalty, fanbase distribution, game day atmosphere, and attendance.
9. Brighton & Hove Albion FC
- Number of Fans: 75 Million
- Average Attendance: 31,230
With an average attendance of 31,230 for every home hame, Brighton sits just below mid-table in the attendance rankings.
Still, since the Seagull’s promotion to the Premier League in 2017, the club fans have been on an ever-present party. Club owner Tony Bloom has invested in a great team, and the Falmer stadium is a great place to watch top-flight soccer games.
The noise in the 31,800-seater stadium is always loud and exciting, and regardless of the results, Brighton fans keep turning up to support their club.
Given time, and maybe even a cup win or two in the future, Brighton & Hove Albion could become a real force in the Premier League. With a full stadium every week, the fans will be there to see it all.
8. Manchester City FC
- Number of Fans: 87.6 Million
- Average Attendance: 52,739
Being in the shadow of Manchester United for so many years really took its toll on Manchester City fans, but good things come to those who wait.
With fans that have been loyal to the Citizens since before the club became a global brand, you can’t begrudge the die-hard fans of Manchester City a little success.
While arch-rivals United were competing for top trophies, City fans had to suffer the ignominy of watching their team in League One. But even there, with average attendances for the league around 8,000, Manchester City had an average of over 30,000.
The fanbase of Manchester City has increased massively since the club’s buyout in 2008, and given the club’s successes, we can only expect this to rise.
7. Arsenal FC
- Number of Fans: 113 Million
- Average Attendance: 59,776
Arsenal FC has always been a well-supported club, with a proud history of being one of the best clubs in the English leagues.
The Emirates stadium, one of the best in Europe, is full for every home game, and the Gooners, as the fans are referred to, are some of the most loyal in England.
With several prominent supporters clubs following Arsenal FC and a worldwide fanbase that follow the club, there is a real sense of community amongst Arsenal fans.
After a highly successful period under Arsene Wenger, the club has seen several years of restructuring in order to pay for the superb Emirates Stadium. Despite the recent barren spell, fans are still flocking to see the famous Arsenal win one-nil.
6. Tottenham Hotspur FC
- Number of Fans: 180 Million
- Average Attendance: 56,523
Despite not having won a trophy since the FA Cup in 1991, Tottenham Hotspur has a rich history and was one of the best clubs in England during the 1960s.
Their fans have always been fiercely proud of the club. Since moving into their huge new stadium in 2019, the club’s average attendance has boomed, and Spurs now have the third highest attendance in the Premier League.
With over 61,000 fans at the stadium for every home game, Tottenham Hotspur games are quickly becoming some of the most entertaining in the league. With fans in every corner of the country and supporters clubs worldwide, the future looks bright for Spurs fans.
New manager, Antonio Conte, will be looking to the club’s supporters for their passionate support as the club tries to break into the top four of the Premier League again this season.
5. Chelsea FC
- Number of Fans: 135 Million
- Average Attendance: 36,424
Chelsea fans have always had a reputation as some of the most passionate in Europe, and once a Chelsea fan, always a Chelsea fan.
With the sixth highest average attendance in the history of English soccer, Chelsea has a massive fanbase upon which they can rely. Chelsea is a massive club with over 72 million followers on Twitter alone and fan clubs in every country on the planet.
When it comes to fans wearing their colors with pride, Chelsea is right at the top, and Chelsea replica shirts are the fourth most popular soccer strip to buy, and that’s fourth on the planet, not the Premier League.
A history of hooliganism has always surrounded Chelsea FC, and while the 1980s heyday of hooligans causing havoc has thankfully ended, the club still has occasional crowd trouble from overzealous fans.
4. Manchester United FC
- Number of Fans: 659 Million
- Average Attendance: 72,711
If the title of our article had been for the 9 Premier League teams with the most fans, Manchester United would win hands down; One of the biggest clubs in world soccer, the Manchester giants have one of the largest fanbases of any sports team in the world.
But for pure passion, loyalty, and uniqueness, there are a few teams that can boast more fanatical fans.
That’s not to say that Manchester United fans don’t love their team, and turn out in their droves to watch the team play at Old Trafford, one of the largest stadiums in Europe.
With an average attendance of 73,711, manchester United has the highest attendance in the Premier League, with fans flocking from all over just to see the team play.
Having a huge following is key to a team’s success, the increase in revenue helps build a better squad, but the fact that Manchester has so many fans that travel from abroad to watch live games is both a blessing and a curse; the atmosphere can at times feel a little flat when compared to matches at Elland Road or St James’ Park.
3. Newcastle United FC
- Number of Fans: 80 Million
- Average Attendance: 51,443
The Toon Army, one of the biggest fanbases in England, are famous for their loyalty to their club; through good times and bad, and they’ve been mostly bad for the past twenty years, the Newcastle United fans have stood by their club.
With an average attendance of over 51,000 for every home game, every fan in the Premier League knows just how unique the Toon army is to the club.
2. Leeds United FC
- Number of Fans: 65 Million
- Average Attendance: 36,372
It’s taken Leed United a long time to get back into the Premier League, and the fans have remained loyal throughout the turbulent years in English soccer lower leagues.
Being the largest city in England to only have one soccer club might help with fan recruitment, but those fans that do turn up, and Elland Road is always a packed stadium, are amongst the most passionate and energetic in the league.
Leeds United sit in 11th place on the average attendance rankings, but only because their famous Elland Road stadium only holds 37,792 fans. If the stadium held 90,000 seats, Leeds would undoubtedly fill them all.
Ever since the Don Revie era in the 1960s and 1970s, Leeds has had a reputation as a combative, fierce team, and the fans love to scream their players on.
Leeds fans follow their club everywhere, and the club’s away support is often amongst the best in England. Several managers of opposing clubs have commented on the atmosphere at Elland road, stating it is the most intimidating ground to visit in England.
The fans often feel like the 12th player, screaming their team on while hounding opposing players for the full 90 minutes.
1. Liverpool FC
- Number of Fans: 580 Million
- Average Attendance: 53,205
If you’ve ever been to Anfield or watched a Liverpool FC game televised, you’ll know the spine-tingling sensation of hearing the famous Liverpool song “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and the fans’ effect on the team.
One of the most incredible clubs in the world, with some of the most passionate and easily identifiable fans, in the Premier League.
Liverpool’s fanbase is enormous, and the average attendance of 53,205, the league’s sixth-highest, shows how loyally the club is supported. Anfield, one of the most famous stadiums in world soccer, is impossible to get a ticket for, and, much like at Elland Road, if the stadium could hold 90,000 fans, they’d turn up in their droves.
Liverpool fans have the unenviable statistic of being involved in two of the most tragic accidents in soccer history. The Hillsborough disaster and the Heysel Stadium disaster resulted in many Liverpool fans losing their lives.
In those heartbreaking times, Liverpool fans pulled together, becoming almost like a community within a community, sticking together and supporting their families, friends, and their club.
In happier times, the great Liverpool teams have always relied on the passion of the fans to spur them onto even greater victories.
Under present manager Jurgen Klopp, the red half of Liverpool looks set for an even brighter future. And with fans hailing from as far away as Africa and America, the supporters will be there to cheer their club on to glory.
