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."
Because one Fern Modern Sushi wasn't enough, we've now got two.
And guess what? It's even better than the first.
Fern Modern Sushi located in the unassuming Central Arcade has become a firm foodie favourite after opening just a couple years ago.
Run by the wonderful Chef Fern, who you could say is somewhat of a local celebrity at this point, the restaurant is known for serving delicious sushi with the freshest fish possible and traditional Japanese dishes with modern flair.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Full with hungry punters no matter the time of day, it's no surprise that Chef Fern has just opened Fern Modern Sushi 2.0 on Park Row.
This beautiful new space is serving up all the classic Fern dishes, from stacked donburi bowls and perfectly rolled sushi to miso glazed cod and hearty bowls of ramen.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Different for this location, though, is their exclusive cocktail menu - so you can wine and dine to your heart's content.
The interior has also levelled up, complete with a huge open kitchen so you can pull up a chair and eat whilst watching the magic happen.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
And this isn't all that Chef Fern is up to, after opening Tori Nori on Vicar Lane a few months ago this will be her third restaurant in the city centre, and that is no easy feat.
She's even got another restaurant imminently opening in the Central Arcade which will be focused on traditional katsu dishes, and we wouldn't be at all surprised if she had something else lined up in the pipeline.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Fern Modern Sushi 2.0 officially opens on 19 November, but is open now for soft launch with limited bookings.
Independent Leeds matcha stand forced to close by council despite 3,000 people signing petition
Clementine Hall
An independent matcha stand in Leeds has been forced to closed due to council concerns.
You may remember back in August when the whole of Leeds rallied to save Sips Matcha over in Headingley.
The front garden matcha spot has become a firm favourite for students and locals alike over the past year, gaining more than 12,000 followers on Instagram.
The self-proclaimed 'tiniest matcha stand in Leeds' is located in the residential area of Little Woodhouse and is run by the lovely Matt and Julia.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
However, in August their retroactive planning application was rejected by the council and they were given 28 days to remove the shed.
In a published document via Leeds City Council website, multiple reasons were listed for the decision to refuse planning permission for the bright-green matcha shed.
The electronic letter signed by Martin Elliot, Chief Planning Officer, listed spoiling the property's character, increased footfall, and a failure to comply with numerous development and design policies.
In response, Matt and Julia launched a petition urging people to save Sips Matcha, labelling the painted wooden shed-turned-coffee shop as a 'Community Stand'.
Despite over 3,000 signatures, Sips Matcha have announced on their social media today that the shed must be removed by the end of November.
The statement reads: "our retrospective planning was declined, we appealed, and the appeal was dismissed. then the dreaded email arrived: the shed has to come down by the end of november.
"we don’t have all the answers yet, but we’re working out what happens next. over 3,000 of you signed the petition and it meant the world. thank you for every sip, share and signature. come say hi while we’re still here."
We're absolutely gutted for them, so make sure you pop by for a matcha before the end of November to give them a proper farewell.
Sophie Smith -
3rd February 2022 
