Debate sparked after video criticising atmosphere inside English football stadiums emerges

A debate has been sparked after video a criticising atmosphere inside English football stadiums emerges on social media.

In the 1 minute 25 second clip, English football fans were criticised for lacking atmosphere compared to European counterparts.

Club efforts like tifos and flags were deemed soulless, contrasting the vibrant scenes in Marseille, Istanbul, and Warsaw.

It was also blamed on high ticket prices, commercialisation pricing out real fans, and phone-filming crowds, urging English fans to drop certain chants and improve on showing passion.

Why are English football fans so s**t? 🏟💩👀 pic.twitter.com/yjRZFME2TN

— 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 (@thecasualultra) September 4, 2025

The Casual Ultra Twitter account posted the clip onto social media, and in it, the following is said…

“Why are English football fans so shit compared to the rest of Europe?

“English fans love to talk about atmosphere, but let’s be real, this season’s European competitions have exposed just how poor the quality of English support has become.

“Legia Warsaw brought only 700 fans to Stamford Bridge and they drowned out 30,000 Chelsea fans for 90 minutes.

“Same story at the Emirates, PSG away and dominated the sound. Arsenal’s crowd, silent, again.

“Then there’s the club organised Tifos, plastic flags at Villa Park, cringe banners at the Emirates, manufactured soulless.

“Compare that to what you see in Marseille, in Istanbul, in Warsaw, it’s night and day.

“So what’s gone wrong? Is it the ticket prices? The commercialisation of the game? Real fans priced out while half of the lower tiers filming on their phone?

“Or maybe, just maybe, English fans have been coasting off their reputation because the fact is, mainland Europe is levels above when it comes to atmosphere, passion and actual support.

“If 700 Polish fans can embarrass 30,000 in London, maybe it’s time to stop chanting about history and actually start showing up.”

As mentioned, a debate was sparked after a video criticising the atmosphere inside English football stadiums emerges…

@smit112: Not wrong. Tourism, and the working class being priced out of buying tickets

@FEN190:They need ultras & the Ticket price are extreme high..The european away Performances are Sometimes good.I find that Aston Villa & Leeds have good Supporters.It should be like the new Union Berlin Stadium (only 20-30% sitting places)

@BillyJardine7: Ultras culture outside of Italy is just cringey. It’s performative nonsense and totally ruins the crowd reaction when a goal goes in – the limbs are far superior in England, even at lesser supported clubs.

@Millwall__Brick: Totally misses the point about English football culture. Ultras are a continental thing – forget those whoppers at Selhurst Park. Ours is a working class game, and theatre kids dressing up and coordinating choir practice just isn’t what we do. We were never famous for it. Travelling en masse in normal clothing and fighting is our thing.

@PlankrtRich: Not all English clubs #cpfc

@AJH85_:– No ultras for constant noise– Too popular with tourists– Games are even quieter when playing against a much smaller club, as fans will be expecting to win so are not as up for the game Etc

@iloveidpol: Decades of over policing, Working class fans priced out. Tourists and internationsl fans now making up huge % of crowd

@UK_GMO: Sadly because the English Premier League ‘product’ has got so popular on the pitch and no 50+1 rule like in Germany the traditional working class fans of the 80s/90s/early 00s have been forced out due to policing measures, high ticket prices as clubs prefer tourists in stadiums 🥲

@UK_GMO: In the 70s and 80s The English were seen as the best around by most other European countries and most in Europe copied the English style and culture. Now it’s almost the other way around! Obviously can’t ignore the reasons why the English game has been sanitised so much.

@CallumJamesQPR: If you’re exclusively looking at the big 6 teams yes your right – support in the lower tiers especially non-league is unmatched globally.

@steveparker1978: All seater stadiums (fans ejected/banned for persistent standing), high ticket costs, too many games, over policing, too many restrictions in the grounds (you need a fire safety certificate for a flag from level 5 & above), kick off times moved at short notice, expensive travel

@_joeb0501: Will never understand this opinion. The atmosphere in England tends to mirror what’s happening on the pitch which creates highs and lows and adds to the game. “Ultras” in Europe could produce the same atmosphere if there was no game going on. It’s just a pre rehearsed performance

@john606sc: You use Chelsea & Arsenal to represent English football supporters!! 😂😂😂😂 Chelsea are a team supported by “new” tourist supporters! They only had about 10k of real supporters before the Russian turned up. Arsenal have always been poor, even in the Highbury library!!

@BigChadTrumpUSA: I’m going to guess it’s things like; policing, banning of alcohol, forcing fans to sit when they want to stand, lack of pyros, high prices, the killing of pub culture, tourists, lack of local players and indigenous British identity in the teams to relate, phones

@groundhopper_fc: The honest answer from my POV is just: they don’t really care ( in a positive way) they enjoy it the way it is, don’t take it all too serious. Whereas in Europe it’s a way of life and pride..

@GI_Joes_Dad: Working class passion priced out. Clubs aiming for corporates and tourists on a day out. English football become boring too defensive. Our crowds react to hard tackles. Attacking football getting you off ya seat. Not an organised cock fest like Europe.

@Alexbrett9:St James’ nothing compares!!Selhurst parks a good atmosphereAnd Portsmouth has always been lively when I’ve been#NUFC #CPFC

@samprior1882: If you are judge English football fans by the standard of supporters from top 6 sides you are way off it. English fans are the best in the world without doubt. Just look at the football league and numbers in the lower tiers. Plus the numbers we get in tournaments for England

@JaseWheatley: This is so true. Going all over Europe for the past 2 seasons watching Villa has backed this argument right up. In Poland, France, Greece, there atmospheres were elite level. It’s all cameras and site seeing at home games in England.

We don’t do it like that at Palace. pic.twitter.com/JZg4sYLlJ3

— Degenda (@Doomsabre) September 5, 2025