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Reigning champions Chelsea may have won the 2005/06 English Premier League title but Manchester United remains Britain’s most popular football club, according to Roy Morgan International Single Source findings. Manchester United, described recently by American owner Malcolm Glazier as a “franchise”, is supported by 4.209 million Brits. FA Cup Finalist Liverpool is the second most popular British Club with 3.133 million British supporters with Champions League Finalist Arsenal (2.652m) rounding out the top three. Despite their on-field success Chelsea must settle for fourth on the table with 1.485 million supporters.

Glasgow Rangers, with 1.43 million supporters, are the fifth most popular team in Britain followed immediately by their old firm rivals and Scottish Champions Glasgow Celtic who are supported by 1.406 million Brits.

From the English Championship League Leeds United (938,000) is the best supported football team from outside the English and Scottish Premier Leagues and is the ninth most popular team overall.

Liverpool will take on the 12th most popular British team, West Ham (691,000 supporters), in this year’s FA Cup Final to be played on May 13th. The Hammers are the fourth most popular London team behind Arsenal (2.652m), Chelsea (1.406m) and Tottenham (1.240m — seventh overall).

Also in the Top 20 are England’s UEFA Cup Finalist Middlesbrough in 16th position (452,000 supporters) and Scotland’s Champions League qualifiers Heart of Midlothian in 18th place (398,000 supporters). Welsh team Cardiff are in 22nd position with 322,000 supporters. Of the 20 most popular teams in the UK, eleven currently play in the English Premier League, three play in the Scottish Premier League and six in the English Championship League.

Position	Britain’s 20 Most Popular Teams	Number of Supporters
1	Manchester United	4,209,000
2	Liverpool	3,133,000
3	Arsenal	2,652,000
4	Chelsea	1,485,000
5	Rangers	1,430,000
6	Celtic	1,406,000
7	Tottenham	1,240,000
8	Newcastle	1,159,000
9	Leeds United	938,000
10	Manchester City	886,000
11	Aston Villa	700,000
12	West Ham	691,000
13	Everton	628,000
14	Leicester City	553,000
15	Norwich City	458,000
16	Middlesbrough	452,000
17	Southampton	429,000
18	Hearts	398,000
19	Wolverhampton Wanderers	384,000
20	Sheffield Wednesday	371,000

20 Most Popular British Football Clubs

Who are the Fans?

The Premier League

When compared to the average UK football supporter:

Manchester United supporters are:

• 81% more likely to be aged between 14 and 17.
• 63% more likely to see their main goal in life is to have “An important life”.
• 37% more likely to be underweight.
• 28% more likely to agree “I wear clothes that will get me noticed”.
• 27% more likely to live in a household with three or more children.
• 24% more likely to agree “I believe a percentage of everyone’s incomes should go to charities”.
• 22% more likely to agree “You can tell a type of person by the type of car they drive”.
• 18% more likely to earn less than £5,000 per annum.
• 17% more likely to have played a sport in the last three months.
• 17% more likely to believe they get a raw deal out of life.

Chelsea supporters are:

• More than twice as likely (164% more likely) to have been to a beauty salon or spa in the last three months.
• More than twice as likely (139% more likely) to be underweight.
• 84% more likely to agree “I wear clothes that will get me noticed”.
• 64% more likely to agree “It only feels like a holiday if I leave the UK”.
• 63% more likely to be aged between 25 and 34.
• 56% more likely to be renting their current residence.
• 54% more likely to agree “I was born to shop”.
• 50% more likely to agree “I choose a car mainly on its looks”.

• 44% more likely to see their main goal in life is to have “A prosperous life”.

• 28% more likely to agree “It’s important to have a full social life”.
• 20% more likely to be single.

European Champions League Finalists

When compared to the average UK football supporter:

Arsenal supporters are:

• 50% more likely to be aged between 18 and 24.
• 47% more likely to see their main goal in life is to have “A prosperous life”.
• 45% more likely to be a single parent.

• 40% more likely to agree “The food I eat is all, or almost all, vegetarian”.

