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Middlesbrough fans the most optimistic in The Football League

7 August 2015

Middlesbrough fans have been revealed as being the most optimistic in The Football League ahead of the start of the 2015/16 Sky Bet Football League season.

With an average optimism rating of 4.71 out of 5, more fans of Boro than any other club say they are feeling ‘very optimistic’ ahead of the Season 2015/16 kick-off.

Having fallen just short last season with defeat to Norwich City in the Championship Play-Off Final at Wembley, Middlesbrough fans predict that their side will go one better this time – on average they think they will finish second in the Sky Bet Championship table to earn promotion to the Premier League. Just behind Middlesbrough in the Championship were Derby County fans (4.68), with Burnley third in (4.35).

The most optimistic fans among teams in Sky Bet League 1 are Sheffield United supporters (4.69), followed by Scunthorpe United (4.50) and Doncaster Rovers (4.39). Among fans in Sky Bet League 2, those most optimistic about their team’s chances this season are Luton Town fans (4.66), followed by Portsmouth (4.54) and Oxford United (4.41)

The results are based on a Football League survey of over 5,000 supporters across all 72 Football League clubs, which also asked fans what position they think their team will finish in, which team they though would win the division, who would be top scorer and which player from another team in their division they would most like to sign.

The new Sky Bet Football League season kicks-off this evening when Brighton & Hove Albion take on Nottingham Forest at 7:45pm, with the curtain-raiser being screened live on Sky Sports. Also live on Sky Sports this weekend is Leeds United versus Burnley (Saturday, 12:30pm) and Preston North End versus Middlesbrough (Sunday, 12pm).

The remainder of the 72 Football League clubs return to action on Saturday at 3pm, with a brand new prime-time highlights show featuring all the goals starting on Channel 5 at 9pm on Saturday evening.

The full results of the Football League fan survey are as follows:

1. Fan optimism ahead of the new season

Sky Bet Championship                       Ranking out of 5

1        Middlesbrough                                 4.71
2        Derby County                                  4.68
3        Burnley                                           4.35
4        Hull City                                          4.29
5        Brentford                                         4.28
6        Ipswich Town                                   4.19
7        Wolverhampton Wanderers                4.01
8        Fulham                                             3.95
9        Charlton Athletic                                3.92
10      Sheffield Wednesday                          3.84
11      Bristol City                                        3.78
12      Rotherham United                              3.75
13      Birmingham City                                3.74
14      Leeds United                                     3.72
15      Queens Park Rangers                         3.63
16      Brighton & Hove Albion                      3.63
17      Reading                                            3.60
18      Milton Keynes Dons                           3.54
19      Preston North End                             3.53
20      Nottingham Forest                             3.38
21      Cardiff City                                       3.36
22      Huddersfield Town                             3.36
23      Blackburn Rovers                               2.83
24      Bolton Wanderers                              2.71
 
Sky Bet League 1                              Ranking out of 5

1        Sheffield United                               4.69
2        Scunthorpe United                           4.50
3        Doncaster Rovers                            4.39
4        Wigan Athletic                                 4.32
5        Bradford City                                   4.28
6        Rochdale                                         4.22
7        Gillingham                                       4.12
8        Shrewsbury Town                             4.06
9        Barnsley                                          4.03
10      Burton Albion                                   4.00
11      Bury                                                3.95
12      Southend United                               3.81
13      Millwall                                             3.80
14      Port Vale                                          3.57
15      Oldham Athletic                                3.53
16      Peterborough United                          3.53
17      Walsall                                              3.42
18      Swindon Town                                   3.33
19      Fleetwood Town                                 3.26
20      Coventry City                                     3.23
21      Colchester United                               3.04
22      Chesterfield                                       2.92
23      Blackpool                                          2.20
24      Crewe Alexandra                               2.07
 
Sky Bet League 2                               Ranking out of 5

1        Luton Town                                      4.66
2        Portsmouth                                      4.54
3        Oxford United                                   4.41
4        Cambridge United                             4.39
5        Accrington Stanley                            4.33
6        Plymouth Argyle                               4.29
7        Wycombe Wanderers                        4.22
8        Notts County                                    4.21
9        Northampton Town                           4.18
10      Morecambe                                      4.14
11      Mansfield Town                                 4.10
12      Exeter City                                       4.06
13      Leyton Orient                                   4.05
14      AFC Wimbledon                                 4.03
15      Barnet                                              4.03
16      Bristol Rovers                                   3.92
17      Hartlepool United                              3.79
18      Stevenage                                        3.77
19      Yeovil Town                                      3.75
20      Carlisle United                                  3.60
21      Crawley Town                                   3.20
22      York City                                          3.14
23      Newport County                                3.09
24      Dagenham & Redbridge                     2.67

