A countrywide survey of 2,708 football fans found that the
Merseyside club, currently the league leaders, are also the best
watched team on TV.
Research by sports website www.wheresthematch.com found
that success has a direct correlation to support bases, with 14.3
per cent of fans pledging their allegiance to 18 times title
winners Liverpool.
Manchester United, who have won 10 Premier League titles since
the league's inception in 1992, came second in the poll, with 11.8
per cent.
The research also found that while more than one third said they
support their team chosen based on past success, more than one
fifth supported their team because "they are the most local
Premiership team to me".
Nineteen per cent said they were introduced to them at a young
age, one in ten said "all my friends support them" and six per cent
admitted to being attracted to one or more of the players.
Despite Chelsea's recent domestic success, which has seen them
win two Premier League trophies in the last five years, their fan
base remains comparatively small, as they came only ninth in the
list of best supported clubs.
But more than one third of football fans said 'Chelsea', when
asked "Which team do you most dislike in the Barclays
Premiership?"
European Cup holders Manchester United came second, with 29 per
cent.
Here is the top 10 most supported clubs (in percentage)
1. Liverpool – 14.3
2. Manchester United – 11.8
3. Tottenham Hotspur – 9.7
4. Arsenal – 9.6
5. Newcastle United – 5.8
6. Manchester City – 5.3
7. West Ham United – 4.9
8. Aston Villa – 4.4
9. Chelsea FC – 3.6
10. Everton FC – 3.1
