Everton fail to make list in FanSided Fandom 250

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 02: General view outside the stadium during the Premier League match between Everton and Huddersfield Town at Goodison Park on December 2, 2017 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 02: General view outside the stadium during the Premier League match between Everton and Huddersfield Town at Goodison Park on December 2, 2017 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

There were eight football fan bases included in FanSided’s Fandom 250, but Everton weren’t one of them. Was this a mistake?

Everton fans are used to being disappointed and missing out on things. This is not an attempt to make fun of Evertonians; they will readily admit this themselves.

As such, it will come as no surprise the Blues didn’t make the final cut for FanSided‘s second annual Fandom 250. The question is, should they have been included on the list?

Consider that the idea behind Fandom 250, is to find the top fan base in the world. The topics include entertainment, pop culture, fashion, politics, lifestyle and, of course, sports.

In truth, it’s tough to come up with a definitive answer regarding Everton’s omission, because polls such as these are all about opinion, i.e. subjectivity. In theory, any argument you make for them, could be made by any number of football club fan bases.

However, one thing we can do, is look at which football teams did make the final list. At that point, you can ask yourself if the Blues deserved to be included, ahead of any of them.

In total, eight football clubs made the Fandom 250. Including their overall rankings among the 250 fan bases in brackets, they were:

  1. Real Madrid (28)
  2. Barcelona (32)
  3. Manchester United (43)
  4. Liverpool (57)
  5. Arsenal (67)
  6. Borussia Dortmund (136)
  7. Portland Timbers (189)
  8. US Women’s Soccer (206)

Right away, any number of thoughts are likely to enter your mind. For example, if it is purely based on the number of loyal followers globally, seeing Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United top the list makes perfect sense.

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However, if this is the case, how come the Portland Timbers are included? There are numerous football clubs with bigger global fan bases.

If Timbers’ fans want to argue the basis for inclusion on the list is about loyalty and passion, this still raises doubts. Surely Toronto FC and the Seattle Sounders are — at the very least — on a similar level to them?

It’s important to consider these questions and more, when looking at the Blues’ omission. While you probably wouldn’t place them ahead of any of the three Premier League clubs included, you can make a justified argument they were unlucky to miss out altogether.

Ultimately though, as already noted, the list is subjective, and spending too much time analysing it could see you descend into madness. For Everton specifically, whether they’re included in the Fandom 250 or not, they still have one of the better fan bases, both in England and around the world.

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Now it’s your turn. Should Everton have been included in FanSided’s Fandom 250? Or do you agree with the decision to leave them out? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.