22 Sep 2026 17:37:28
Just watched an interview with Arsene Wenger he made on a panel before the legendary come back at home against Barcelona. When asked about his thoughts on the game.
He said,
" they've not one the championship for 30 years [pre Klopp and Slot winning] but they do well in Europe - why?
Anfield!
Home game. This is the most heated stadium in Europe in a return game. That's the only place you don't want to go is to Anfield because of the atmosphere, everything is special there, you know. And so we will - I'm keen - to see what they do tonight."
The rest is history.
Question: why is Anfield not like this for Premiership games?
22 Sep 2026 18:29:37
It cannot be under slot and iraola. These may be good coaches but they dint have that aura that command and influence people.
22 Sep 2026 18:35:21
All I can say, being lucky enough to stand on the kop for that game, is we all knew we were going to go through an hour before kick off.
You could just sense it in the air. Anfield was electric that night. From the Bus Welcoming to the YNWA at the end.
22 Sep 2026 18:35:53
No doubts this will offend people but too many tourists. PL games they pay through the teeth. Trying to get a ticket for big CL games if you're not a regular is like gold dust
Utd have the same issue. No idea about Chelsea, City and Arsenal but I'd say possibly the same.
22 Sep 2026 18:50:34
I'd say there are multiple reasons -
• Evening vs afternoon KOs is a big one.
• Knock out vs League. There's something about it being decided on the night instead of in 'n months' time.
• Not your usual opponents - PL teams don't vary much whereas CL opponents do.
22 Sep 2026 18:59:12
There is something in that, JK. I turned a ticket down for that game. The person offering me his ticket didn't even want face value, he just wanted rid of it. Suffice to say I've regretted it ever since.
Dortmund, Chelsea, 2005 were also special, which I didn't turn down a ticket for. Not lucky enough to be at St Etienne, 1977, which I know some posters on here were.
Like I say, JK has a valid point. Night games also adds something to the atmosphere. PL games, the atmosphere mostly comes from the away support. Apart from the big games. It's been the same for decades.
22 Sep 2026 19:42:56
I managed to get to every CL home game that season. It takes a lot of time, money and effort for me to get up there so on the morning of the game I was in 2 minds. I was busy at work and we were 3-0 down against Barcelona so I really didn't think there was much chance of us going through.
My wife said yeah but what if you do? You'll never forgive yourself. So I made my way up there to the game and it's probably the best decision I've ever made.
I remember a mate in the pub had put a bet on us winning 5-1 and we all thought he was mental.
Then as the game got closer and we made our way to the ground you could sense something special was about to happen. You could literally feel it in the air.
Man, what a night that was. One of the best nights of my life.
22 Sep 2026 21:59:11
European nights at Anfield is in our DNA - the fans, banners, flags, history etc is just different - no point even trying to explain it - it just is.
It's some kind of beautiful concoction of pedigree, history, glory, triumph, resilience, passion, spirit, scousers and bevies all rolled up into something every club on the planet envies and is afraid of - the best place on the planet to be on such nights.
22 Sep 2026 22:09:27
Statto it because locals from merseyside can get tickets for champions league but not for Premier League games. We have people coming from around the world who add to our fantastic support who can get tickets through internet in their country.
23 Sep 2026 00:35:20
Totally agree with that JK23. And I think it is a huge issue for all big clubs across the board. Too many tourists are at games just using their phones and recording videos for their social media instead of singing and supporting the team. I can't blame them because it'll be a once in a lifetime experience for most of them but it does dampen the atmosphere.
Not to mention that local fans who contribute the most to the atmosphere are priced out of tickets themselves. Overall it just leads to a very quiet Anfield.
{Ed666's Note - I dont understand this hate towards tourists at the match? It’s their money let them do what they want. If they want to record videos on their phone so what? Why does it bug people so much? Why should local fans get a dispensation because they arguably sing more? A Liverpool fan is a Liverpool fan whether they are from Merseyside, Malaysia or Mongolia. I’ve spent a tonne of money watching Liverpool round the world than some fans born in Liverpool does that make me more or less of a fan. This local Liverpool fan v out of town/tourist Liverpool fan shit winds me up, it’s proper discriminatory.
