Real fans: The Hollywood A-listers who opted to support lower league teams and not glory hunt in the Premier League

Why is it that you support your football club?

That’s a question asked in playgrounds, parks, offices, cafes, gyms, and pubs across the country every day. No matter your age, when you first start talking about football with friends, it’s an interrogation that often ends with the term ‘glory hunter’ being thrown around.

That’s because the majority of the time, you will hear the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal thrown about, even by those who aren’t local to the areas, or even any of the so-called Big Six.

Then there is the rest of the Premier League, each club now have huge followings that range beyond the houses nearest to their stadium. The league is bigger than ever before.

In the modern era, you will not only see rows of your average fans in the stands. ones that head to the ground every fortnight, whatever the weather, rain or shine, but you may also get a glimpse of a celebrity. Maybe Kim Kardashian at Arsenal, or Daniel Craig at Liverpool.

But not all A-listers are so-called ‘glory hunters’. There are some big names who follow clubs lower down in the English footballing pyramid, and we at Daily Mail Sport are going to take you through some of the more prominent stars who support teams outside the Premier League. 

Daniel Day-Lewis – Millwall

Hollywood star Daniel Day-Lewis, who has won three Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role, which is a joint record, is the first big name on our list.

The actor hails from Greenwich in south east London and has been heading to The Den’s terraces to support his beloved Millwall since he was a young boy.

Just last week, he was seen watching the Lions’ 4-0 Championship demolition of Charlton with fellow film star Gary Oldman.

Cameras caught the pair, who have accrued a whole host of major awards between them, enjoying an afternoon out at the Den.

Day-Lewis was seen wearing orange-tinted sunglasses and a black beanie, while Oldman was slightly more understated in a flat cap.

Sean Bean – Sheffield United

In the same week that Day-Lewis took a trip to The Den, eagle-eyed fans also spotted actor Sean Bean in the stands at St Mary’s for Southampton’s clash with Sheffield United.

The Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and GoldenEye star was there to support his beloved Blades, who went down 1-0. He was pictured shaking hands with a few fellow Blades before the game kicked off, but looked stony-faced for much of the contest with his side behind.

Bean, who recently starred in This City Is Ours and a TV adaptation of Robin Hood, was born and raised on a council estate in Sheffield. He achieved a scholarship to the prestigious acting school RADA in 1981 before embarking on his career.

Bean has never forgotten his roots and has a ‘100 per cent Blade’ tattoo on his shoulder. He’s been seen at matches in the past, but work commitments mean those can now be few and far between.

Elton John – Watford 

Sir Elton John isn’t just a massive Watford fan; the music icon is honorary life president of the club, and has also served as chairman twice.

He initially took control of the club in 1976 before selling it in 1990. But he could only stay away for seven years and became chairman once again until 2002, stepping away only due to tour scheduling constraints.

Sir Elton, who even has a stand at Vicarage Road named after him, can still often be seen watching his beloved Hornets tackle the Championship from the ground.

Speaking last summer, he said: ‘My passion for this club has never died, and I’m so proud of this club, ever since I was five years old when we played in blue, and there were two rickety old stands.

‘What can I say? It’s in my heart and my soul; you can’t get rid of it. The supporters of this club have always been in my heart.’

Ed Sheeran – Ipswich Town

Perhaps one of the more well-known football fans, pop star Ed Sheeran, is a lifelong fan of the Tractor Boys.

The four-time Grammy winner, known for his smash hit tracks such as A-Team and Shape of You, regularly attends matches at Portman Road, having formed a bond with the club at a young age.

Indeed, Sheeran has actually been a front-of-shirt sponsor for the club for the last five years, and even took his fandom to the next level by purchasing a minority stake in the Suffolk outfit in 2024 – a passive investment only.

The musician is so ingrained in the club that he even has his own shirt number. In every season since Sheeran’s involvement began at Portman Road, bar their one in the Premier League, he has been given the number 17 shirt.

Julie Walters – West Brom

If you are planning to attend the Hawthorns, home of West Brom, anytime soon, you may just bump into multi-award-winning actress Dame Julie Walters.

Walters, famous for her roles in the Harry Potter series and Mamma Mia!, is an avid Baggies fan, having grown up in nearby Smethwick.

Niall Horan – Derby County

When you think of Niall Horan, football is probably the last thing that comes to your mind.

However, the pop star, formerly of the band One Direction, has long been a Derby County fan, despite growing up in Ireland and spending his adult life between London and Los Angeles.

