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Away Day Index: Which are the best away days for English football fans?
From buying a piece of merchandise to putting faith in your favourite team when it comes to football betting, fans of the sport can show their loyalty in many different ways. Clubs at the top tier of English football are pulling in millions of match attendees each year, but which stadiums are the highest rated by away fans on the road, living it?
Win or lose; an away day is as integral to English football as the weekend acca at a football betting site
To find out, our team at OLBG has collected data on each stadium’s Google review score, average beer and pie prices, distance to the nearest car park or train station, and number of football-related arrests.
The Vitality Stadium is the best in the Premier League for an away day match, recording an ‘Away day score’ of 7.07/10
Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium is officially the best stadium for an away day. Top-ranked for good reason, Bournemouth's ground has all the right ingredients: beer at £4.20, pies at £3.50, and a car park practically on the doorstep for just £1. With the train station only 1.3 km away, it’s a breeze to get in and out of, and it’s one of the safest grounds in the league, with zero football-related arrests during the 23/24 season.
However, Vitality Stadium allows a maximum of 2,000 away fans. This means that while it’s the best place for an away day out, tickets can be hard to come by.
Molineux Stadium, home to Wolves, isn’t far behind, scoring 6.61. Molineux has a strong Google rating of 4.6 stars and is just a short walk from the station, making it a favourite for its lively atmosphere and ease of access.
Anfield, St. James’ Park, and the City Ground also rank high, each earning 6.54, though they’re knocked down a peg by a few extra travel logistics and higher arrest stats. Still, they’re classic football destinations where history and fan energy can make a match day unforgettable.
With an ‘Away day score’ of 2.56/10, the King Power Stadium is the worst Premier League stadium to visit as an away fan
The King Power Stadium ranks as the worst away day in the Premier League, scoring 2.56 out of 10. Away fans could find the high prices hard to swallow, with beer at £5.80 and pies at £4.00. Parking isn’t cheap either, with the nearest car park a kilometre away and costing £10. However, with only one home win out of the first five games in the 24/25 season at the time of writing, there’s a good chance your team could come away with something.
Fulham's Craven Cottage isn’t far behind, with high prices and limited parking, which set it up as a less-than-ideal away day. Other stadiums that rank low on the list include Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park, West Ham’s London Stadium, and Chelsea's Stamford Bridge. Despite being popular venues, these grounds can be tough for away fans, thanks to some of the highest numbers of football-related arrests in the league — Stamford Bridge saw 73 incidents last season.
| Rank | Stadium | Team | Google Score | Pint | Pie | car park (km) | car park Cost | Train Station (km) | Arrests | Away day score (/10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vitality Stadium | Bournemouth | 4.4 | £4.20 | £3.50 | 0.1 | £1.00 | 1.3 | 0 | 7.07 |
| 2 | Molineux Stadium | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 4.6 | £5.00 | £3.10 | 0.2 | £5.00 | 1.0 | 16 | 6.61 |
| 3 | St. James' Park | Newcastle United | 4.6 | £4.90 | £3.60 | 0.3 | £7.20 | 0.2 | 14 | 6.54 |
| 3 | City Ground | Nottingham Forest | 4.7 | £5.20 | £3.00 | 0.1 | £5.00 | 1.4 | 33 | 6.54 |
| 3 | Anfield | Liverpool | 4.7 | £3.30 | £3.40 | 0.8 | £5.00 | 2.3 | 19 | 6.54 |
| 6 | Gtech Community Stadium | Brentford | 4.6 | £5.25 | £3.50 | 0.3 | £3.00 | 0.2 | 40 | 6.39 |
| 7 | Portman Road | Ipswich Town | 4.4 | £3.50 | £4.95 | 0.1 | £4.00 | 0.8 | 4 | 5.94 |
| 8 | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium | Tottenham Hotspur | 4.7 | £5.10 | £3.50 | 1.3 | £3.80 | 0.3 | 79 | 5.64 |
| 8 | Villa Park | Aston Villa | 4.5 | £5.20 | £3.60 | 0.6 | £5.00 | 0.3 | 20 | 5.64 |
| 10 | Old Trafford | Manchester United | 4.6 | £3.00 | £3.90 | 0.3 | £10.00 | 0.5 | 60 | 5.49 |
| 10 | Goodison Park | Everton | 4.4 | £4.55 | £3.30 | 0.1 | £10.00 | 1.3 | 28 | 5.49 |
| 12 | Etihad Stadium | Manchester City | 4.6 | £4.60 | £5.50 | 1.0 | £6.00 | 0.1 | 88 | 4.29 |
| 12 | St. Mary's | Southampton | 4.4 | £5.50 | £3.50 | 0.5 | £10.00 | 1.9 | 2 | 4.29 |
| 14 | The Amex | Brighton & Hove Albion | 4.5 | £4.95 | £4.10 | 0.9 | £15.00 | 0.2 | 31 | 4.14 |
| 15 | Emirates Stadium | Arsenal | 4.6 | £6.35 | £3.90 | 13.9 | £2.00 | 0.3 | 66 | 4.13 |
| 16 | Stamford Bridge | Chelsea | 4.6 | £5.70 | £3.50 | 0.7 | £34.99 | 0.3 | 73 | 3.98 |
| 17 | London Stadium | West Ham United | 4.4 | £3.90 | £3.90 | 1.4 | £9.40 | 0.6 | 67 | 3.61 |
| 18 | Selhurst Park | Crystal Palace | 4.3 | £5.00 | £4.00 | 1.0 | £14.99 | 0.8 | 21 | 3.23 |
| 19 | Craven Cottage | Fulham | 4.5 | £5.80 | £4.50 | 1.5 | £6.40 | 1.3 | 20 | 2.93 |
| 20 | King Power Stadium | Leicester City | 4.6 | £5.80 | £4.00 | 1.0 | £10.00 | 1.9 | 67 | 2.56 |
Portsmouth’s Fratton Park is the best ground in the Championship for an away day match
Fratton Park, Portsmouth’s home ground, ranks as the top Championship away day spot. Fratton is an easy choice for a great day out with its classic, no-frills atmosphere and fan-friendly prices. You can get your food and a drink for just £7, just two pounds more than the nearest car park.
