10 ‘Most Delusional’ Fanbases in English Football Ranked by Study
Arsenal tops the list of delusional fanbases, with outlandish claims and bold statements fuelling their reputation.
Manchester United cling to past successes while struggling on the pitch, leading to nostalgic pride blurring with delusion.
Leeds United, Newcastle, and Everton also feature.
Cloud Nine or Cuckoo Land? England’s most delusional fanbases have been revealed. Football fans are known for their passion, loyalty, and the occasional creative leap of faith. Whether it’s insisting their club is “massive” despite mid-table mediocrity, or predicting a title charge after a scrappy opening-day win, delusion is as much a part of the Premier League as last-minute limbs and VAR-induced meltdowns.
But who truly takes the biscuit when it comes to belief over evidence? That’s now been revealed, thanks to a study by Freebets.com. Some will say it’s a list of eternal optimists; others might brand them downright delusional. Either way, from dreaming of Champions League nights after beating a newly promoted side, to shouting “next year is ours” after bottling the league in March, these fanbases have turned blind faith into an art form.
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10 Fulham
Delusion rating: 2.11%
Craven Cottage (Fulham FC)
Fulham fans might come across as a quiet, unassuming bunch – but that hasn’t stopped them from earning a 2.11% delusion rating. While that figure may seem modest, it’s enough to place them 10th out of all 92 English league clubs. And there’s likely one main reason for that.
The Cottagers are probably growing weary of midtable mediocrity. After several seasons of simply surviving in the Premier League – comfortably above the relegation zone but never troubling the European places – it’s understandable that fans are starting to crave more. There’s a sense that the club is content with stability, but the supporters are beginning to want ambition.
Having had a memorable Europa League run in the early 2010s, Fulham fans may be dreaming of another taste of continental competition – and you can’t really blame them for wanting to shoot for the stars.
9 Leeds United
Delusion rating: 2.30%
Leeds United fans cheer on their team.
Leeds United last lifted the English top-flight title in 1992 and have only been crowned champions three times in their history. Yet, their fans often seem eager to pick fights with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United – clubs with vastly larger trophy hauls and global stature. There’s no denying Leeds boast a passionate and loyal fanbase, but when it comes to trading blows with England’s footballing giants, they’re often punching well above their weight.
The Lilywhites are a prime example of a club caught in a bit of an identity crisis – unsure of who their true rivals are. In the grand scheme of English football, they’re more a small fish in a big pond, but their supporters will insist they’re “massive.” Having just secured promotion back to the Premier League, they still have plenty to prove before they can truly claim a place among the elite once more.
8 Newcastle United
Delusion rating: 2.50%
newcastle league cup
Newcastle won their first piece of silverware in 70 years this season, but listening to the Geordie faithful, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was just another routine year at the top for Eddie Howe’s side. Much of that perception comes down to the club’s famously passionate and loyal fanbase.
Large, vocal fanbases often serve as a kind of illusion, making clubs seem bigger – or more successful – than their trophy cabinets suggest. And while Newcastle have long been admired for their attacking football and iconic atmosphere, their history is one of near-misses more than medals. In the 1990s, they were the Premier League’s perennial nearlymen – finishing second in the 1995/96 season and reaching two FA Cup finals without lifting the trophy. In truth, silverware has been scarce, but belief in the Magpies has never wavered, and it’s quite admirable in this case.
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7 Manchester City
Delusion rating: 4.22%
pep guardiola-1
From being thumped 8-1 by Middlesbrough in 2008 to winning everything under the sun just over a decade later under Pep Guardiola’s steady hand, Manchester City’s meteoric rise has – according to the study – gone straight to their supporters’ heads.
What was once a fairytale is now treated as a foregone conclusion. Trophies used to be a dream; now, they’re a demand. The entitlement runs so deep that City fans barely bother filling their end at Wembley these days – success, it seems, has made the thrill feel routine. In an era of dominance unlike anything English football has seen before, some supporters appear to have their heads in the clouds – and, at times, somewhere even less flattering.
When called out for a lack of atmosphere or empty seats, City fans are quick with excuses, too. A delusion rating of 4.22% reflects a fanbase whose expectations have sky-rocketed while their humility has quietly slipped away.
6 Everton
Delusion rating: 4.99%
Everton fans invade the pitch at Goodison Park
Regardless of how delusional they’re reported to be, one thing’s certain about Everton fans – they’ll back their beloved Toffees through the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. But in recent seasons, that unwavering loyalty has begun to blur the lines between support and expectation, perhaps giving rise to a growing sense of Premier League entitlement.
