Soccer is one of the most popular sports around the world, if not themost popular. The passion of the game just entices fans to the point where they care passionately about their chosen team. We’re filled with joy when they win, we’re full of sadness when they lose and certainly full of anger when the referee makes an error against us! If we’re talking soccer, than there is no greater place to look at then the United Kingdom! The U.K. (England specifically) is home to one of the most popular divisions in world football- The Premier League. British fans are certainly some of the most passionate fans in the world; it seems as though every city has clubs with huge followings! So now the time has come; find out about some of the most interesting soccer-mad cities in the U.K., some on this list might surprise you.
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Manchester, England
Does this one come as a surprise? Not really. Manchester is home to two of the largest clubs in England; Manchester United and Manchester City. Manchester United is certainly the more decorated of the two, holding the record as the most successful club in English soccer, having won a record 20 league titles, 12 FA Cups, 5 league cups and 21 Community Shields. They have also won the Champions League on three occasions (the most recent being in 2008) as well as a UEFA Europa League trophy in 2017. The other side of Manchester consists of United’s “noisy neighbors”, Manchester City. There was little to shout about for Manchester City prior to a mega-money takeover in 2008 which saw the side transform into instant title-contenders. Subsequently, City have been a dominant force in the league for years, even edging United as the best club in in Manchester in recent times. Home to two of the fiercest clubs in the league, Manchester has a city divided with fans for each, though it must be said that it would seem United still have the greater support of the two… Old Trafford (United) and the Eithad (City) are both pretty nice stadia though.
Liverpool, England
Liverpool! The home of the Beatles, a port-city which is certainly worth a visit for reasons other than soccer! Nevertheless, it is also a mighty soccer city too. Liverpool is home to two Premier League main-stays, Liverpool Football Club and Everton Football Club. Liverpool are perhaps the bigger of the two, having won 19 league titles in the past, with their most recent coming in the Premier League in 2020. Liverpool have a ruthless attacking trio of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino and the three even led them to Champions League success in 2019. Everton on the other hand are a decent side, but have had considerably less success than their neighbors. Their most recent title came in 1987, while their most recent trophy was the FA cup in 1995. Things looked on the up for Everton last year with elite manager Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, but he subsequently departed in order to return to Real Madrid. Everton look a little lost at the minute, but it doesn’t stop Liverpool vs Everton being one of the most anticipated fixtures of the season!
Glasgow, Scotland
Here we travel a little bit more north to the Scottish Premiership. There are two heavyweights in Scottish soccer, that you often see compete in European competition- Rangers and Celtic. Both of these sides are based in Glasgow too! You can imagine this instigates quite an intense rivalry between fans of these clubs. It would be fair to think that Celtic are the more successful of the two, when in fact Rangers have actually won more trophies overall! Rangers sit in first on 116, while Celtic lag just behind on 112. Rangers have 55 league titles, whereas Celtic have 51, but Celtic have certainly been more successful in recent years and even won a European cup in 1967. If you’re looking for interesting culture (foods like haggis aren’t your normal everyday foods) but also want to experience some passionate soccer rivalries, Glasgow is the place to visit for sure.
Naturally there are other soccer cities that we have neglected to mention, like London which is home to massive clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham; but wouldn’t it surprise you to know that the capital city doesn’t even make the top 3 here? Crazy.
