When it comes to visualising passionate fans, there are many enduring images that spring to mind, depending on the sport you follow. So just which fanbases are the most passionate around the world?
Rugby League: State Of Origin
Over in Australia, the biggest inter-regional rugby event of the year is undoubtedly the State of Origin Series.
Resplendent in blue and maroon respectively, the regions of New South Wales and Queensland battle it out on an annual basis to determine which produces the greatest talent.
In a best-of-three series that can offer uncompromising action, the victorious team wins the Origin shield, as well as bragging rights for a whole year. NSW are favourites to triumph in 2019, priced at 4/7 with most betting sites to win the series.
With on-field fights a very common occurrence and no series without some controversial flashpoint, its place in conversation amongst the workplaces of Sydney and Brisbane is sustained year-round.
Ever since they first clashed over 100 years ago, neither region has failed to sell out its allocation, and the fans remain raucous throughout every event.
Such is their passion, there have even been known incidences of people emblazoning their birth certificates in the colour of their state!
NASCAR: Bristol, Tennessee
Motorsport is difficult to imagine as a good generator of hype and passion, but step into any of the traditional ‘Southern’ states in the US and you will see that there is a hard core of NASCAR watchers lusting for blood and destruction on the circuit.
The sight of muscular stock cars going around an endless oval circuit is an acquired taste, but they have license to drive combatively, and this can sometimes create some impressive collisions.
Back in February, the season-opening Daytona 500 in Florida did not disappoint, producing one of the biggest in recent memory. However, one of the most notorious circuits out there can be found in the very heart of NASCAR, at the Bristol circuit in Tennessee.
While the sight of Confederate flags is thankfully a dwindling element, those in attendance never hesitate to break drape themselves in the ‘Old Glory’ while watching an event that defines ‘real’ America.
The sight of trailers in and around the circuit also gives an edgy feel to proceedings. As a short track with tight corners, Bristol’s room for error is non-existent, and anyone found botching an overtake or a shove will soon be found piling headlong into the concrete wall!
NFL: Green Bay Packers
As a sporting state, Wisconsin is often overlooked in favour of more celebrated locales like Michigan, California and New York State.
However, the Green Bay Packers boast an exceptionally passionate fanbase, which has stood by it through thick and thin, yielding the ultimate reward in the form of a Super Bowl win in 2011.
According to some sources, every single game at Lambeau Field since 1960 has been sold out, and with a waiting list of nearly 80,000 for season tickets, it seems as though only the most unwaveringly loyal fans of the Packers can enter the stadium’s hallowed doors.
Another notable aspect of the diehard Packers fans’ loyalty is their ability to brave brutal Wisconsin winters. The area around Lambeau Field can be covered in inches of snow, but that does not stop the Packers’ acolytes from flocking there.
Like any NFL franchise with a hugely passionate fanbase, there are also some unique gimmicks that set the Packers apart. Amongst these is the ‘Lambeau Leap’, which is an iconic touchdown celebration that enables the fans and players to momentarily become one.
NHL: Montreal Canadiens
North of the USCAN border, the Montreal Canadiens (also known as the ‘Habs’) are the most successful NHL franchise in history, with 24 Stanley Cup wins to their name.
Their greatest rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs, are second in that particular chart by a fair distance – specifically, with a meagre 13.
Although the franchise no longer enjoys such dominance in either the futures or live betting markets, the Habs’ games never fail to sell out, and every voice within the 21,000-capacity Bell Center is heard come match night.
There is also the multi-national nature of the fanbase to account for, with the old-world roots of their predominantly French-Canadian fanbase honoured by a French-language version of the national anthem.
MLB: Boston Red Sox
With notable fan groups in Scandinavia and the Oceanic countries as well as the UK, it seems as though the sun never sets on the Red Sox empire.
There can be no doubt that Fenway Park is on the bucket list of many a baseball fan based away from the States, and the franchise’s fans have much to do with this.
Despite suffering heartbreaks on several occasions throughout the latter half of the 20th century, as rivals New York Yankees enjoyed a bevvy of riches, the Red Sox fans’ loyalty has never wavered.
With the Red Sox currently joint-favourites to win the 2019 World Series in the sports betting, it seems as though their persistence is likely to be rewarded in the near future.
Every Sox fan knows the words to Neil Diamond’s classic ‘Sweet Caroline’, as it always makes an appearance for the eighth inning, and nor can any of them ever forget the first time they saw the ‘green monster’.
Far from being an entity of envy during times of heartbreak, it is a high wall behind the central plate that provides a lofty standpoint from which to chant, sing and make the most of the park’s great acoustics.
Football: The Global Language
As the only truly international sport, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to identifying the most passionate fanbases worldwide. In the interests of neutrality, it is safe to say that any English club’s fans can have their day.
That said, the Premier League’s other ‘big’ clubs also have a truly worldwide fanbase, with south-east Asia being a particularly impressive hotbed of hero-worshipping Premier League followers.
Within Europe, title-chasing Borussia Dortmund are fast becoming one of the most fashionable clubs to follow. Like most traditional English stadiums, the Westfalenstadion has a home end that has an impressive record when it comes to displays of passion.
A ‘yellow wall’ behind the goal gives the spectators behind it an eery, disembodied type of presence, and this too can give the currently title-chasing Dortmund a real psychological edge.
The ground’s acoustics also seem to amplify the power of the home crowd, and when rivals Bayern Munich or Schalke 04 are in town, an unforgettable day is assured.
Further afield, ‘Ultras’ groups have a mixed reputation, but for better or worse, it can’t be denied that they add a talking point in football culture, and they are now starting to catch on in the MLS.
Meanwhile, since becoming the first Algerian club to win the African Cup of Champions Clubs back in 1976, MC Alger has gained a steady growth of ultra-loyal fans, and now boasts a joint-high of four separate Ultras groups in the Algerian top flight.
The newest of these is the Group Verde et Rouge, which has a raucous and fast-growing presence at the July 5, 1962 Stadium.
Despite this, they co-exist well enough with local rivals USM Alger, and even as far out as a week before derby day, the city comes to a standstill.
Bragging rights mean everything in a city still adapting to life after French rule, and with football being the only hope of a better life for many citizens, following their club is more than a mere pastime.
