By Ana Jones;. A new study has revealed the UK football teams with the most devoted fanbases based on fan interest and interaction with each team – Arsenal ranks as the third most popular.
The study, conducted by football shirt retailer UKSoccerShop, assessed the devotion of football fans through three primary metrics, each rated out of ten: match attendance, social media following, and enthusiasm for team kits and shirts – based on Google search volumes. This analysis pinpointed the Premier League teams boasting the most loyal supporters.
Manchester United topped the ranking as the most popular team by far, scoring ten across every metric in the study. The team has the highest average attendance from the 2023/24 season, attracting crowds of around 73,523 – which is a staggering 11,090 more fans than any other club.
The club commands a staggering 83 million followers on Facebook, 33 million more than any other Premier League club. Additionally, it boasts an impressive 63.5 million Instagram followers, solidifying its position as the most popular team on social media by a significant margin.
Most devoted fans at Premier League
Manchester United also has the highest number of searches for their team’s football shirt, with 321,760 searches in 2023. Moreover, the data revealed their team shirts have been the most popular for the past four years, consistently receiving the highest number of searches.
Ranking in second place, Liverpool scored 6.68 out of a possible 10, clearly showing the dedication of its fans. Liverpool has the third highest social media following, with a staggering 47 million Facebook followers and 44.9 million Instagram followers.
Additionally, Liverpool’s shirts were the third most searched-for Premier League kit across 2023, with 235,000 searches indicating a solid fan interest. Surprisingly, despite their higher social media followings and kit interest, the team ranked fifth for match attendance, with an average of 53,348 fans attending their matches, much lower than other popular teams.
Ranking third overall is Arsenal, with a score of 6.66. The club’s supporter loyalty is evidenced mostly clearly through their interest in the team’s kit. Arsenal’s football shirts garnered an impressive 296,700 searches across 2023. The Gunners’ timeless charm has made their football shirts one of the most sought-after in the UK, with fans waiting excitedly each year for the annual kit release.
The team also benefits from the fourth-highest average match attendance, attracting crowds of around 60,196 across the 2023/2024 season. What’s more, Arsenal has the fourth-highest Facebook follower count at 42 million fans – indicating plenty of fan loyalty for this team.
Manchester City ranks fourth in the study, with a score of 6.62. Despite boasting extremely popular players such as Jack Grealish, the team still ranks below Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal.
Nonetheless, it’s clear they still have a loyal following, as evidenced by their social followers, as they have the second highest number of followers on both Facebook (50 million) and Instagram (51.8 million). The team also benefits from being the fourth most popular in kit interest, with 183,020 searches across 2023. However, despite the team’s clear popularity in other metrics, they performed much worse for match attendance, ranking sixth with an average of 53,282 supporters per match.
Coming in fifth place, Tottenham Hotspur scored 4.55 out of a possible 10. The team boasts the third-highest average match attendance in the Premier League, with average crowds of around 61,537.
Tottenham Hotspur has built a strong social media following with 34 million Facebook followers, the fifth highest among all Premier League teams. Unfortunately, fans seem less interested in their kit than other fanbases, ranking as the sixth most-searched-for shirt, with 116,070 searches in 2023.
Following in sixth place is Chelsea, scoring 4.10. The team has grown an impressive Instagram following of 41.7 million, ranking fourth. Surprisingly, the team has fewer Facebook followers, ranking seventeenth with just 918,000 followers. The team ranked ninth for match attendance, with an average of 39,706 fans attending each game. Chelsea’s kit was the fifth most searched last year, with over 170,000 searches.
West Ham United ranked in seventh place, scoring 2.78. Notably, the team has the second-highest match attendance in the Premier League, with an average of 62,467 fans present at each game.
In eighth place is Newcastle United, with a score of 2.35. The team boasts modest social followings and kit interest and ranked seventh for match attendance with average crowds of 52,151 fans.
Aston Villa placed ninth in the study, with a score of 2.08. The team’s kit is clearly popular, ranking seventh with 78,460 searches across 2023 – indicating fans are still searching for their classic shirt.
Rounding out the top ten ranking is Everton, with a score of 1.60. Everton boasts a solid 4.6 million Facebook followers and 3.1 Instagram followers, making it clear plenty of fans are still loyal to the team despite its lower ranking in the League table over the past season.
On the other end of the scale, the study revealed the Premier League teams with the least dedicated fans, and it is terrible news for AFC Bournemouth, which scored just 0.03 out of a possible 10.
Unfortunately, AFC Bournemouth has been identified as having the least popular kit, with just 7,430 searches recorded throughout 2023. Additionally, the club has the second-lowest match attendance of 11,039 fans on average and the second-lowest Facebook following of just 775,000.
Additionally, Luton Town has ranked poorly, scoring just 0.08. The club had the lowest match attendance in the Premier League, with just 10,988 supporters on average at each game.
Other Premier League teams with the least devoted fans include Brentford (scoring 0.32), Burnley (scoring 0.46), and Fulham (scoring 0.65). All three of these teams ranked within the bottom five clubs for match attendance and kit interest – highlighting their considerably lower popularity compared to other Premier League clubs.
