Liverpool fans celebrate at Anfield in a 2005 file photo. Most football fans in Britain believe crowds influence referees' decisions during matches, according to a survey released on Thursday. Most football fans in Britain believe crowds influence referees' decisions during matches, according to a survey released on Thursday. The national poll of 2,517 fans conducted for the Dana Centre at the Science Museum in London revealed that 98 percent of fans think crowds have an impact on decisions. More than half, however, did not think bias was a problem. When asked which football club gets the most favourable refereeing decisions because of their crowd, 59 percent said Manchester United followed by 15 percent for Chelsea, seven percent for Arsenal and one percent for Newcastle. But Newcastle fans thought they exerted the most influence over referees. "I believe that referees are influenced by environmental pressures -- exactly how that happens is inconclusive ," said Professor Alan Nevill of the University of Wolverhampton who has studied soccer crowds. His research showed that noise had an impact on decisions in favour of the home team. Former international referee David Elleray discussed the findings of the survey on Thursday at a science-of-football event at the Dana Centre.    (Agencies)

本周四公布的一项调查显示，绝大多数的英国足球迷认为，比赛中观众会对裁判的执法产生影响。 这项全国性的民意调查为位于伦敦的科学博物馆达纳中心所做，共有2517名球迷参与。调查显示，98％的球迷认为裁判的判罚决定会受到观众影响。 而超过一半的人认为，裁判吹“偏哨”很正常。 当问及哪个俱乐部队由于他们的球迷而得到了最为有利的裁决时，59％球迷的回答是曼联队，15％的人认为是切尔西队，7％的球迷说是阿森纳队，1％认为是纽卡斯尔队。 不过，纽卡斯尔队的球迷们认为他们对裁判造成的影响最大。 伍尔弗汉普顿大学研究足球观众的教授阿伦·奈维尔说：“我认为裁判确实会受到周围压力的影响，但具体是如何影响的还没有一个定论。” 他的研究表明，噪音会让裁判的判罚偏向主队一方。 前国际裁判大卫·埃勒雷于本周四在达纳中心举行的足球科学活动中对此调查结果进行了探讨。 Vocabulary: crowd: audience（观众） exert influence : 施加影响 inconclusive : 不确定的；非决定性的