Atmosphere is something that always strikes debates amongst EFL supporters, with chants of “football in a library” and “we forgot that you were here” regularly being heard from the stands, but which teams have the worst home atmosphere? We asked AI to give their opinion, seen as its supposedly “The future”.
10 – Broadfield Stadium – Crawley Town
Kicking things off with Crawley Town, their home The Broadfield Stadium supposedly has the 10th worst home atmosphere in the EFL. The Red Devils average home attendance fluctuates around the 4,000 mark season upon season, with a recent spike thanks to their promotion to League One.
Despite having a drum behind their goal on the home terrace, fans stated that the atmosphere only picks up when a goal went in or there was a solid goal opportunity, whilst being subdued throughout a majority of the game.
The AI stated the stadium has a more non-league feel, as the stands are simple, with terraces preserved, but there’s little to do around it due to its isolated location.
9 – Pirelli Stadium – Burton
Burton’s Pirelli Stadium remains one of the smaller grounds in League One, with a capacity of just under 7,000, with an average home attendance of around 4,500, leaving large gaps of seats or area of the terraces empty.
Away fans frequently describe the home crowd as “very very quiet,” with minimal chanting unless something significant happens. Built with three terraces and a single but incredibly cramped) seated stand, the stadium doesn’t feel particularly suitable for League One and its views from the terraces can be poor, with the grey concrete wall backdrop not particularly inspiring supporters to make some noise.
Furthermore, one supporter on reddit stated that the supporters lean on the older side, with not many younger supporters being up for creating a decent amount of noise.
8 – Highbury Stadium – Fleetwood
One of the EFL’s lowest average attendances, most likely due to its smaller town location is Fleetwood Town, and the AI believes they produce the 8th quietest atmosphere in the EFL.
The Highbury Stadium design feels more akin to non-league grounds ,with cramped terraces and plenty of restricted views, Behind-the-goal terraces are on the smaller side. The lack the space needed for a unified fan presence, making it hard to generate noise across the stadium.
One visitor to the Higbury stated: “The Warwick Road End (main singing area) buzzes occasionally, but the rest of the stadium is packed with older fans and families who rarely chant or stand for 90 minutes” who visited during his attempt to complete the 92.
7 – New York Stadium – Rotherham
One of the bigger stadiums on this list, Rotherham United’s New York Stadium finds itself at Number 7, with the AI believing the main cause for its lower ranking is due to their stadium lacking character and “looking like a Lego stadium” due to its prefabricated character.
The stadium has not got a designated “atmosphere section” where vocal fans can gather, a legacy of the old Tivoli End at Millmoor, with even former manager Paul Warne acknowledged the issue, saying: “We’ve struggled with the atmosphere… it hasn’t been as loud as I’d like” during his spell in charge of The Millers.
At the old Millmoor stadium, the crowd created a rowdy atmosphere often described as “scary on a midweek evening.” , but the New York simply hasn’t matched that intensity since opening, and it seems unlikely to improve anytime soon.
6 – Madejski Stadium – Reading
Built in 1998, the stadium is functional and clean but lacks any particular character, and visiting fans often describe it as “soulless” despite the reasonable views from the away end, with the exterior feeling particularly bland reinforcing the modern stadium vibe, lacking in soul.
The Reading fanbase feels slightly older and more family-oriented, making standing, chanting, or sustaining energy unlikely according to one supporter on reddit, claiming this is due to the all-seater format removes natural standing terraces, often considered key for creating a quality atmosphere.
5 – Envirovent Stadium – Harrogate Town
As Harrogate are the side with the smallest capacity in the EFL, this ranking will come as no surprise for most supporters, coming in at fifth spot. Attendances are typically around 2,500, leaving the atmosphere feeling thin and lifeless on a regular basis.
Additionally, the ground comprises several disconnected terraces and seating blocks, making supporters slightly more scattered rather than consolidated to one area.
Due to it’s rather fancy upper-class orientated location the crowd is often older and more family-centric, lovely for a family day out, but unlikely to spark up much of a fiery atmosphere.
4 – Priestfield Stadium – Gillingham
Despite their above average attendance for League Two level, Gillingham find themselves on this list in the fourth spot. Most chanting originates from the Rainham End behind one goal, but that’s a small section and sound doesn’t bounce well across the stadium, especially with scaffolding surrounding the stadium in particular in the away end), further dampening Priestfield’s acoustics.
Although Priestfield’s has a capacity of over 11,000, matchday turnouts average around 6,000 or below, and away fans often comment the stadium feels half-empty, creating ambient slumber rather than a decent atmosphere. Additionally, Gillingham supporters state that a majority of their fanbase is slightly on the older side, without much enthusiasm to create an atmosphere.
3 – Ewood Park – Blackburn
Former Premier League champions Blackburn Rovers find themselves in the unfortunate spot of the AI’s supposed “third worst home atmosphere in the EFL”. With a capacity of 31,367, Ewood Park is one of the larger Championship stadiums, but it’s rarely filled, averaging around 16,000 per game, only filling just over fifty percent of seats.
Quite often in recent seasons, away fans have ended up being louder than the home support, carrying games vocally while home fans stay silent due to their above average away allocations handed out. Furthermore, the Venky’s takeover has left many supporters feeling disillusioned towards the club, as fan groups like BRFC Action Group have called for boycotts to encourage pressure ownership change.
2- Peninsula Stadium – Salford
With the second lowest average attendance in the EFL, Salford supporters wouldn’t be surprised to find themselves on this list. With only a 5,100 capacity, the stadium is small, but the problem is that many matches draw just between 2,500–3,000 fans, leaving empty gaps throughout. Although it has been redeveloped, reviews describe it as “soulless” and “a non-league ground with no quirks”, lacking basic stadium amenities.
Being a relitavely new club, their appeal is limited with local Manchester based clubs drawing in younger fans, and a majority of their current fanbase remains mostly families on an afternoon out, lacking the hardcore supporter element most clubs have, due to their limited history, spending most of their time in the depths of non-league before the Class of 92 takeover.
1– Stadium MK – MK Dons
This one won’t come as a surprise to many, as MK are renowned for having a stadium way too big for the club, as well as their controversial relocation in 2003. Averaging around 7,000 home fans playing at a 30,000+ seater stadium, the atmosphere was always going to be a struggle to develop, with the high roof amplifying the emptiness, turning the ground into one big “fishbowl” effect, where atmosphere is swallowed.
Multiple reviews describe it as “soulless,” “plastic,” and like a “theatre” rather than a football ground, with padded seats lacking many authentic football stadium characteristics. Furthermore, many home fans are day-trippers with limited connection to the club’s controversial origins after relocating from Wimbledon.
