Sunderland ranked second for 'football mad' towns and cities
Sunderland has been ranked as the second most 'football mad' place in the country, according to new research from online gambling giant BetVictor.
The table was compiled by comparing average home crowds last season with each town or city’s population.
During the 2025/26 season Sunderland AFC averaged 46,729 spectators compared to an adult population of 143,521, giving the city a crowd ratio of 325.6 fans on average attending games for every 1,000 people in the adult population.
Although SAFC’s average attendance was more the double Burnley’s, the town has an adult population of 63,077, giving the Clarets a ratio of 332.8 fans at games for every 1,000 people in the population.
With a ratio of 220.9/1,000 people Middlesbrough was ranked in fifth place with Newcastle United in seventh position with a ratio of 211.6/1000.
Liverpool, Ipswich, Preston, Barnsley, Watford, and Wolverhampton made up the rest of the top ten places.
Places with populations of less than 50,000 people were not included in the research.