Ranked: Football Fans Who Swear the Most

Whether you’re an NFL fan in the states or a Premier League fan in the UK, there’s no doubt football fans on both sides of the Atlantic are passionate about their teams.

From cheering and jeering to chanting and ranting, football fans can experience a wide range of emotions throughout the game depending on how a team is performing.

So, when winning the game slips through a team’s fingers, it’s not uncommon to hear profanity slip out of fans’ mouths. But which fan bases are the most prone to use profanity?

British Gambler, an online casino and betting offers site, surveyed both American NFL fans as well as British Premier League fans in order to determine the most foul-mouthed fan bases. Our survey asked more than 1,000 American NFL fans and more than 1,000 UK Premier League fans about their relationship with profanity while watching football (and maybe using betting apps). Fans were asked how often they swear while watching a game, what triggers them to use profanity during a game and whether they swear quietly under their breath or if they’re boisterous when using profanity.

Which NFL Fans Swear the Most?

New York Giants

When it comes to foul-mouthed NFL fans, New York dominates them all. Coming in at No. 1 are the New York Giants. New Yorkers aren’t shy from telling it like it is, so it might not be a surprise that the Giants top our list. On average, Giants fans said they swear 8.8 times per game, which is more than any other fan base in the league. The top reasons Giants fans use profanity? A poor officiating decision by referees is No. 1 followed by the team running a bad play. 

Detroit Lions

Coming in slightly behind the Giants are the Detroit Lions with an average of 8.7 swears per game. Similar to the Giants, Lions fans blame referees for their foul mouths. Lions fans also said watching the opposing team score will cause them to swear during a game.

Las Vegas Raiders

We head to the Southwest to find the third biggest foul-mouthed fans in football. The Raiders rank No. 3 with an average of 8.6 swears per game. But unlike most fan bases, Raiders fans say watching a kicker miss a field goal gets under their skin the most and is the top reason they utter something profane during a game.

New York Jets

New York Jets are the second New York team to top our list of foul-mouthed football fans. Jets fans swear slightly less than Giants fans, according to respondents. On average, Jets fans swear 8.5 times per game. Referees are the No. 1 reason for Jets fans to use profanity followed by fumbles or interceptions.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Our fifth spot goes to the Pittsburgh Steelers who swear an average of 8.4 swears per game, according to respondents. Steelers fans also say poor officiating is the top reason they swear followed by the team running a bad play.

Rounding out the top 10 most foul-mouthed NFL fans are the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears, which are all tied at No. 6 with an average of 8.3 swears per game. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams came in at No. 7 followed by the Cincinnati Bengals (No. 8), Buffalo Bills (No. 9) and the Los Angeles Chargers (No. 10). 

Which NFL Quarterbacks and Coaches Swear the Most?

NFL fans aren’t the only ones guilty of using profanity. If you’re a fan of the NFL, you’ve probably heard a coach, or a quarterback use a curse word or two on a hot mic or during an interview.

But which coaches and quarterbacks use profanity the most in the eyes of NFL fans?

According to NFL fans, Bill Belichick tops the list of foul-mouthed coaches while Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers ranks No. 1 for foul-mouthed quarterbacks.

Which Premier League Fans Swear the Most?

Liverpool

Manchester United may have Liverpool beat in terms of number of Premier League titles, but Liverpool reigns supreme when it comes to using profanity. On average, Liverpool fans say they use profanity 7.4 times per game. And the main reason fans swear? Referees. According to Liverpool fans, poor officiating is the biggest trigger for fans when it comes to swearing followed by watching a player miss a goal.

Leeds United

Coming in right behind Liverpool at a close second place is Leeds United. On average, Leeds United fans say they utter roughly 7.3 swears during a game. And just like Liverpool fans (and most Premier League fans), referees are to blame for fans’ foul mouths.

West Ham United

Our No. 3 most foul-mouthed football fan base is West Ham United. On average, West Ham fans say they swear about 6.6 times per game. Witnessing a bad officiating decision by a referee is the top reason West Ham United fans swear, according to respondents.

Chelsea

Another fan base also pointing the finger at referees as the main reason for their profanity are Chelsea fans. Overall, Chelsea fans say they swear roughly 6.4 times per game and poor officiating is the top reason fans say they swear during a game. The second most common reason you’ll hear a Chelsea fan swear is when an opposing team scores, according to respondents.

Manchester United

Even though they’ve been crowned as the champions of 2021-22 Premier League season, Manchester United missed out on the prestigious top spot for most profane football fans. On average, Manchester United fans say they swear about 6.2 times per game, which is slightly less than No. 1 Liverpool with 7.4 swears per game. You can’t win them all, right? 

Which Premier League Managers and Captains Swear the Most?

Along with asking UK football fans how much they swear during games, we also asked them to rank managers and captains by their foul-mouthed tendencies. Once again, Liverpool dominates this list as fans claim Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp and team captain Jordan Henderson are the most foul-mouthed managers and captains in the Premier League. 

Profanity in Sports: US vs. UK Fans

Along with asking fans from both the US and UK how often they swear and what causes them to swear, we also asked if they swear quietly under their breath or whether they’re boisterous with their profanity.

Overall, Americans are more boisterous than fans in the UK. Nearly half (48%) of American NFL fans say they swear loudly compared to just 36% of UK respondents. When it comes to well-mannered fans, it’s fairly even. 20% of American NFL fans say they don’t swear at all while 21% of UK Premier League fans say they also mind their manners when watching a game and refrain from swearing.

So, who swears more? According to respondents, it’s Americans who swear the most while watching the NFL. On average, American NFL football fans swear 7.1 times during a game while UK Premier League fans swear roughly 5.5 times per game.

Interestingly, UK fans felt that they used profanity more than Americans. An overwhelming majority (94%) of UK respondents felt they used profanity more often than Americans while watching their favorite team. Meanwhile, only 51% of Americans felt British Premier League fans used profanity more often than NFL fans. 

Let’s hope this is one competition that UK sports fans don’t want to win.

Methodology

From December 2022 to January 2023, we surveyed 1,100 NFL fans in the US. During the same timeframe, we surveyed 1,100 British Premier League fans in the UK. For American respondents, the average age was 42 while 50% of respondents were male, 48% were female and 2% were non-binary. For UK respondents, the average age was 42 while 49.7% of respondents were male, 49.6% were female and .7% were non-binary.

Fair Use

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