With the Manchester derby this weekend, we take a look at five of England’s best stadiums for atmosphere – find out whether your club’s footballing haven features below…
Elland Road
Leeds United aren’t quite the dominant force that they were during the 1970s but Elland Road remains home to one of the most passionate fanbases in English football – especially when they face Huddersfield Town or Sheffield Wednesday.
On their day, the Elland Road faithful are capable of striking fear into Leeds’ opponents and the Whites may be set for a return to the top flight in the near future. And with such an electric atmosphere across the city, the Premier League is exactly where Leeds should be.
Stadium of Light
Sunderland vs Newcastle is always one of the highlights of the Premier League season but unfortunately, fans won’t be able to watch the Tyne-Weir derby this year after the Magpies were relegated to the Championship in May.
The Black Cats’ biggest derby game is now against Middlesbrough and Sunderland will be looking to get revenge for August’s 2-1 home defeat when they travel to the Riverside Stadium later this season. As of September 9th, Sunderland are 2/1 to suffer relegation in Premier League betting markets and David Moyes will be looking to guide the Black Cats up the table in the coming months.
The Den
Is there a more aggressive and hostile stadium in the Football League? You’d be hard pressed to find a tougher place to go on an away trip – and that is being kind.
Millwall developed a reputation for their no-nonsense supporters during the late 1980s and they have kept that image and character in the modern era. Nowadays, they are languishing in League One but promotion could be on the cards this season; and the Championship will be fearful of a hostile trip to The Den in the not-so-distant future.
Old Trafford
On ‘derby day’, this 76,000 seat arena is electric and Manchester United tend to raise their game for the big matches at home due to the incredible atmosphere on the terraces.
The Red Devils have struggled against their ‘noisy neighbours’ Manchester City in recent times and that 6-1 defeat back in 2011 still haunts United supporters to this day. However, Jose Mourinho will have his troops prepared this weekend and the home fans will go home happy if the Portuguese can inspire his side to victory.
Anfield
The Merseyside derby is widely regarded as the “friendly derby” but all of the pre-match festivities are forgotten as soon as the referee’s whistle blows.
When Liverpool are firing on all cylinders, Anfield is a cauldron of noise and The Kop is one of the most famous stands in the world. And the uproar is set to go up a notch here in the coming months; 8,500 seats were recently added to the Main Stand and over 54,000 Scousers will now pack into this traditional ground to cheer Liverpool on every week.
