You might have recently seen us attempt to rank the 19 Premier League grounds to visit from a Liverpool perspective, but now we’re flipping it on its head…
Roughly 3,000 visiting supporters take up their place in the bottom corner of the Anfield Road End every other week in the Premier League, but some are noisier (and sounder) than others.
Factoring in general volume, chant creativity and class, here’s our guide to the best and worst away fans the top flight has to offer…
19. Fulham
Having topped the charts in our away grounds guide, it is a hero to zero story for the Lilywhites.
I quite enjoy that they appear to have leaned into their reputation as upper-class train snack enjoyers, but when the whistle goes, they might as well not be there.
18. Burnley
I haven’t got much for this one, sorry! Very football league, very on brand.
Their fans had a go when they gave us a little scare in February, but it’s never been a fixture that feels you with much dread.
17. Chelsea
They’ve got more songs about Steven Gerrard than we have which, given the success they’ve enjoyed since 2005, smacks of insecurity.
Of the traditional ‘big six’ clubs, they’ve definitely got the least about them as far as travelling support is concerned.
16. Bournemouth
The novelty of their almighty climb up the English football pyramid appears to have worn off as they have been pretty tame upon recent jaunts to L4.
There is plenty to like about Bournemouth and their fans have always been gracious towards us, but aside from their Dominic Solanke chant of a few years ago, I’m not sure I could name you a Bournemouth song.
15. Tottenham
They’ve been present at two of the biggest days of our lives and, judging by how long they stayed behind when we won the league, they didn’t seem to mind!
A couple of decent songs and relatively inoffensive, this seems a fair enough place to put them.
14. Wolves
They get very noisy and angry if a VAR decision goes against them because they’re convinced it was designed to ruin their lives.
They do have a few catchy tunes, and then there’s the ones they’ve not copied from us.
13. Arsenal
Speaking of pinching songs!
Real-life Arsenal fans should by no means be tarred with the same brush as those you encounter online, but their sub-par Anfield record across the last decade seems to have left a few scars.
For all his flaws, Mikel Arteta has raised the bar at the Emirates somewhat. Whether that translates on the road with some proper silverware remains to be seen. We might never find out, at this rate!
12. West Ham
Certainly not as good or as important as they seem to think they are, but also one of the capital’s louder sets of fans, in fairness.
Judging by their team over the first couple of weeks of the season, though, we might get a little break from them after this season!
11. Man City
While their home support lends itself to jibes and stadium nicknames like ‘The Emptihad’, the core group of matchgoing Man City supporters appear to have survived the Sheikh Mansour revolution and all its ill-fated cultural trimmings.
They are by no means the nicest bunch, but they do know how to make themselves heard, more than making up the numbers at some of the Premier League‘s greatest-ever clashes.
You won’t catch me doing the Poznan nonsense at Oasis later this month, though.
10. Sunderland
It has been far too long since the Mackems have rocked up to the Anfield Road End and, if I’m honest, I’ve had to dig deep into the memory bank in order to afford them a fair rating.
It will be no picnic when they arrive in December, but for me, they have always been slightly dwarfed by their northeast neighbours.
They won’t like to hear that, don’t grass me up!
9. Aston Villa
On their day, Aston Villa fans are among the best in the division.
For whatever reason, it has been a little more hit and miss in recent years. Still, the evidence has been sufficient to land them a top half place on this occasion.
8. Brentford
Unacquainted observers might reasonably assume singing about your own team comes as a prerequisite, but the Brentford faithful are a breath of fresh air in that regard.
Still basking in the glory of jumping two divisions in less than a decade and locking down a stable top-flight slot, the Bees are among the most likeable supporters in the league.
7. Everton
It is difficult to compare those turning up for a derby to those attending on more ‘normal’ occasions, though the pre-determined misery often inflicted upon them at Anfield isn’t particularly conducive to showing defiance across the park.
That grown adults still turn their backs towards YNWA is in fact really funny, but the 3,000 that made the short trip prior to the Bramley Moore move certainly haven’t left quite the same footprint on proceedings that tended to hamper us at the Old Lady.
6. Nottingham Forest
One of the loudest sets of away fans in the league, sometimes let down by chants that ought to be beneath them.
The banner condemning tragedy chanting presented at our home meeting in 2023 was certainly a welcome step in the right direction.
5. Man United
It pains me to do this, but it is hard to deny that our Mancunian neighbours travel better than most.
While the fun continues to be drained by Jim Ratcliffe (and long may that continue, by the way), Man United supporters continue to show up and make themselves known – certainly more than the players, anyway!
They remained in the ground during that famous 7-0 whooping a lot longer than I would have done in their shoes.
It might be a while before we see them this high up an actual table, so I suppose we should give them something!
4. Newcastle
They have become a bit annoying and picked up ideas above their station since coming into wealth, but this is unquestionably one of the most passionate fanbases in the entire country.
It would appear being topless or sporting an official club jersey are the only two acceptable methods of meeting the dress code, but the noise certainly offsets some of the weirdness.
3. Brighton
It is difficult to find much to dislike about Brighton.
Their fans are great. They have built a top-flight team about as organically as the 21st century will permit and, I’ll say it again, they sing about their own team. Plus points for that, always.
2. Leeds
Not especially pleasant, but Leeds fans will always bring the noise and their showing during the 6-0 thrashing in 2022 has always stuck with me.
Like them or loathe them, Leeds are a club that belong in the Premier League and it will be an occasion, one way or another, when we welcome them back to Anfield over Christmas.
1. Crystal Palace
If Liverpool ceased to exist and I had to pick another Premier League team to care about, I think I’d go with Crystal Palace.
A really good bunch. No club deserved the day they had at Wembley in May more than they did and they bring the pugnacious, vibrant energy from Selhurst Park every time they come.
I’ll say it one more time, they sing about their own team and that goes a long way in this day and age. You won’t hear any of the usual nonsense from them, proper football club.
Adam’s new book, ‘Jurgen Klopp – Power Of The Collective – The Rebirth Of Liverpool‘, is available to purchase now.