Will the team you support help you score, asks Match research
- Bournemouth has the most attractive fans in the Premiership with more than half (58%) of rival supporters saying they’d be happy to date them
- Manchester United fans are least attractive to followers of other clubs, with almost one in ten (9%) refusing to date a Red Devils supporter
- A quarter (25%) of Liverpool supporters said they would never date an Everton fan
- Almost one in ten (8%) top-flight fans say football is more important to them than their love life
LONDON, 30 September, 2015: The old adage says you’re more likely to change your partner than your football team. But how does the club you support affect your chances in the dating game?
The UK’s ultimate dating service, Match has quizzed over 1,000 followers of top-flight clubs on which rival teams’ fans they’d be prepared to be seen stepping out on a date with. Bournemouth fans were seen as the league’s most attractive, with more than half (58%) of rival supporters saying they’d be happy to date a Cherries supporter. Their south coast neighbours Southampton were a close second, with 57% saying they’d see a Saint.
However, in the relegation spots of the dating league table are clubs more accustomed to European qualification. When asked which clubs’ fans they would actively avoid becoming romantically entangled with, Manchester United were a clear first place, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal making up the remainder of the top four.
Match’s research also showed up some of English football fiercest rivalries. A quarter (25%) of Liverpool fans said they would never date an Everton supporter, and more than a fifth (22%) of Man City followers said they would never go out with a Man United fan. Meanwhile in the capital, over a fifth (22%) of Spurs fans said they wouldn’t date a Gooner, and in the North East 15% of Geordies wouldn’t go near a supporter of rivals Sunderland.
Aston Villa fans haven’t had much to cheer in recent years, and this is reflected in their choice of possible partners. One in ten followers of the club said they wouldn’t date a fellow Villa fan to share in their pain.
Although only 13% of respondents were sufficiently die-hard to say that they wouldn’t date someone who supported a rival club, just 11% said they’d be prepared to switch allegiances to keep a new partner happy. More than one in five Brits said they have skipped dates or nights with a partner in favour of following their team, and almost one in ten (8%) claim football is more important to them than their love life. Thankfully almost two thirds (59%) still believe they manage to maintain a healthy balance between their love lives and their football team.
Kate Taylor, relationship expert for Match, said: “Football might be the beautiful game, but emotions can run high in sport. As we already know, couples with shared interests last longest, so when searching potential dates on Match mobile, it’s quite likely that fellow supporters will tickle your fancy. If you do accidentally fall for a rival fan you’ll both have to exercise tact during football season. No taunts when your team wins, no sulking when theirs does – and never ask your partner to swap teams for you, or you’re sure to find yourself being substituted.”
The dating league table – who are the top flight’s most attractive fans?
- AFC Bournemouth
- Southampton
- Norwich City
- Manchester City
- Swansea City
- Newcastle United
- Aston Villa
- Leicester City
- Arsenal
- Everton
- Watford
- West Ham United
- Liverpool
- West Bromwich Albion
- Crystal Palace
- Tottenham Hotspur
- Stoke City
- Sunderland
- Manchester United
- Chelsea
Red Cards – which supporters are fellow fans most likely to shun in the dating game?
- Manchester United
- Chelsea
- Liverpool
- Arsenal
- Newcastle United
ENDS
The Match UK team mainly consists of Watford, Fulham, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Raith Rovers, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur supporters.
About the research:
Match commissioned Opinium to poll 1,028 Premiership football supporters from the 3rd – 9th September 2015.
About Match:
As the ultimate dating service in the UK, 1 in 2 online daters* have used Match and 1 in 5 singles who met their partner online, met on Match*. As the number 1 dating for young online daters**, Match continues to empower singles to meet exciting and interesting people that you would not otherwise have met.
Match offers members more ways to meet, including singles events located in 32 cities, one of the reasons it’s been voted as the under 35’s number 1 choice for great singles night out**. It’s also available on all mobile platforms making it the perfect dating companion for busy singles on-the-go.
As a founding member of the Online Dating Association (ODA), Match is committed to providing a safe and confidential community for its members.
*Survey conducted by Ipsos from December 17th to 22ndof 2014 among a representative sample of 2000 persons aged 18+ in the UK.
**Survey conducted by TNS from October 28th to November 13th of 2014 among a representative sample of 1753 singles aged 18+ in the UK. Results above observed among online dating users within the past 6 months