REVEALED: Man United fans are the WORST in the UK for leaving early, a new study finds… but which other fan-bases most often look to make a sharp exit before matches finish?
- A new study has explored which fan-bases typically leave their matches early
- Reasons for leaving early include beating the traffic or disliking the stadium
- Would Mohamed Salah ‘do the dirty’ on Liverpool by leaving? And what about Man United ‘diving’?: Listen to It’s All Kicking Off, Mail Sport’s new podcast
Manchester United fans have been labelled as the worst for leaving games early as part of a new study.
Insight from a Betfair and YouGOV poll of 1,300 football fans discovered that United fans most often head for the exits before the game has ended.
In defence of those supporters, United rank second for the longest amount of stoppage time on their games.
On average, Erik ten Hag’s side have navigated an average of 10 minutes and 37 seconds of second-half injury time – almost four minutes more than rivals Man City.
Research found that at teams across the country, almost a quarter of football fans left a match early, with a third admitting that they missed a goal in that time missed.
A new study has looked into which set of supporters most often leave their matches early
The reasons behind why fans early has also been scrutinised, with beating traffic the main one
Almost one in four fans – 23 per cent of those polled – admitted leaving at least one game early last season.
But United fans are not alone in seeking out the exit before the final whistle, with Arsenal ranked second, with Man City third.
Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea then round out the top five fan-bases of fans targeting an early finish.
The poll discovered that beating traffic was the main reason people chose to leave early.
Asked how fans who leave early should be treated, one in 10 Arsenal fans that were surveyed suggested they should be mocked for not staying to the end.
Two per cent, however, strangely suggested those fans who leave early should be celebrated.
The majority – 45 per cent – said they are unbothered if fans around them decided to leave early, while a further 19 per cent said they thought it was a waste of money.
Merseyside pair Everton and Liverpool are tied in sixth place in these standings, while Celtic are labelled worse than Old Firm rivals Rangers when it comes to fans leaving early.
This weekend Arsenal play host to Manchester United and there will be a watchful eye to see which set of supporters – if either – make an early dart if the result is in no doubt on way or the other.
