The Football Faithful
·28 March 2024
The teams with the highest average attendance in English football
The teams with the highest average attendance in English football | OneFootball
Which English teams have had the highest average attendance during the 2023/24 season so far? We’ve looked at the best-supported clubs in the country during the current campaign, running through the 10 sides with the largest average gate.
The teams with the highest average attendance in English football:
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10. Chelsea – 39,663
Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has certainly not been shy of investment since taking over in west London, though the American might need to stump up some significant cash to expand – or rebuild – Stamford Bridge.
The Blues have an average attendance of 39,663 during the 2023/24 campaign, only the 10th-highest figure in the country.
Chelsea are understood to be finalising plans to redevelop their current home and increase the capacity at Stamford Bridge to 60,000, though a rebuild could take several years to complete.
9. Sunderland – 40,412
Sunderland is the sole team to feature on this list not currently in the Premier League, with the Black Cats the best-supported side in the Football League.
More than 40,000 fans pack The Stadium of Light every other week and last season’s run to the play-offs raised optimism that their top-flight exile might soon come to an end. However, a turbulent campaign means Sunderland are on their third manager of the current campaign and 11th in the table, 13 points from the Championship’s top six.
8. Aston Villa – 41,783
Aston Villa’s fanbase has been rewarded for their loyalty this season with Unai Emery’s team boasting one of the best home records in the Premier League. The 41,783 average attendance at Villa Park has seen 10 home wins so far this season, with only Arsenal and Liverpool (11) having managed more.
7. Newcastle – 52,155
St James’ Park is one of English football’s most famous venues and boasts an average attendance of 52,155 this season.
After some rather grim years in the North East, optimism is high after the club returned to the Champions League for the first time in two decades this season. The 4-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain at St James’ earlier in the campaign will live long in the memory.
6. Manchester City – 53,194
More than 53,000 fans attend the Etihad on average each home game and the Citizens support rarely see their team lose on home soil.
Pep Guardiola’s team are unbeaten in 38 games in all competitions at home, last losing at home to Brentford in November 2022 – the final league fixture before the World Cup in Qatar.
Their formidable fortress was the bedrock of their treble success last season and City are in contention to defend each of those trophies in 2023/24.
5. Liverpool – 54,287
Liverpool have invested in the expansion of Anfield in recent years with the club’s latest development – increasing the capacity of the Anfield Road stand – increasing the overall capacity to over 61,000.
It followed the expansion of Liverpool’s Main Stand which officially opened on 9 September 2016.
4. Arsenal – 60,213
Arsenal’s decision to leave Highbury for the Emirates Stadium almost two decades ago was designed to give the north Londoners one of the best, and largest, stadiums in English football.
The Gunners have the fourth-highest average attendance in the Premier League this season at over 60,000.
3. Tottenham – 61,523
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been recognised as arguably the best venue in world football, with the state-of-the-art stadium – opened in April 2019 – holding a capacity of 62,850.
The venue includes the 17,500-seat South Stand, the largest single-tier stand in the UK.
2. West Ham – 62,433
West Ham is the best-supported club in the capital this season with an average attendance of 62,433 fans at the London Stadium.
The Hammers ended a 43-year wait for a major trophy after lifting the Europa Conference League last season and have made strides forward in recent campaigns, competing in continental competition for three consecutive seasons.
David Moyes’ side will be hoping to gatecrash the top four in the coming years and bring Champions League football to the East End.
1. Manchester United – 73,523
Manchester United have the largest average attendance in English football with Old Trafford the largest club stadium in the Premier League.
The club’s current owners have been criticised for allowing the famous old ground to deteriorate over the last decade. However, new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has laid out plans to build a new stadium that could host 100,000 fans.
“We can refurbish the ground and have a fantastic stadium, that will take about a billion to do that, and the club can shoulder that burden. But we have got this opportunity to build a new ground if we choose to. We’ve got enough space to build a completely new ground, Ratcliffe told the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast.
“If we build a completely new ground, it would be state of the art, world-class, [have a capacity of] 90,000 or even 100,000. I think that then provides a platform for some of the big competitions in the north of England. Why shouldn’t England play in the north? Why is the FA Cup final always in the south?
“Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool have won 10 Champions Leagues. London [clubs] have won two Champions Leagues. There are occasions where Liverpool are providing six or seven players to the England team. Football is just as important to the north as the south – and arguably more so.”
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