Fan power in Premiership football

Premier League / Mike Norman / 30 December 2007 / Leave a Comment

"Mystical" Mike Norman considers the effect the crowd can have in football at such places as Craven Cottage and St James Park

A few years ago I visited some family who live up in Falkirk. My cousin is a mad fan of the town's football team and I assumed we would be going to a game during my stay. We never went to watch Falkirk - instead we travelled the 25 miles or so to Glasgow City to catch a game between Celtic and Hearts. The simple reason was because my cousin wanted me to sample the atmosphere generated by 60,000 passionate fans. Celtic won the game 3-0, with the noise from the fans deafening throughout.

It is widely accepted in football that a noisy, energetic, (and loyal) home crowd can play a massive part in determining the outcome of a game, with them often being referred to as 'the twelfth man'. But it's also plausible to say that where a passionate home crowd can have a massive impact when things are going well, they can have a negative impact when things turn sour. A perfect example being Newcastle United's 'Toon Army'.

The Geordie fans are regarded as being amongst the most boisterous and passionate fans in the country - and rightly so. What is impressive is that the 55,000 fans are up for the game before it even begins; cheering, singing, and offering huge encouragement to the home team. But it doesn't take them long to turn on the team if, like the home defeat to Portsmouth, things don't start too well. The crowd will vent their fury at whomever they see fit to blame, and this can usually have a detrimental affect on the performance of the team.

Newcastle's first home game of 2008 is against Manchester City, a team that doesn't pick up many points on the road. The Geordie fans will be baying for Sam Allardyce's head if they don't win this one. Match odds: Newcastle [2.3], Man City [3.35], The Draw [3.45].

The situation at St James Park is in stark contrast to somewhere like Craven Cottage, with the Fulham fans not being renowned for offering the best vocal support to their team. The Fulham players might not enjoy this and they might feel they are not getting the support they need, but on the other hand, as Betfair's 'Pacman' will vouch for, the crowd rarely get on the players backs when they are not playing well. Is this situation more or less advantageous than that at Newcastle? I don't know, you tell me!

Fulham take on their arch-rivals Chelsea on New Years Day, with veteran manager Roy Hodgson taking charge for the first time. Even a normally quiet home crowd should be up for this one and I can see the home team taking something from the game, with Chelsea being much depleted at the moment. Match odds: Fulham [7.6], Chelsea [1.58], The Draw [4.2].

There are many different types of football crowds, and not surprisingly, geography does play a huge part. A lot of the London crowds, Arsenal's and Chelsea's included, appear quiet to start off with and need their team to play well before breaking into song or applause. But up North it's quite the opposite. Fans arrive at games with huge anticipation and are often singing and chanting from a very early stage. But as mentioned earlier, if the home team starts poorly, the fans soon go silent.

Then there are referees. It should never happen, but we all know that a referee can be influenced by a screaming home crowd. I believe Manchester United have conceded just one penalty at home in the last decade or so - what does that say? You will also find that a referee will give 50/50 decisions in favour of the home team if the crowd is at full voice.

And finally, you have the fickle fans! I class myself as a 'passionate' fickle fan. When Boro lose I feel like starting a petition to get the manager sacked - but when we win I see us going on an unbeaten run of 20 games. West Ham are amongst the most fickle in the country. Just the other day they were booing the team after a home draw against Reading. Now they are in dreamland after beating Manchester United. But sadly, I do understand where they are coming from!

I would just like to wish you all a very Happy New Year, and point you in the direction of some excellent betting markets that Betfair offer. Here are just five, and some suggestions;

1. Premiership Winner - Arsenal [3.3]
2. Relegation - Wigan [2.26]
3. Top 6 Finish - Tottenham [4.2]
4. UEFA Cup Winner - Everton [13]
5. Champions League Winning Nation - England [2.56]