In 2024, he was seen watching the Rams take on Middlesbrough in a Championship clash at Pride Park.

Horan was clearly trying to convert his long-term girlfriend, Amelia Woolley, into a Derby supporter, as she was by his side as he cheered them on.

Craig David – Southampton

Craig David is one of the biggest British artists of all time, having scored 16 top ten singles in the UK alone, but away from music, he is a massive Southampton fan.

Prior to rocketing to fame in his early 20s, Craig lived on the Holyrood Estate near Southampton city centre from the age of one, and it was there that his love for the Saints began.

In 2019, David was handed the opportunity to join some of the Saints team, back when they were in the Premier League, for a series of drills at the club’s training ground, ahead of his very own gig at St. Mary’s.

Speaking at the time, David said: ‘I’ve been a Saints fan all my life. To play a gig at St Mary’s Stadium to celebrate bringing my hometown the best connection in the UK is amazing.

‘I have nothing but fantastic memories in Southampton, and I hope the night was unforgettable for everyone.’

Louis Tomlinson – Doncaster Rovers

The 1D boys certainly love football, don’t they?

Niall is not the only member of the boy band that once took the world by storm to support a club in the English Football League; Louis Tomlinson is, in fact, a die-hard Doncaster Rovers fan.

Tomlinson was born and raised in Doncaster and is a lifelong fan of the club, who are now in League One. Back in 2014, he even attempted a takeover of the club.

The pop star had hoped to transform Rovers into a football powerhouse and became the public face of the campaign to find the club a buyer, launching a crowdfunder to raise £6million in investment. 

However, Louis was unaware that the primary investors – who had pledged a whopping £500,000 to the cause – were in fact a gang of criminals.

Details of the scam emerged last year after Kevin Phelan and his co-defendants Daniel Giles and Adrian Bashforth were convicted of siphoning cash from people’s retirement funds, The Mirror reported.

The deal ultimately fell through as the crowdfunder raised just £600,000 and Phelan’s investment promises were empty.

Robbie Williams – Port Vale

If you’ve watched the film Better Man, a musical drama about the life of Pop star Robbie Williams, then you will know who he supports.

Having grown up in Stoke-on-Trent, Williams, whose solo hits include Angels, Let Me Entertain You, and Come Undone, has always had an undying love for Port Vale.

The singer was said to be considering a Wrexham-style takeover at the League One side in 2024, but the club quickly debunked rumours.

Williams is, however, the honorary club president, and has a suite at the club’s ground named after him.

At the time, he said: ‘My life is bizarre and wonderful and has taken many turns and twists, and to find myself from the Railway Paddock to be ‘El Presidente’ is pretty special.’

Stephen Fry – Norwich 

Another celebrity who is more than just a fan of their club is the famous TV presenter Stephen Fry.

Fry is famously a lifelong fan of Championship side Norwich City and in the past has used his celebrity status to raise awareness for the Canaries over the past few years.

But he also served on the board of directors for six years under the former long-time owner, and celebrity cook, Delia Smith, between 2010 and 2016.

Fry’s affection for the club was on full show just over a decade ago, as he could be seen cheering his beloved club on from the Wembley stands, while draped in a yellow and green scarf, as they beat Middlesbrough in the 2015 Championship play-off final.

Michaela Strachan – Oxford United

Michaela Strachan may be best known for venturing into the wilderness, presenting the UK’s most-loved wildlife programmes, but on occasion, you can also see her sporting a bright yellow jersey and screaming chants from the stands.

That’s because the television star, who also had a brief but successful music career in the late 80’s and early 90’s, is an Oxford United fan.

Strachan was in attendance as one of 30,000 U’s fans backing their side at the League One play-off final at Wembley two years ago.

It turned out to be a joyous day for the now 59-year-old, as Oxford famously dispatched of Bolton Wanderers 2-0 to secure promotion to the Championship, where they still play their football, for the first time in 25 years.   

Bjorn Borg – Charlton

Bjorn Borg loves England. That’s a fact.

The tennis legend has had a strong affinity for the country since his days of dominance at Wimbledon. The Swede romped to five singles titles in SW19 during the late 70s and early 80s, when he was just a young star.

But his ties to south London go beyond being a mercurial winning machine on the court; he is also a Charlton Athletic fan.

You’d think that maybe he fell in love with the Championship side during his time in the capital as a tennis player, but you would be wrong. In fact, Borg was actually born into a family of Addicks supporters.

In 2007, Borg told the Liverpool Echo: ‘My father and grandfather both supported them all their lives, so I didn’t really have a choice.’