23 Sep 2026 01:46:16
According to the numbers I could find tourists make up about 10% of fans at Anfield on a match day. The there are also about 3000 away supporters. Assuming these numbers are fairly accurate that still leaves about 50000 local supporters at every game. Seems a bit weak to blame 10% of the crowd on the poor atmosphere.
{Ed666's Note - This
23 Sep 2026 02:28:19
In addition, the capacity of Anfield has increased from 42000 to 61000 since 2015, wouldn't that mean there are actually more local supporters in the ground not less?
I think the main reason for the decline in atmosphere at the big clubs is because younger fans can't afford to go to games anymore so the crowd is getting progressively older and older.
23 Sep 2026 02:38:43
I can say with confidence that there is a lot more tourist at anfield on match days than 10 percent. These numbers probably don't factor in illegal ticket touts so when a ticket gets scanned and it comes from a l post code but in reality the person going the game is from Hong Kong or another part of the world.
I am not saying it's the main issue but it is definitely a part of it.
23 Sep 2026 03:28:49
Probably because most of the PL games aren't played at night against European elite?
23 Sep 2026 04:07:20
I see Ed666 mentioned Malaysia there. Kudos to Ed666. Up the Malaysian.
{Ed666's Note - it’s one of the only countries I could remember beginning with M the alliteration wouldn’t of worked otherwise ?
23 Sep 2026 04:24:14
I'm not a local fan too Ed and I always look forward when Liverpool announce their preseason tour and my country is listed as one of the places they'd visit. Maybe it's also just me being jealous but I don't get it when people pay so much money to watch Liverpool play live at Anfield and spend most of match taking selfies and videos of themselves instead of immersing themselves in the atmosphere.
{Ed666's Note - I hear you mate but for some of these fans this is one of the only times they will get the opportunity to come to Anfield and the way they choose to record the moment for prosperity is up to them like I say it’s there money. It’s all subjective of course.
23 Sep 2026 06:53:15
Based on club ticketing data and independent fanbase studies, roughly 30, 000 to 35, 000 local supporters attend a typical home Premier League match at Anfield
Demographic surveys (such as the Premier League Fan Survey and independent fan research) show that roughly 49% to 50% of fans inside Anfield live local of the ground. Across a full capacity crowd of 61, 000, that accounts for about 30, 000 supporters from the immediate local area.
Hospitality & Corporate: ~8, 000–9, 000 seats across the expanded Main Stand and Anfield Road Stand.
Away Supporters: ~3, 000 fans (standard Premier League allocation in the Anfield Road Lower).
Official Members Sales: On average, around and up to 21, 000 Members access tickets per Premier League match through ballot sales, ticket exchanges, and forwarding. While membership draws fans nationwide and globally.
23 Sep 2026 01:59:41
I disagree that it is discriminatory, Ed. It is, however, only one factor as to why Anfield is tends to be quiet for league games. Liverpool is an internationally-supported club but it shouldn't be forgotten that it represents the city of Liverpool, and the city of Liverpool is the core identity and fabric of it. I say that as someone who lives a *long* way from Anfield.
The atmosphere suffers for a lot of reasons:
1. Fewer 18-40 year-olds, who are the loudest and have the most aggression and energy to make noise. Economics and availability are the biggest drivers of this.
2. Sterile experience of matchdays in general - no beer while watching the match, scanning technology and security checks everywhere, high prices throughout. There are a lot more than this.
3. It is a myth than Anfield always had raucous atmospheres for regular league games - sometimes it did, and better than now, but it wasn't a cauldron for Wolves (H) every week.
4. Cameras/phones everywhere - I watch in despair every week at people just stood there like zombies with their phones filming inside the ground. Honestly, grow up and enjoy your life. Memories are stronger when you just enjoyed the moment anyway.
5. Liverpool have had comparatively more success in recent years. Arsenal's atmospheres remain good for league games because their fans have been angry for a long time due to long stretches of failure. Liverpool atmospheres are always better when the team is facing a more powerful foe - Chelsea, Barcelona (we were actually better), Dortmund.
23 Sep 2026 07:35:55
Some of the non-local fans will be from Ireland. Having been to Istanbul in 2005 with their fan group, I can confirm they are some of the loudest, most passionate singers I've heard in my footballing life ?? My voice was gone before I got on the plane at Dublin airport ??.
I don't think you can easily carve up the fan demographic into Merseysiders sing and non-Merseysiders watch silently through their phones.