Britain's Most Loyal Fans

Every football club will claim to have the best supporters in the World. But who are the fans who have stuck with their club through the high points and also the low points of their history? This article explores which clubs are contenders for the best fans in British football.

 

1. Rangers

 

If there is one group of fans who know about suffering for many years after being used to regular success, it is Rangers Football Club. In 2012 Rangers were plunged into administration before the company were subsequently liquidated that same year after being unable to pay its debts.

As soon as Rangers were placed into administration, the fans immediately got behind the club and sold out every remaining home match before the end of the season. This included an exhibition match featuring Rangers Legends who faced AC Milan. The AC Milan captain stated his amazement at the backing that Rangers received and confessed that he did not believe the Milan fans would back their club in the same way the Rangers fans had.

Rangers fans have continued to fill Ibrox regardless of how bad the situation at the club has been

 

Rangers were forced to play in the bottom tier of Scottish football although they were expected to return to the top flight with ease and to win successive championships each year until they made it back to Scottish football’s top flight. The Rangers fans set new records for season ticket sales in the lower divisions, selling 38,000 season tickets for their season in the third division. This level of backing has continued as they have battled their way back into the top flight. Rangers fans have had to put up with a board takeover in 2015, an extra year in the Championship, and some terrible football on the pitch, including several humiliating results to very average sides most notably a 4-0 defeat to Hibernian and a 6-1 aggregate defeat to Motherwell in the promotion playoffs. The Rangers supporters still turn out and although they may be back in the premiership they still suffer the humiliation of being so far behind Celtic and a third place finish this season. They recently suffered further humiliation against Celtic, being beaten 5-1 at Ibrox, their worst ever home defeat to Celtic and arguably the worst result in the club’s history. Still the fans can be counted on to support the team.


2. Hearts


Hearts are another club close to home and another club that were left in financial turmoil by former owner; Vladimir Romanov. In 2013 they were placed into administration, shortly after the 2012/2013 league season.

Nobody really ever understood Romanov when he was in charge at Hearts, which started in 2004 after bids to take over Dundee United, Dunfermline and Dundee had all been rejected. He had been at the centre of a number of bizarre incidents, including most notably the sacking of George Burley, who had guided the club to the top of the table with fantastic results from their first 10 matches of the 2005/2006 season. He proceeded to appoint 10 managers over the next 5 or so years. He also had over 80 players on the wage bill at one point and promised to build one of the greatest stadiums in Europe for Hearts. The general conclusion seemed to be that whoever disagreed with Romanov was removed from the club.

Tynecastle regularly sells out despite Heart's troubles and a poor second half od the season under Ian Cathro

Hearts entered administration and Romanov left the club and they narrowly avoided liquidation in 2013. Hearts were forced to start the next season with a 15 point deduction, and never moved off the bottom spot throughout the course of the season, and were therefore relegated to the Scottish Championship.

Similarly to Rangers, the Hearts fans knew they had to do their bit, and got behind their club and supported the new regime headed by chief executive, Ann Budge, director of football, Craig Levein and manager Robbie Neilson, selling out Tynecastle for virtually every home match of the season. This spurred Hearts to an impressive points tally of 91, miles ahead of both Rangers and Edinburgh rivals Hibernian. Hearts became a top 6 club once again in their first season back in the Premiership, with a third place finish behind Aberdeen. The football on the pitch has however taken a turn for the worst this season, with the departure of Robbie Neilson and arrival of untested coach, Ian Cathro from Newcastle. The club have slipped to fifth place this season.

The fans still sell out Tynecastle every week, which has led to the confirmation of construction of a new main stand to be built, taking the stadium’s capacity to over 20,000. Many describe the Championship as ‘the best thing that ever happened to Hearts,’ as it seems to have revitalised everyone at the club and they are now in a much better position financially.


3. Newcastle United


Newcastle United are regarded as one of the biggest clubs in England, but somehow never seem to live up to that billing and always do things the hard way. Newcastle were relegated from the Premier League, finishing 1 point from safety in the 2008/2009 Premier League season before Chris Hughton took the reigns from caretaker manager Alan Shearer and guided the club to the Championship title, with an incredible points tally of 102, 11 points ahead of 2^nd placed West Bromwich Albion.

Hughton started the 2010/2011 Premier League well, sitting in 9^th place by the end of October. In December, Hughton lost his job as manager, met by uproar by players, supporters, and pundits alike. Alan Pardrew was appointed as their new manager, not a popular choice among many supporters.

 

2 relegations no league title for 90 years still the Newcastle fans turn out to support their team

 

Newcastle would go on to finish in 12^th place that season. The next season Newcastle would reach the Europa League quarter finals and beat Manchester United away from home for the first time in 41 years.

However, that season was the only in recent times that Newcastle have lived up to their billing and from that season onwards Newcastle have collapsed, with under pressure manager Alan Pardrew moving to Crystal Palace and being replaced by Alan McLaren, who couldn’t stop the rot at Newcastle. With the club in the relegation zone for virtually all of the campaign Rafa Benitez was charged with turning around the fortunes of the club but even he couldn’t save Newcastle who were relegated into the Championship last season.

The Newcastle supporters have continued to support their club no matter what circumstances and continue to sell out every home fixture, despite having to suffer another season in the Championship. In fact, the reason Benitez chose to stay at Newcastle was because he felt the passion from the supporters. They continued to turn out last season, watching woeful football and stuck by Alan Pardrew when he struggled to find results. They have also struggled to trust a less than convincing board, headed by Mike Ashley. They just keep supporting their club and will continue to do so in the Premier League next season as they have secured promotion back into the Premier League with Rafa Benitez at the first time of asking.

 

 

4. Tartan Army

 

The Tartan Army never give up, simple as that. They have had to put up with the same old story of failure which has been repeated in exactly the same way in qualifying campaigns for major tournaments since 1998 and when they have achieved qualification they have under achieved never making it past the group stages in any International tournaments.

Scotland actually made it to five World Cups in a row between 1974 and 1990, a better statistic than a number of Europe’s best sides. They also reached the European Championships in 1992, 1996 and the World Cup in France in 1998.

Scotland however failed to impress at these tournaments. Perhaps they were not helped by difficult draws for a large number of these tournaments, but Scotland had players who were more than capable of getting past the group stages. They often failed at the last hurdle, their most notable defeats being a 1-0 defeat to Costa Rica in their first match for the 1990 World Cup which effectively cost them qualification to the next round and a 3-0 defeat to Morocco at the 1998 World Cup. They often left the Tartan Army in heartbreak, losing out on qualification regularly on goal difference.

Things have only gone from bad to worse for the Scots. They have not qualified for a major tournament since that 1998 World Cup, and are set to fail to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, despite receiving a reasonably favourable group. This is particularly disappointing for Scottish fans as the Scottish players which have played over the last 20 years were more than capable of reaching multiple major tournaments but just seem to be doomed to fail.

 

Scotland have not qualified for a major International Tournament since 1998

 

Despite the seemingly never-ending pain, the Scottish fans still turn out in numbers, regularly filling Hampden Park and travelling in even more impressive numbers, always selling out their away allocation at other grounds. Scotland currently sit in 3^rd, and face a crucial World Cup Qualifier against rivals England at Hampden Park in June, and it is heading for a sell-out.

 

 

by Luke Randall