2.    Average Predicted Finish Position

Sky Bet Championship                          Av Predicted Position

Birmingham City                                       8
Blackburn Rovers                                     11
Bolton Wanderers                                     13
Brentford                                                 5
Brighton & Hove Albion                             8
Bristol City                                               10
Burnley                                                    3
Cardiff City                                               8
Charlton Athletic                                       8
Derby County                                           2
Fulham                                                    6
Huddersfield Town                                    12
Hull City                                                   3
Ipswich Town                                            4
Leeds United                                             7
Middlesbrough                                           2
Milton Keynes Dons                                  12
Nottingham Forest                                     8
Preston North End                                    12
Queens Park Rangers                                 6
Reading                                                    8
Rotherham United                                    15
Sheffield Wednesday                                 7
Wolverhampton Wanderers                        5

Sky Bet League 1                           Av Predicted Position

Barnsley                                                    5
Blackpool                                                 16
Bradford City                                             5
Burton Albion                                           10
Bury                                                        10
Chesterfield                                              12
Colchester United                                      15
Coventry City                                            10
Crewe Alexandra                                       18
Doncaster Rovers                                       4
Fleetwood Town                                        12
Gillingham                                                 6
Millwall                                                      6
Oldham Athletic                                        10
Peterborough United                                  6
Port Vale                                                  10
Rochdale                                                   7
Scunthorpe United                                     5
Sheffield United                                         2
Shrewsbury Town                                     10
Southend United                                       10
Swindon Town                                           9
Walsall                                                     10
Wigan Athletic                                           4

Sky Bet League 2                               Av Predicted Position
 
Accrington Stanley                                    8
AFC Wimbledon                                        7
Barnet                                                     9
Bristol Rovers                                           7
Cambridge United                                     5
Carlisle United                                          9
Crawley Town                                           7
Dagenham & Redbridge                            15
Exeter City                                               6
Hartlepool United                                      9
Leyton Orient                                           5
Luton Town                                              2
Mansfield Town                                         7
Morecambe                                              6
Newport County                                       13
Northampton Town                                   5
Notts County                                            4
Oxford United                                           4
Plymouth Argyle                                       4
Portsmouth                                              2
Stevenage                                               7
Wycombe Wanderers                                5
Yeovil Town                                             8
York City                                                 12

3. Predicted Divisional Champions

Sky Bet Championship

Middlesbrough                                           39%
Derby County                                            24%
Hull City                                                     9%
Queens Park Rangers                                  7%
Burnley                                                      6%

Sky Bet League 1

Sheffield United                                         44%
Wigan Athletic                                           32%
Millwall                                                      5%
Swindon Town                                            4%
Barnsley                                                    3%

Sky Bet League 2

Portsmouth                                               35%
Luton                                                       18%
Notts County                                              8%
Leyton Orient                                             6%
Wycombe Wanderers                                  6%

4. Predicted Top Scorers

Sky Bet Championship

Jordan Rhodes
Chris Martin
Benik Afobe
Darren Bent
Charlie Austin

Sky Bet League 1
 
Billy Sharp
Will Grigg
Che Adams
Lee Gregory
Paddy Madden

Sky Bet League 2
 
Matt Tubbs
Reuben Reid
Marc Richards
Craig Mackail-Smith
Barry Corr

5. Player You Would Most Like To Sign

Sky Bet Championship
 
Jordan Rhodes
Charlie Austin
Adam Le Fondre
Tom Ince
Will Hughes

Sky Bet League 1

Billy Sharp
Will Grigg
Ian Henderson
Tom Pope
James Hanson

Sky Bet League 2

Matt Tubbs
Reuben Reid
Adebayo Akinfenwa
Gary Roberts
Jamie Cureton

The information in this story is based on an online survey of more than 5,000 fans by The Football League in the build-up to the new season. 



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