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Who has the best atmosphere in the Premier League? Our take on the age-old debate

Written by Andy Delaney
Last Update: July 16, 2024
Published on

Who has the best atmosphere in the Premier League? It's a debate that has raged on since the inception of the league in 1992 and one that has been amplified with the development of social media.

Over the past 32 years, several clubs have come and gone in the Premier League while countless clubs have moved stadiums.

These stadium moves have rarely resulted in an improvement in atmosphere with West Ham being the prime example. They moved from the bear pit that was the Boleyn Ground to play in the overly sanitised bowl that is the London Stadium.

The list below runs through the top five stadiums in the Premier League for atmosphere, based on personal experience and anecdotes from other match-going fans.

Best atmosphere in the Premier League
Does Anfield rank inside the top five stadiums in the Premier League for atmosphere? – Photo by Icon Sport

Best atmosphere in the Premier League – Our top five

5) Old Trafford

The general consensus among match-going fans is that Manchester United have the best away supporters in the country. In years gone by, that wasn't necessarily even up for debate but in recent times, the noise coming from their away ends has dwindled but on the other side of the coin, the atmosphere at Old Trafford has improved.

There isn't a louder stadium in the Premier League when the Reds are chasing a match in the second half and as many away visitors will testify – there isn't a noise quite like it when a late winner goes in at the Stretford End.

Preventing them from ranking higher is the lull that can frequently sweep across Old Trafford in drab matches – and there have been plenty of those in recent years – in addition to the acoustic issues that often make it difficult for a single chant to be sung across all four stands at the same time.

4) St James' Park

St James' Park was in danger of being labelled a myth during the latter years of Mike Ashley's reign as the club's owner. However, since their infamous takeover in 2021, St James' Park has once again become a fortress and a noisy one at that.

The club's most vocal supporters are situated in Gallowgate End and the fact they shove away fans up in the Gods behind one of the goals, helps them to create an intimidating atmosphere. Being a one-club city also certainly helps their cause as does the stadium's city-centre location.

3) Anfield

If it wasn't for You'll Never Walk Alone, Anfield wouldn't rank inside the top 10 stadiums for atmosphere in the Premier League, never mind the top five. However, their iconic anthem, which is sung before every home match, certainly does help to create a special atmosphere inside the old stadium, particularly in big matches.

In fact, when Liverpool are involved in clashes against the likes of Man City, Man Utd and Everton, Anfield can reach noise levels that are unrivalled in England. What does let them down, though, is the lack of atmosphere in the run-of-the-mill Sunday afternoon matches against the Fulham's and Bournemouth's of the league.

2) The City Ground

Would Nottingham Forest have survived either of their two most recent seasons in the Premier League without their home supporters at The City Ground? I guess we'll never know, but it seems unlikely given how much of a boost the Forest faithful have given their team since securing promotion in 2022.

The City Ground is an old-fashioned stadium which certainly helps when it comes to generating an atmosphere. The fans feel like they are on top of the players throughout, which has led to several difficult afternoons for some of the league's best teams.

1) Selhurst Park

The stadium that currently has the best atmosphere in the Premier League is Selhurst Park. Helped enormously by the Crystal Palace Ultras, known as the Holmesdale Fanatics, Selhurst Park is one of the very few grounds in the entire country that has constant chanting from the first minute until the last.

What makes the atmosphere inside Selhurst Park even more impressive is the fact that the quality on the pitch over the past five years or so has been severely lacking. The fans, despite their frustrations, have never let up in terms of atmosphere and deserve all the praise that comes their way.