Sport

Old Trafford has the best atmosphere in the Premier League, according to a new study

The Theatre of Dreams is living up to it's reputation, apparently.

Danny Jones - 23rd March 2023

Every supporter likes to think their club has the best fans, the best ground and the best atmosphere, but if recent data is to be believed, Old Trafford has the best atmosphere in the Premier League.

Manchester United’s home has long been considered one of the most iconic stadiums in world football; the Theatre of Dreams is a place that almost every player in world football has literally dreamt of playing at, and while it might not be the most modern, a new study suggests it has what counts: the most buzz.

As per a survey conducted by sports and betting brand Midnite, Old Trafford was the highest-rated for best-home support in the Premier League, taking more than a fifth of the total share of votes with 20.46% of participants concluding it has the best atmosphere.

Furthermore, it wasn’t just Reds propping up the stats; breaking down the results into different groups, the Stretford End and co. also got lots of recognition from other fans, with some 39% of Newcastle fans even voting United as their favourite away day atmosphere. Here’s how the top five panned out:

🚨🔴 A study from @midnite shows Old Trafford has been voted as the Premier League stadium with the best home atmosphere:

1. Manchester United – 20.46%
2. Liverpool – 17.64%
3. Arsenal – 11.49%
4. Newcastle United – 7.56%
5. Chelsea – 7.06%#MUFC pic.twitter.com/prcnSRqLxx
— United Update (@UnitedsUpdate) March 22, 2023

While the votes have no doubt been boosted by the club’s upturn in results and performances since Erik ten Hag arrived, currently sat in third and having won their first trophy for six years, it’d be curious to see what people’s impressions of the 74,000 capacity venue have been in the decade since Sir Alex left.

As you can see, Anfield came in second with 17.64% of the votes and also topped the list when it came to the atmosphere for travelling fans, with more than 34% of the 1,002 surveyed declaring Liverpool as the best away day. Perhaps not the biggest sample size but many would argue still aligns with the general consensus, historically.

League leaders Arsenal came in third with over 11% of the votes — the way this current season’s going also helping no end — and equally resurgent Newcastle United’s St James’ Park seemed to live up to its reputation too, claiming fourth place.

On the other end of the spectrum, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Fulham and Bournemouth all bottomed out the list, with just 1.31%, 0.71% and 0.60%, respectively; Wolves also recorded the lowest result for away atmosphere, only managing 4% of the votes.

Interestingly, despite being the most technologically and architecturally up-to-date in the English top flight, Spurs’ sparkly new stadium didn’t appear in the top five and neither did Man City‘s equally impressive Etihad, even despite its wider campus and fan facilities which are reportedly set to be developed ever further.

The designs will see the stadium capacity increased to over 60,000. 🏟️https://t.co/bHRoFveWTH
— The Manc (@TheMancUK) February 28, 2023

On the other hand, they didn’t find themselves in the relegation zone of the Premier League table for atmosphere either, so that’s something, I guess.

So, Old Trafford apparently has the best atmosphere in the Prem, but what grounds up and down the EFL and wider football pyramid are the unsung heroes?

We imagine they’re in Greater Manchester, of course.

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Featured Image — Gary Steele/mtr_shots(via Instagram)