• 35% more likely to agree “I will buy a product because of the label”.
• 28% more likely to earn over £40,000 per annum.
• 28% more likely to agree “I’m more extrovert than introvert”.

• 20% more likely to be female.
• 19% more likely to agree “I enjoy clothes shopping”.

FA CUP Final: Liverpool vs. West Ham

When compared to the average UK football supporter:

Liverpool supporters are:

• Almost three times as likely (175% more likely) to live in a household of five or more adults.
• 42% more likely to be a single parent.
• 42% more likely to have worked on a car in the last 3 months.
• 31% more likely to agree “I love to do as many sports as possible”.
• 31% more likely to have purchased self and pre-tanning lotions in the last 4 weeks.
• 25% more likely to agree “I look for new experiences every day”.
• 16% more likely to agree “I believe in taking risks”.
• 15% more likely to have read a non-fiction book in the last 3 months.
• 12% more likely to see  their main goal in life is to have “An exciting life”.

West Ham supporters are:

• More than twice as likely (132% more likely) to have been to a racetrack in the last 3 months.

• More than twice as likely (114% more likely) to have been to a casino in the last 3 months.
• 83% more likely to have used the internet to place a bet in the last 3 months.
• 58% more likely to see their main goal in life is to have “An important life”.
• 44% more likely to be aged 65 and over.
• 42% more likely to believe women should just run the home.

• 41% more likely to earn over £50,000 per annum.

• 31% more likely to agree “I go out of my way in search of a bargain”.
• 27% more likely to be overweight.
• 24% more likely to agree “ I don’t trust the current Government”.
• 19% more likely to be married or de facto.

Scotland’s Most Popular Teams

Rangers, with 1.430 million British supporters, and Celtic, with 1.406 million British supporters, dominate the Scottish Premier League in terms of support. Hearts (398,000) are the third most popular Scottish team followed by Aberdeen (278,000) and Hibernian (156,000).

Position	Scotland’s 5 Most Popular Teams	Number of Supporters
1	Rangers	1,430,000
2	Celtic	1,406,000
3	Hearts	398,000
4	Aberdeen	278,000
5	Hibernian	156,000

Scottish Premier League

When compared to the average UK football supporter:

Celtic supporters are:

• Over twice as likely (151% more likely) to be Catholic.
• 75% more likely to have bought something from a newspaper coupon or offer in the last 3 months.
• 71% more likely to agree “I’m more interested in my job than my house”.
• 39% more likely to agree “I don’t like to know too much about what is going on in the world these days”.
• 32% more likely to agree “If I could afford to eat out every night I would”.
• 27% more likely to agree “Credit enables me to buy the things that I want”.
• 27% more likely to agree “I always read the business section of the paper”.
• 20% more likely to see their main goal in life is to have “A prosperous life”.
• 18% more likely to be aged over 50.
• 16% more likely to be male.

Rangers supporters are:

• Over eight times as likely (706% more likely) to a member of the Church of Scotland.
• Over six times as likely (529% more likely) to read the Daily Record.
• 46% more likely to read the Daily Star.
• 34% more like to see their main goal in life is to have “A family life”.
• 32% more likely to agree “British beer is the only beer worth drinking”.
• 27% more likely to agree “I often buy frozen or chilled ready-prepared food”.
• 26% more likely to agree “I prefer beer to wine”.
• 25% more likely to watch “Who wants to be a Millionaire?”
• 19% more likely to agree “I buy the same food ever week”.
• 18% more likely to be single.

These are the main findings of the latest Roy Morgan International Survey of 5,213 people aged 14 and over in the UK, conducted between September 2004 and February 2006, as part of Roy Morgan Research Single Source. Similar data is available in Australia, United States, New Zealand and Indonesia.

Roy Morgan International

With offices in London, New York, Princeton, Jakarta, Auckland and throughout Australia, Roy Morgan International is a truly global market research company.

Roy Morgan International is the provider of the world’s most extensive and only true single source survey and owner of Asteroid, the leading market research survey analysis software.

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