Ipswich Town v Norwich City: Who has the loudest fanbase? AI decides | OneFootball

ChatGPT has had its say on who had the loudest atmosphere in the East Anglian Derby

After a short year away, the East Anglian derby will grace the Championship once more for the 2025/26 Championship campaign.

And there's no doubt that the atmosphere at both Portman and Carrow Road will be electric in October and April, respectively, when Norwich City and Ipswich Town's bitter rivals make the 45-mile journey for the derby.

But which of the two grounds will remain that loud for the entirety of the season?

Norwich may just edge the head-to-head record against their rivals on the pitch, but most football fans know that a rivalry is deeply rooted in its fanbase. Winning on the pitch matters, but getting one up over your rival fans is almost as sweet.

So, what does AI think? Football League World has turned to the popular AI-based service ChatGPT to get their verdict on this 'Atmosphere Showdown.'

AI breaks down Portman Road's atmosphere

When discussing Portman Road, the main standout for AI was the high-energy, passionate Ipswich crowd.

Especially recently, since Kieran McKenna took over as Ipswich boss, the club began their hockey stick trajectory from mid-table League One to the Premier League. Fans of the Tractor Boys have had a lot to shout about.

Their average attendance in the past three seasons has stayed above 25,000, reaching 29,742 during last season's Premier League campaign. It may dip slightly this season, but you'd expect that, if Ipswich can replicate their form of two years ago, those crowds will still be as loud as ever.

Additionally, the experience for fans over the past couple of seasons has helped contribute to an overall positive atmosphere. ChatGPT lists fan zones, cashless kiosks and better beer choices as reasons why Portman Road has improved over the past few seasons.

The only real criticism comes in the form of when the team isn't performing well, the crowd can feel "subdued" at times. Last season, that rarely happened as the fans were enjoying the Premier League ride, but we'll see if this reins true in 2025/26 if the going gets tough.

AI breaks down Carrow Road's atmosphere

ChatGPT commends Carrow Road for being the home to the world's oldest continuously used football club chant in "On the Ball, City," and the noise this generates, especially in the Barclay Stand, is incredible.

AI states that safe-standing rails being implemented into the main stand at Carrow Road have only served to increase the vocal heartbeat and the atmosphere on a gameday.

Unlike Portman Road, ChatGPT has also discussed how derby days create an "intense and aggressive atmosphere" at the ground, showing that perhaps, when the East Anglian derby comes about, the atmosphere at Carrow Road just edges it.

But some people say that the general atmosphere outside of that is declining, especially in the upper tiers. Norwich's average attendances have been consistently in the 26,000 range since the grounds opened back up again after the COVID-19 pandemic, which is close to capacity.

However, perhaps the number of people in the ground doesn't correlate to the amount of noise generated in all four stands at Carrow Road.

AI has its say on whose atmosphere is better out of Ipswich Town and Norwich City

After a little bit of fence-sitting, ChatGPT announced that Ipswich's atmosphere at Portman Road just edges their East Anglian rivals.

Whilst Carrow Road provides a fierce atmosphere during derbies and big moments, Portman Road can be relied on for "consistent energy," no matter who Ipswich are playing.

The improvements at the ground create a "vibrant" matchday atmosphere, according to ChatGPT, and the recent success under Kieran McKenna has led to an almost recency bias take too - as people have recognised the passion as of late which surrounds the fans at Portman Road.