The Goodison Park faithful often speak of better days, sometimes a little too often. While relegation scraps have become the norm, many still believe Everton should be mixing it with the so-called ‘Big Six,’ despite the current squad falling well short of that standard. Still, there’s reason for cautious optimism. With the second coming of David Moyes, a fresh ownership, and a new stadium on the horizon, what may seem like delusional daydreaming could finally edge closer to reality. And if any fanbase deserves a turnaround in fortunes, it’s this one.
5 Liverpool
Delusion rating: 6.53%
Liverpool fans
Winning the Premier League this season would typically rule a fanbase out of any list of the most delusional. Yet Liverpool fans have been handed a delusion rating of 6.53% for this campaign – though it’s not entirely clear why. Those of the Anfield persuasion are known for an emotional bond with their club that few, if any, in the country can match. Their passion is rooted more in unwavering support than in spite toward rivals.
While some fanbases use success as a stick to beat others with, Liverpool fans have famously kept their focus inward, romanticising their history rather than weaponising it. That said, being the most decorated club in England comes with its own burden of expectation. Every draw feels like a disaster, every defeat a crisis. And perhaps controversies like the ongoing debate around the treatment of Trent Alexander-Arnold has contributed to the perception of delusion.
Liverpool fans
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4 Chelsea
Delusion rating: 6.72%
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly watching on from the Stamford Bridge stands
While delusion is often born from a fanbase’s own lofty self-belief, in Chelsea’s case, the owners may be the primary culprits behind the Stamford Bridge faithful developing a sense of divine right to success. Over the past five years, the club has splashed over a billion pounds in a bid to build a European superpower, with three of their recent transfer windows ranking among the most expensive in football history.
So, of course, fans in west London feel they should be challenging for silverware – after all, that’s the level of investment being made. And let’s not forget how frequently Chelsea were sweeping up the top honours under the previous regime. From Champions League triumphs to domestic dominance, winning became second nature. Now, with the spending dial turned up to eleven, expectations have followed suit – even if the performances haven’t quite kept pace.
3 Tottenham Hotspur
Delusion rating: 7.49%
tottenham james maddison
Tottenham have consistently finished in or around the top six for over a decade, reached a Champions League final in 2019, and have had world-class talents like Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, and briefly, under Ange Postecoglou, a new attacking identity. The infrastructure is also there – a world-class stadium, top training facilities, and strong revenues. So dreaming big isn’t completely out of touch.
But perhaps their delusion stems from the fact that large portions of their fanbase still believe they are deserving of their status as a ‘Big Six’ club, despite last winning a trophy in 2008 in the shape of a League Cup. Aston Villa and Newcastle have pitched good reasons as to why they are no longer deserving of that title, but Tottenham fans won’t want to admit it.
2 Manchester United
Delusion rating: 16.31%
ruben amorim manchester united
Every year, Manchester United spend big, talk bigger, and then come crashing back down to earth within weeks of the new season kicking off. Supporters are quick to remind everyone just how massive the club is – but the truth is, on the pitch, they’re simply not very good right now. Size doesn’t always equal success, and after suffering their worst season since the early 1970s, clinging to past glories feels more nostalgic than relevant.
These days, the only way the Old Trafford faithful seem to keep the good times alive is by singing songs of the past. You can’t really blame them – history is all they’ve got to cling to at times – but that retrospective pride often blurs into what outsiders perceive as delusion. That said, United fans aren’t the most deluded, not by a long shot. There’s still a yawning chasm between them and those at the very top of the delusion rankings.
1 Arsenal
Delusion rating: 24.76%
Arsenal fans
It’s hardly a shock that Arsenal top the list as the Premier League’s most deluded fanbase, is it? From blaming their lack of a league title on injuries over the past three seasons, to boldly claiming that their club’s floor is Liverpool’s ceiling – simply because the Reds won the league with fewer points than Arteta’s runners-up last season – they just don’t seem to have an off button when it comes to outlandish claims.
It doesn’t help when the manager himself says they’re the best team in Europe, only to be completely outclassed by PSG. Some of the things said online border on the bizarre. That said, it’s important to note that much of the noise comes from a vocal minority as many match-going fans have a far more grounded take and have grown tired of their counterparts.
Still, it’s a shame that anonymous social media accounts do so much to drag the Gunners’ name through the digital mud. For a club of such rich history and exciting potential, Arsenal deserve better than to be defined by their loudest (and most delusional) voices, including that of the much-maligned AFTV.
