Fan base at Portman Road makes it one of the fullest stadiums in the Premier League

So far, the 2024/25 Premier League season has delivered thrilling matches, reignited rivalries, and unforgettable moments on the pitch.

But behind the roaring crowds and intense atmospheres lies an often-overlooked question.

How full are the stadiums on match days?

A recent study conducted by BoyleSports delves into attendance figures, shedding light on the reality of Premier League crowds and uncovers which clubs are packing their grounds while others have seats to spare.

Freshly-promoted Ipswich Town’s return to the top flight has reinvigorated the fanbase showing that it fills 99.51 per cent of Portman Road’s 30,017 seats on average.

Premier League clubs often report sold-out matches, but the study reveals that actual attendance figures tell a different story.

Clubs may sell tickets for every seat, but no-shows, travel issues, and weekday matches can lead to visible gaps in the stands.

The team at BoyleSports examined match day attendances across all 20 clubs following game week 12, which culminated on Monday night as 52,094 fans saw West Ham United inflict a 2-0 defeat on Newcastle United at St James’ Park.

They compiled and cross-referenced data from Statista, Transfermarkt, and Football Web Pages before comparing reported figures against stadium capacities.

Their results highlight significant variation, with some clubs achieving near-perfect attendance rates and others struggling to fill their seats consistently, meaning the overall average occupancy of stadiums hovers at 98.26pc.

West Ham leads the league with an exceptional 99.95% average attendance at the London Stadium, barely missing a full house with an average of 62,468 spectators.

Newcastle United also impresses, with their St James’ Park nearly packed to capacity, reaching 99.74pc of their 52,338 seats.

Making up the top five average percentage attendances so far this season, traditional powerhouses Arsenal (99.36pc) and Liverpool (99.27pc) rank with their enduring popularity and the draw of their state-of-the-art stadiums.

In addition to these high performers, Brighton and Hove Albion and Bournemouth show impressive consistency, with the Amex Stadium filling 99.13pc of its seats and the Vitality Stadium at 99.10pc of its total capacity so far during the 2024/25 campaign.

These figures stand out given the relatively smaller size of their stadiums, indicating strong fan loyalty despite these clubs’ lower historical profiles compared to their bigger Premier League counterparts.

Interestingly, the Manchester clubs reveal contrasting stories.

Reigning champions Manchester City are often mocked for visible empty seats; however, on average, 98.89pc of their 53,400-capacity Etihad Stadium is full on matchdays.

Meanwhile, their neighbours, Manchester United, with the league’s largest stadium, Old Trafford, falls short and has been operating at 98.31pc of its capacity, seeing around 1,200 seats spare per game.

It is still considered a monumental achievement to bring 73,667 fans through the turnstiles on average.

However, the figures provide evidence of no-shows, which could be attributed to personal planning issues or their recent poor run of results, which marked the conclusion of Erik ten Hag’s tenure.

Moving down the table, Aston Villa’s Villa Park has a 97.62pc fill rate, and Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge, despite being one of the top clubs in the league, only achieves 96.86pc of its 40,853-seat capacity.

This disparity suggests that even for these clubs, stadium location, ticket prices, and matchday logistics can impact attendance figures.

Similarly, Crystal Palace and Southampton show relatively lower rates of 96.53pc and 96.23pc, respectively, with attendance fluctuating depending on factors such as form and alternative conditions.

Perhaps somewhat of an anomaly due to the redevelopment of the Riverside Stand at Craven Cottage, Fulham occupy the bottom place of the rankings with 93.46pc.

Although there has yet to be an official reported figure of optimal capacity at Craven Cottage currently, calculations suggest that 27,840 seats have been available to be used as of now.

Ticket prices for the Cottagers’ home games have also been scrutinised by their supporters and the wider footballing community on social media; frustrations have been voiced online.

It is expected from December that the historic ground will be able to host 29,600 fans once work is fully completed, and there are fees of £150-160 for seats in their new Riverside Stand area appearing on the official club website for the upcoming Premier League clash against Arsenal on December 8.

Clubs at the top of the table continue to see packed stands, but even the biggest names can struggle to fill every seat.

For many clubs, the key to increasing attendance lies in better fan engagement, more accessible pricing strategies, and ensuring that the matchday experience is as compelling as the action on the pitch.