The Premier League is the most popular league in the world and is home to some of sport’s most passionate fans. But which club has the best supporters?
Tensions are always high when it comes to football. Whether it be bragging rights among friends, betting on football, or the chance of silverware, football is pulsating.To settle the debate over who the most passionate Premier League fans are, we fitted heart rate monitors to 200 supporters from each of the 20 clubs in the English top-flight, to find out how much each club’s heart rate increases whilst watching their team play. The fans with the highest increase were deemed to be the most passionate fans of all.
Premier League clubs with the most passionate fans
According to our analysis, Burnley have the most passionate fans in the Premier League, with supporters having an average heart rate of 71 beats per minute (BPM) prior to the game, before increasing to 135, on average, whilst watching a game. With an increase of 64 BPM, more than any other team, Burnley tops the league for the most passionate footie fans in the top-flight.
The second most passionate supporters in the top-flight are West Ham fans. According to our heart rate study, fans had the second highest heart rate increase of all 20 Premier League clubs, with fans having a resting heart rate of 70 BPM, on average, before rising to 132 BPM when watching the Hammers play a match – an increase of 62 BPM (89%).
Manchester City fans are the third most passionate in the top-flight league of English football. Before the game, Manchester City fans recorded an average resting heart rate of 72 BPM, before increasing to 136, on average, when watching the team play – an increase of 89%.
Leicester City fans are also among the top five most passionate according to our study, placing in fourth. On average, supporters of the Foxes saw their heart rate increase from 69 before the game, to 129 whilst watching a match – an increase of 60 BPM (87%).
The fifth most passionate fans in the Premier League were those of Arsenal and Manchester United, both of whom saw their heart rate increase by 86%, on average. Our study found that Arsenal fans had a resting heart rate of 71 BPM, on average, before increasing to 132 whilst watching a game, and fans of the Reds had an average BPM of 79, before rising to 147.
Following closely behind are Newcastle United supporters, with fans experiencing a heart rate increase of 85% and ranking among the most passionate fans in the Premier League. On average, fans of the Magpies recorded a resting heart rate of 72 BPM before the match, which later increased to 133 BPM whilst watching a game – a difference of 61 BPM.
The seventh most passionate fans in the Premier League are those of Crystal Palace, with supporters’ heart rates increasing by 81%, according to our analysis. Our study found that the resting heart rate of Palace fans was 72 BPM, on average, before increasing to 130 whilst watching a game.
West Brom fans came next, with their heart rate increasing by 80%, on average, ranking them as the eighth most passionate fans in the Premier League. We found that Albion fans had a resting heart rate of 71 BPM, before rising by 57 to 128 BPM, on average, whilst watching the Baggies play.
The ninth most passionate fans in the Premier League are Aston Villa supporters. Villa fans had an average heart rate of 72 BPM before the game, compared to 129 BPM whilst watching their team play – a heart rate increase of 79%.
Premier League clubs with the least passionate fans
It’s bad news for Everton fans as our study found that their supporters are the least passionate, with an increase of just 40% between their resting heart rate and watching a game, on average. The Toffees fans had a resting heart rate of 81 BPM, on average, before rising to 113 – a small increase of 32 BPM.
Tottenham Hotspur fans are also among some of the least passionate in the Premier League, with our study revealing a 44% increase in their fans BPM, on average, when watching a match. Our heart rate experiment found that Spurs fans, on average, had a resting heart rate of 89 BPM, which rose to 128 BPM whilst watching the team play a match – a difference of 39 BPM.
The third least passionate fans in the Premier League are Wolves supporters, with our study finding that Wanderers fans had an average resting heart rate of 79 BPM before the game, which increased to 118, on average, whilst watching the team play. That’s a difference of 39 BPM before and during the games – a 49% increase.
According to our study, Sheffield United fans are the fourth least passionate in the Premier League, with fans experiencing a heart rate increase of 51%. Fans had a resting heart rate of 81 BPM before the game, on average, which rose to 122 during the games studied– an increase of 41 BPM.
Brighton and Hove Albion are the fifth least passionate fans, with an average increase of 54% between fans resting heart rate and watching the team play. Those supporting the Seagulls had an average BPM of 80 before the game, which was later measured as 123, on average.
Southampton fans are the sixth least passionate in the Premier League, with a heart rate increase of 59%, on average. Our study found that Southampton fans had a resting heart rate of 70 BPM before the game, on average, which increased to 111 whilst watching the Saints play – a difference of 41 BPM.
Liverpool have some of the least passionate fans in the top-flight league, with our heart rate study finding that fans of the Reds have an average resting heart rate of 76 BPM prior to a game, before increasing to 124, on average, whilst watching the team play – an increase of 63%.
Newly promoted Leeds United fans are also among the least passionate Premier League supporters, according to our study. Leeds fans recorded an average resting heart rate of 69 BPM prior to the game, before rising to 114 on average during the two matches studied – a 65% increase.
Fulham fans were found to be the ninth least passionate supporters in the Premier League, with fans experiencing a heart rate increase of 73%. Before the match, Fulham fans had a resting heart rate of 77 BPM, on average, before rising to 133 whilst watching the Whites play – a difference of 56 BPM.
Our research found that Chelsea fans heart rates increased by 74%, on average, between their resting heart rate and watching the team play. Supporters had a resting heart rate of 74 BPM, before increasing to 129 whilst watching the Blues play, ranking Chelsea fans among the top 10 least passionate fans in the Premier League.
Football moments that get fans hearts racing the most
Intrigued to find out what gets fans hearts racing the most, we surveyed each supporter and asked them which football moments put them on edge the most, thus causing their heart rate to increase:
- Penalties – 96%
- Missing a short on target – 92%
- Receiving a red card – 87%
- Referees making mistakes – 74%
- Receiving a yellow card – 52%
Methodology
Compare.bet asked 200 fans from each of the 20 Premier League football clubs (in the 2020/21 season) to participate in a heart rate experiment.
All participants, aged between 18-50, were fitted with a heart rate monitor for a day, prior to their team playing, in order to determine each team’s average resting heart rate.
We then refitted participants with heart rate monitors during the two most recent football matches played by their team to measure what their heart rate increased to during the matches. This data was recent as of 13/10/20.
An average of all participants, across both games, was then calculated, to determine a percentage increase. We were then able to determine which team is most passionate, by looking at the highest percentage increase.
To determine which football moments fans found most intense, we asked participants which on-pitch moments they found most intense. We then calculated this into a percentage.
