The Premier League returns this weekend and with it the question of which adjective describes the competition most accurately. Is it the “best” league in the world, the “most competitive” or simply the “richest”? One description often applied, perhaps because it’s suitably non-specific, is the most exciting league in the world. Step into a ground on match day, however, and you may be forgiven for doubting this was the case.

Television montages remain full of crazy crowds and foreign pros continue to talk up the atmosphere at Premier League grounds but fans know this does not match up with reality. Most matches at most grounds are not rocked by a cacophony of passionate fans. They are largely quiet, frustrated places, enlivened only by goals or perceived malfeasance on the part of referees. Away fans regularly out‑sing home support but even they are getting tired. “Is this a library?” is the most common chant at grounds I’ve visited this season.

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Not all stadiums are the same and neither is every match but the decline in supporter participation is real and, for many, a concern. Most importantly it’s a problem for fans. The songs, the chants, the noise that supporters produce are fun in and of themselves, and I challenge anyone who has participated in a quick “oooooooooh … you’re shit aaaaaahhh” when a keeper takes a goalkick to disagree.

They are much more than that, though. They are an oral history of the club (like Manchester United’s Twelve Days of Cantona), they are an expression of tradition (like Swansea’s Hymns and Arias). Perhaps most important, they are a contribution to the success of their club. A loud, partisan atmosphere helps a team on the pitch.

Why has the hush descended? Any explanation would have to start with money. The Premier League recently revealed the average Premier League ticket price to be £31. That’s not cheap. It may not be that expensive either but the cost is more comparable to that of the theatre than the cinema and it affects people accordingly. When people pay more money, they want to be entertained. Commenting on this, the league’s chief executive, Richard Scudamore, acknowledged just this point: “The two biggest factors governing attendance,” he said, “are the quality and entertainment of the football and ticket prices.”

As the relationship changes and fans become consumers, it’s only to be expected they don’t feel obliged to bring the noise with them. Increasingly, in fact, the loudest noise you’ll hear is when the customers are displaying their dissatisfaction with the product and booing a team off the pitch. Furthermore, the increasing tendency for grounds to empty early or take time to fill up after half-time can also be ascribed to people feeling they’ve paid their money and they’ll take their choice.

Money plays another, unintentional role. Season tickets account for 71% of all match tickets sold in the Premier League (up from 68% last year). They are cost effective, but require a lump sum payment and prioritise those who hold tickets already. This is great for keeping grounds full, and they are at record attendance levels, but bad for bringing new fans to the game. New fans who might be excited to attend a match. New fans who might be young and, you know, noisy.

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Money isn’t everything. The shape of modern stadiums that lets noise drift up into the open air rather than bounce between the terraces. There’s the absence of actual terraces; the distraction of your phone; natural human inhibition, undiluted by easy access to alcohol; the paucity of decent chants (and adapting the Dmitri Payet one for your own club doesn’t count). And that’s without even acknowledging the idea that the last thing on earth you might want to do is sing up for the millionaire snowflakes on the pitch. There are a lot of reasons why things have gone quiet.

What is certain though is hush is not good for the Premier League brand. The bedlam is a key factor in marketing the game abroad and there’s only so long you can jiggle around with the sound levels before TV subscribers start noticing something’s up. Take the £30 away ticket ruling and this week’s upcoming discussion on safe standing as a sign the league realises something needs to be done.

The same applies to clubs – notably Tottenham – looking to create new homes shaped like old stadiums with steep stands close to the pitch and therefore better for generating noise. Or the match-day strategies of Leicester City with their season-long cardboard clappers and Stoke City’s deliberate appeal to children and an under-11s season ticket. Most importantly there are the moves by fans themselves, like Crystal Palace’s Holmesdale Fanatics Ultras, widely credited with making Selhurst Park one of the best atmospheres in Britain.