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."
After six years in the city, independent homeware retailer North Home is closing its Leeds city centre shop.
If you're a lover of all things home then you'll have most likely visited the gorgeous North Home shop in the Victoria Quarter.
Stacked to the brim with unique pieces from striking ceramics to stylish soft furnishings, North Home is known for its well-curated stock and great customer service.
Seriously, we've probably spent a good hour in here in awe of all the beautiful pieces.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Last week, curious shoppers noticed the three-storey store was suddenly empty and now the company have confirmed that they have closed for good.
In a statement, they said: "After nearly 6 wonderful years trading in Leeds, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our physical store while we restructure the business and explore the next chapter for North Home.
"Retail has changed significantly in recent years and, like many independent businesses, we’ve faced increasing costs.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
"Taking this step now gives us the opportunity to protect what we’ve built and focus on the future of the brand. North Home continues to operate online and all existing customer orders will be fulfilled as normal although delivery times may be slightly extended.
"We’ve loved being part of the Leeds retail community since 2020 and are incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received. We hope to share more about our plans soon."
We'll be sad to see them go and we hope this isn't goodbye forever, but you can still shop from North Home online here.
Neighbourhood Leeds bistro hailed as ‘a bit horny’ and ‘brilliant’ by national critic Camilla Long
Clementine Hall
Food critic Camilla Long visited Leeds for her latest review for The Times with her sights set on Horsforth's finest - Bavette Bistro.
Ever since opening back in 2024, Bavette Bistro nestled in the leafy suburb of Horsforth has made waves across the country for its sheer brilliance.
It's pretty much received five star reviews across the board and been handed awards from left, right and centre. And rightly so.
The Good Food Guide crowned Bavette the best local restaurant of 2024, and Michelin handed them a well deserved Bib Gourmand - so it's safe to say it's not just us who think it's really something special.
So it was only a matter of time until The Times popped in for a review, and this one is truly glowing.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The review labels Bavette as "warm, unmannered and unpretentious" as well as "authentically French".
Long describes the food as "gorgeous, confident, surprising" with a menu that "isn’t too long" and "filled with sturdy, noble dishes, whiffing mightily of the sea and the soil."
It continues: "All of it made with generosity and cheer, served fast by nimble waiters, with a long, if slightly eccentric, wine list. To bang out French dishes with this much fiddly detail and to do it to a full room is not easy. Yet all four courses came in under two hours, for about £75 a head, which in London terms is nothing.
"It’s not that this place was perfect, it’s that it was decidedly not perfect. A bit too much chat about the menus; the oeufs in the meurette not quite runny enough. But the point is: it didn’t matter. All of it came charmingly together. It felt relaxed, just right."
The review is then wrapped up with a pleasing five stars, the cherry on top of the cake.
It's a review only restaurants can dream of, and we can't think of a more deserving team - congratulations Bavette.
Sophie Smith -
3rd February 2022 
