Ally McCoist has visited some of the most iconic stadiums around the globe during his playing career and as one the most popular pundits on our television screens. The iconic former Scottish striker was involved in plenty of feisty Old Firm Derby affairs at Ibrox and Celtic Park.
The TNT Sports pundit also experienced English football while leading the line at the Stadium of Light with Sunderland. He experienced some of the most raucous crowds in the country, including that of the Black Cats.
But he has also been stunned by the lack of passion shown by supporters in the modern era of the English game. The atmosphere inside the Premier League's most famous stadiums, in particular, left him with much to admire.
Ally McCoist On Three 'Quiet' English Atmospheres
Ally McCoist
McCoist spoke back in May 2024 on talkSPORT about the best atmosphere in English football after Middlesbrough had stunned Chelsea in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final at the Riverside. He asked his co-hosts: "Where is there a rocking atmosphere?"
Andy Townsend proposed Nottingham Forest's City Ground as having a "good" atmosphere before McCoist mentioned Liverpool's Anfield, to which his colleague said "Oh, Anfield is great".
Townsend disagreed, though, by recalling recent visits to those grounds as a pundit and commentator: "I tell you what, some of the games I’ve been to are quiet, man, honestly."
The trio then discussed how Chelsea would try and overturn a 1-0 deficit against Middlesbrough and McCoist appeared to question how patient the Blues' home supporters would be: "There will be an element of the Chelsea support going there who will be ready to turn on the team after 20-25 minutes if Chelsea haven't created one or two chances."
That wasn't the case as the west Londoners thrashed Boro 6-1 to book their place in the 2024 Carabao Cup final. But they were unable to deliver the trophy for the Stamford Bridge faithful after losing 1-0 to Liverpool.
Liverpool fans
Liverpool fans
Anfield is often celebrated for its noise, with the Kop giving a deafening rendition of "You'll never walk alone" on every single matchday. It makes for a special occasion on European nights, but there are murmurs amongst Premier League fans about the atmosphere petering out once Liverpool's pre-match festivities conclude.
Forest's City Ground is one of the oldest grounds, and thus, there's a historic vibe with each visit to the Tricky Trees' home turf. They have had much to celebrate over the past year after qualifying for Europe and toying with a possible top-five finish last season. 7
Some would argue that Liverpool and Forest's fanbases are among the proudest in the Premier League. But they aren't the loudest, according to McCoist.
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You could argue that the drop that McCoist perceives in the atmosphere around Premier League grounds is a result of the introduction of VAR, with celebrations postponed and a wariness to react to big moments. But English football still has its enormous support, and is perhaps the most loyal in world football.
The Toon Army make their voices heard every time Eddie Howe's Newcastle United are in action, becoming almost a 12th man for the Magpies. They played a huge role in the 2-1 win over Liverpool in last season's Carabao Cup final at Wembley.
McCoist spoke fondly about the Tyneside giants' support and how he booked their club DJ for his birthday (via GlasgowWorld):
"The atmosphere was brilliant. They had a DJ. I'm getting him for my next birthday party. He was different class. He'd fill the village hall in Bridge of Weir, DJ Schak, for my birthday. I'm going to write to him. Me and Ian Crocker (Sky Sports commentator) were tapping our feet to DJ Schak, there you are! As if the place couldn't get any more atmospheric, they started playing AC/DC. It was brilliant."
Newcastle fans
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 4: Newcastle fans during the UEFA Champions League match between Newcastle United FC and Paris Saint-Germain at St. James Park on October 4, 2023 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. (Photo by Daniel Chesterton/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Those comments came after Newcastle beat Southampton 2-1 in the Carabao Cup semi-final at St James' Park in January 2023. The crowd were buzzing after a Sean Longstaff brace, and Howe highlighted the "great atmosphere" and "brilliant environment" that helped his side reach the final.
The noise inside the Cathedral of the Hill could be about to get even louder amid plans to increase the stadium's capacity. The goal is to redesign the ground to accommodate 60,000+ fans, with the current capacity holding 52,300.