Leeds United supporters have been given the top spot this season according to a new Premier League poll.
According to football website 1sports1, Leeds have the 'most passionate fans' out of all the Premier League teams and claim that fans share their loyalty from Elland Road to all corners of the UK and beyond.
The company stated that "Having passionate fans inside the stadium creates an incredible atmosphere that acts as the 12th man for the team. In this article, we have all the 20 clubs ranked according to the most passionate EPL fan bases."
Whilst it was no surprise to us Yorkshire folk that Leeds grabbed the top spot at number one, the top twenty was filled with surprises. The top three were all northern football clubs (with Newcastle in second and Liverpool third) and internationally recognised clubs like Manchester United and City placed a dismal 16th and 17th respectively.
The full list of the most to least passionate clubs is as followed:
Leeds
Newcastle
Liverpool
West Ham
Arsenal
Aston Villa
Crystal Palace
Wolves
Norwich
Southhampton
Chelsea
Leicester
Tottenham
Brighton
Everton
Manchester United
Manchester City
Burnley
Watford
Brentford
To us, it's pretty obvious why Leeds United got first place: you only need to take one look down Elland Road on match day to see the enthusiasm of the fans, but here's why 1sports1 felt our city deserved the title of 'most passionate fans in the Premier Leagues'.
"The lilywhites of West Yorkshire are simply one of the most famous clubs in the country. They’ve experienced great success in the past and have a great fanbase."
"Leeds is the largest English city with only one professional club and even during tough times their fans still come close to filling the 37,000 seat capacity at Elland Road while screaming, “We are Leeds!” Perhaps it’s the fiery northern mentality that is so deeply ingrained into the psyche of every Leeds fan that makes them collectively feel they’re capable of creating an atmosphere that changes score lines. An Elland Road in full voice not only spurs Leeds United on, but it also terrifies the opposition."
The list has caused quite a stir online, with many Leeds fans agreeing with their rightful first place, whilst others were quick to criticise the placement of larger clubs:
"My top three would be Leeds, Newcastle and Villa. All have proper fans, unlike Man Utd, City, and Chelsea who are glory chasing tourists."
Image: Leeds United, Instagram
"What a joke….Anyone who really goes to football matches would know this list is absolute tosh, Probably compiled by someone who watches games on Sky…."
"My top 3 would be Newcastle, Villa and Wolves not one of the big clubs whose grounds are always full of tourists ticking off another ground off their bucket list."
Singer-songwriter Myles Smith has just announced his biggest headline tour and is set to play a huge arena gig in Leeds this year.
Quit ‘Stargazing’ and get ready to fight for tickets as Myles Smith has just announced he’ll be visiting Leeds later this year for his biggest arena gig to date.
Known for hits like ‘Nice To Meet You’, ‘Stay (If You Wanna Dance)’ and ‘Wait For You’, this BRIT School graduate is now heading on the road for some headline shows across the UK.
Recognised for his folk-pop sound, Smith has built quite a name for himself just three or so years into his career, with solo efforts and a few collaborations under his belt.
Myles Smith is heading to First Direct Bank Arena, Leeds, on tour this year / Credit: Press shots (supplied)
Recently, the Luton-born artist collaborated with some well-known names like Shaboozey on their track ‘Blink Twice’ and even features on a new single from former One Direction member Niall Horan titled ‘Drive Safe’.
It was only last year that the ‘Stargazing’ songwriter visited Leeds, bringing his high-energy hits to O2 Academy back in February.
Now, Smith is ready to tackle an arena crowd and has chosen Leeds First Direct Bank Arena and is expected to raise the roof when 13,500 fans flock to the star’s show this winter.
Titled after his upcoming album My Mess, My Life, My Heart, Smith will be playing a variety of well-known and brand new hits when he makes his way up North.
Fans who are signed up to the official artist presale can get exclusive access to tickets from Wednesday, 25 March at 10am, with the window closing on Friday, 27 March at 9am.
Meanwhile, general admission tickets go live by 10 am that same Friday (27 Mar).
Myles Smith is embarking on his ‘My Mess, My Life, My Heart’ tour this winter and visiting First Direct Bank Arena, Leeds on Sunday 8 November – tickets and more info HERE.
Leeds city centre crowned one of the best places to live in the north by The Sunday Times
Clementine Hall
Today, Leeds city centre earned itself a coveted spot in the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.
What brilliant news to end the week on, hey?
Leeds city centre was amongst eight other locations across the north and the north east to be featured on the list.
The market town of Skipton took home the dazzling first prize, but it's still nice to be included isn't it.
Here's what the judges had to say about Leeds city centre: “Leeds has five universities, the fourth largest urban economy in the UK (with job opportunities in finance, insurance and big business), a youthful vibe and a relatively affordable average house price (£285,100).
Image: Unsplash
“Stay close to the centre, where you won’t have to worry about the patchy public transport, and it all adds up to a fun-filled, fulfilled life within walking distance of stylish shops, cafés, bars and restaurants. There’s a good choice of riverside homes, where you may spot kingfishers and otters, and even the schools are good.”
In total, 72 places across the UK were selected by The Sunday Times to showcase the very best of Britain, with Norwich named the overall national winner.
The full list of locations in the north and northeast include:
Skipton
Howardian Hills, North Yorkshire
Leeds city centre
Morpeth, Northumberland
Newcastle: Gosforth
Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire
Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire
York
Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, said: “This guide is a great opportunity to highlight the best places in Britain.
“It is full of places that show that our village, town and city centres can still be full of life, as well as places bursting with natural beauty, culture, connectivity and most importantly a sense of community.
“Our expert team of judges visit every location on the list and talk to the locals to find out what they love about the place they live."
Sophie Smith -
3rd February 2022 
