Football fans would give up 3.4 years of life for Premier League title

How much would you hypothetically give to see your favourite football club win the Premier League (this season or any other)? As the season draws to a close, Betting.co.uk put that very question to 2,000 football fans across the UK. The answer? A lot. A whole lot.

Our key findings:

• If they could, 1 in 5 football fans in the UK would trade at least a year of their life for the chance to see their team win the Premier League title. On average, they’d sacrifice 3.4 years.
• Of all the fanbases in the Premier League, Aston Villa supporters are willing to give up the most time: a remarkable 8.1 years.
• Nearly 1 in 3 would sacrifice their salary to see their favourite team crowned season champions, with an average of 2.6 months' salary.
• Bournemouth supporters are willing to sacrifice 7.9 months of income, more than any other fanbase.

With just over a month left in the season, all eyes are turning to the top of the Premier League table. It’s a thrilling time for footie fans, especially those from Liverpool, because according to our study, that title means more than you might think to die-hard fans...

1 in 5 would sacrifice years of their life for a Premier League win

If they could, 21% of football fans in the UK would sacrifice at least a year of their life if it meant they could see their favourite team claim the title. On average, a significant 3.4 years. With the average life expectancy in the UK at 81 years, this means football fanatics would be willing to give up more than 4% of their life for that title.

Aston Villa fans willing to sacrifice the most

Among all Premier League fanbases, Aston Villa supporters are by far the most willing to make the biggest sacrifice: the title is worth an average of 8.1 years of their life. Ironically, Southampton fans follow closely behind with an average of 6.5 years, just as it has recently become clear that the team has been relegated. Rounding out the top three is Newcastle United, whose fans would give up 5.5 years. On the other hand, Leicester City and Nottingham Forest fans have the lowest average, with just 1 year.

Premier League win worth nearly 3 months' salary to football fans

We also asked respondents if they would give up part of their monthly salary in exchange for seeing their favourite team crowned champions. Nearly 1 in 3, or 30%, said they would. On average, UK fans are willing to sacrifice 2.6 months' salary for that glory. However, there are significant differences between fanbases.

At the top of the list is the fanbase of AFC Bournemouth. On average, they would give up 7.9 months' salary if it meant their team would be lifting the trophy at the end of the season. Ipswich Town supporters come in second, with an average of 5.4 months' salary, followed by Chelsea fans, who would sacrifice an average of 4.3 months' salary. An interesting detail: while Southampton fans rank second when it comes to sacrificing years of their life for a Premier League win, they rank the lowest when it comes to sacrificing salary. On average, they would give up just 0.7 months' salary for the title.

Methodology

On April 3rd 2025, Betting.co.uk conducted an independent survey among 2,000 football fans across the UK. Respondents were asked which Premier League team they support and, if they could, whether they would be willing to give up time from their life or part of their salary to see their team win the Premier League. The survey included 59% men, 40% women, and 1% non-binary participants, with an average age of 41.8 years.