AI exposes the 10 most silent EFL Championship fanbases | OneFootball

AI chatbot ChatGPT has ranked the 10 most silent EFL Championship fanbases

AI chatbot ChatGPT has ranked the 10 most silent fanbases in the EFL Championship, with a few surprise teams being named in the list.

The 2025/26 EFL Championship season has passed the halfway point, having now entered the second half of the campaign, with the table beginning to take shape.

Coventry City came out of the blocks firing to catapult themselves towards the peak of the table, whilst the likes of Middlesbrough, Ipswich Town, Hull City, and Millwall also had excellent first halves to the campaign to be in and amongst the promotion conversation.

Sheffield Wednesday are all but relegated, sitting some distance from safety following their 18-point deduction, whilst Oxford United, Blackburn Rovers, Portsmouth, and Norwich City have all struggled in the first 23 fixtures.

Good guesses can be made as to where many of the sides will finish the season, but as ever, with the world's most unpredictable league, more twists and turns are sure to come.

With everything still to play for, AI has ranked the 10 most silent fanbases in the current division, taking into account variables such as current club context, atmosphere in the stadiums, attendances, and club reputation.

ChatGPT says: Reasonably sized fanbase, but vocal support often lower compared with bigger Championship clubs; London competition and quieter matchdays.

It's been an up-and-down season in West London for QPR, who have struggled with their consistency more than anything this campaign.

The R's form has gone through purple patches to long winless runs, as Julien Stephan's side seems neither likely for play-offs, nor relegation.

Nevertheless, AI has ranked them as the 10th most silent fanbase in the division, citing their location and stature within London as a major factor in its ranking.

ChatGPT says: When results are poor, fan noise tends to drop noticeably; midweek fixtures and low engagement periods make the stadium feel subdued.

Having struggled under Paulo Pezzolano, Javi Gracia returned to the helm at Vicarage Road in October, with the Hornets launching themselves up the table upon his arrival.

Watford have jumped between the Premier League and Championship for much of the last decade, most famously spending five seasons in a row in the top flight between 2015 and 2020, as well as reaching an FA Cup final.

Despite this, AI believes that when results are poor, the fans are unable to make up for their team's performance, ranking them in 9th.

8 ? ? Charlton Athletic

ChatGPT says: Fans can get loud sporadically (e.g., dramatic match moments), but over 90 minutes, crowds can be relatively quiet in general.

Like QPR, Charlton Athletic suffers from being a historically smaller club in London, with many from the area preferring to support one of the Premier League sides.

As a result, The Valley is very rarely packed out, creating a relatively subdued atmosphere week-by-week, though under Nathan Jones, the Addicks have had their fair share of late dramatic moments, with the roof of the stadium coming off on those occasions.

However, this is enough for AI to rank Charlton as the 8th most silent fanbase in the division.

7 ? ? Hull City

ChatGPT says: Fanbase isn’t widely noted for passionate volume; supporters can be steady but aren’t among the most vocal in the division.

Hull City have been many people's surprise package in the second tier this season, with the club under embargo until next summer, they have had to rely on free transfers and loan deals to rebuild the squad.

Sergej Jakirovic deserves a heap of plaudits for the work he has so far done on Humberside, with the Tigers undergoing a remarkable first half of the season.

Though AI believes that the fanbase isn't known for its passionate volume, the club's struggles for much of the past decade have played a pivotal role in its ranking.

6 ? ? Preston North End

ChatGPT says: Mid-table, consistent fanbase, but often described as one of the more subdued atmospheres with fewer peaks of sustained noise.

Preston North End, aside from last season, have never really had to worry much about relegation, consistently finishing in mid-table in the second tier for the last decade.

Because of this, Lilywhites supporters have rarely had much to shout about, though that could be set to change this season, with manager Paul Heckingbottom leading them to an unlikely promotion charge on a tight budget.

Based on this season alone, Preston would not rank this low, but taking into account seasons prior, AI has decided they belong in 6th on this list.

5 ? ? Sheffield Wednesday

ChatGPT says: Off-field issues and protests have impacted engagement. Even big crowds aren’t always accompanied by a vibrant atmosphere.

Sheffield Wednesday's struggles this season have been more than well-documented, and as a result, attendances have dwindled.

Hillsborough is by far one of England's most iconic venues, though due to the exploits of Thai businessman Dejphon Chansiri, the historic stadium hasn't had close to the attendances and performances it warrants.

Wednesday will, unless a huge miracle were to happen, be playing their football in League One next season, where the fanbase may well become even more silent should they not find their feet.

4 ? ? Swansea City

ChatGPT says: Long-term attendance decline has correlated with quieter matchdays; vocal support comes less often outside key games.

Swansea City began the season full of optimism, with the signings of the likes of Adam Idah, Zeidane Inoussa, Malick Yalcouye, Marko Stamenic, and Ethan Galbraith leading some to predict the Welsh outfit as potential play-off contenders.

Though it appears increasingly unlikely that the play-offs will be in reach for the Welsh outfit this season, with another year in the second tier the most likely outcome.

Swansea spent seven consecutive years in the Premier League between 2011 and 2018, but since their relegation, attendances have decreased, leading to AI to rank them as having the 4th most silent fanbase in the division.

3 ? ? Oxford United

ChatGPT says: Smaller crowd and stadium layout often suppress noise levels, leading to generally low ambient sound except for big local derbies.

Oxford United have the disadvantage of being comfortably one of the smallest sides in the second tier by almost every metric.

The U's sealed promotion to the Championship by defeating Bolton Wanderers in the play-off final in 2024, and despite having stayed up in their first campaign in the second tier thanks to Gary Rowett, they remain one of the division's underdogs.

In comparison to many other clubs in the division, the attendance and performances mean that Oxford ranks as low as it does.

2 ? ? Bristol City

ChatGPT says: Even after a strong season (play-offs), AI analysis still ranked them as having one of the quietest home atmospheres in the league.

Surprisingly, AI has ranked Bristol City as having the 2nd most silent fanbase in the EFL Championship.

Despite achieving a play-off finish last campaign and largely continuing their decent run of form into this season, now under Gerhard Struber, this has not been enough for the AI to change its mind.

Robins fans will be hoping that their side can continue to push for a play-off place this campaign and change AI's mind, as having the 2nd most silent fanbase in the league.

1 ? ? Blackburn Rovers

ChatGPT says: Despite their big history, fan protests against ownership and poor stadium fill mean many home games feel subdued, with away support sometimes louder than home.

Blackburn Rovers have long been under the cloud of the Venky's ownership regime, with the relationship between supporters and owners having long deteriorated.

Ewood Park, as a result, is almost never even half full, averaging roughly 15,000 supporters every home game, despite their capacity of 31,367.

The former Premier League champions have never come close to retaining their English crown, and for as long as the current ownership model remains the same, that doesn't look likely to change anytime soon.