In a remarkable demonstration of passion for football, Scotland's top-flight league has outperformed all other European leagues in terms of match attendance per capita, according to the latest UEFA report.

The SPFL's William Hill Premiership recorded an impressive 18.36 attendees per 1,000 residents during the 2023/24 season, nearly doubling the figure of the next closest league.

Portugal's Primeira Liga secured second place with 10.23 attendees per 1,000 people, while the Netherlands' Eredivisie and England's Premier League followed with 9.16 and 6.77 respectively.

This staggering attendance underscores the fervent support for football in Scotland, particularly for its two giants, Rangers and Celtic.

The report highlights that nearly 3.8 million fans attended matches in Scotland last season, ranking it as the eighth highest in Europe.

With an average league attendance of 16,500, Scotland also placed seventh on the continent overall.

Adding to the excitement, both Celtic and Rangers have joined an elite group of clubs - including FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City - by surpassing an aggregate attendance of over 1 million home supporters across all competitions this season.

This achievement not only showcases the unwavering loyalty of their fan bases but also solidifies their status as titans of Scottish football.

So far this season, we have already seen supporters from the likes of Aberdeen, Heart of Midlothian, Hibernian, St Mirren, and Kilmarnock travel to games in huge numbers too. 

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Commenting on the positive news, SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: “It’s brilliant to see that Scotland’s top-flight has again, by some margin, the highest attendance per capita in Europe. 

“It’s a real tribute to the incredible passion of our supporters across the country, whom I’d like to thank on behalf of our member clubs for their continued strong support of our national game.

“Scottish attendances have, for many years now, outperformed leagues of a similar size, so it’s great to see that trend continue in this new UEFA report.

“This positive news builds on two record years for attendances for the SPFL, and our clubs are looking to continue to grow these attendances across season 2024/25.”

(Image: SNS Group)