Right on its heels is West Brom’s The Hawthorns. Recorded as the highest ground above sea level in the country, this venue gets rave reviews (4.7 stars on Google), has fair prices on the essentials, and is close to parking and public transport, making it one of the most fan-friendly away trips in the league.
In third, Millwall’s The Den and Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium tie with scores of 6.40. The Den stands out with free nearby parking and affordable pints, though its 36 arrests this season mean it’s got an intense atmosphere that’s not for the faint-hearted. Burnley’s Turf Moor rounds out the top five with some of the lowest prices (beer for £3.20 and pies for £3), though it’s seen a few incidents.
Loftus Road is named the the worst Championship stadium to visit as an away fan
QPR’s Loftus Road is the worst Championship stadium to visit as an away fan, with a score of just 2.98. Fans face a mix of high costs, with beer at £4.60 and pies at £3.60, and a bit of a hike to the nearest car park (0.9 km away), which costs £6.60.
Pride Park, home to Derby County, comes in next with a 3.66 score. Despite good parking accessibility, similar arrest rates and higher pie prices make it another challenging destination.
Cardiff City and Swansea City’s stadiums also feature in the bottom rankings. Cardiff’s away day score of 3.73 reflects its higher-than-average arrest rate (27) and pricey matchday food, while Swansea’s location, 2.4 km from the train station, adds to the travel hassle. Rounding out the bottom five is Bristol City’s Ashton Gate with a 4.22 score, thanks to high parking fees of £15, although its atmosphere is generally considered lively.
| Rank | Stadium | Team | Google Score | Pint | Pie | car park (km) | cost | Train Station (km) | Arrests | Away day score (/10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fratton Park | Portsmouth | 4.5 | £3.50 | £3.50 | 0.7 | £5.00 | 1.0 | 4 | 7.14 |
| 2 | The Hawthorns | West Bromwich Albion | 4.7 | £3.60 | £3.40 | 0.5 | £4.00 | 0.5 | 14 | 7.08 |
| 3 | The Den | Millwall | 4.4 | £3.50 | £3.50 | 0.2 | £0.00 | 0.3 | 36 | 6.40 |
| 3 | Riverside Stadium | Middlesbrough | 4.5 | £3.60 | £3.00 | 0.1 | £6.00 | 1.3 | 29 | 6.40 |
| 5 | Turf Moor | Burnley | 4.4 | £3.20 | £3.00 | 0.3 | £6.00 | 1.4 | 22 | 6.15 |
| 6 | Kenilworth Road | Luton Town | 4.1 | £3.50 | £3.50 | 0.7 | £2.50 | 1.4 | 5 | 5.90 |
| 7 | Ewood Park | Blackburn Rovers | 4.2 | £3.50 | £2.80 | 0.1 | £10.00 | 1.3 | 28 | 5.84 |
| 7 | Bramall Lane | Sheffield United | 4.5 | £3.50 | £3.50 | 0.7 | £6.00 | 1.4 | 15 | 5.84 |
| 9 | Coventry Building Society Arena | Coventry City | 4.3 | £3.60 | £3.00 | 0.1 | £18.00 | 0.2 | 22 | 5.78 |
| 10 | Carrow Road | Norwich City | 4.5 | £3.50 | £3.00 | 1.5 | £6.00 | 0.8 | 32 | 5.72 |
| 11 | Home Park | Plymouth Argyle | 4.5 | £3.50 | £3.50 | 0.6 | £10.00 | 1.9 | 8 | 5.65 |
| 12 | bet365 Stadium | Stoke City | 4.3 | £3.60 | £3.20 | 0.1 | £5.00 | 3.1 | 19 | 5.47 |
| 13 | Deepdale | Preston North End | 4.3 | £3.60 | £3.00 | 0.1 | £12.50 | 2.7 | 8 | 5.40 |
| 14 | MKM Stadium | Hull City | 4.3 | £3.90 | £3.20 | 0.1 | £5.00 | 1.9 | 21 | 5.34 |
| 14 | Stadium of Light | Sunderland | 4.4 | £4.10 | £3.10 | 0.1 | £15.00 | 0.6 | 19 | 5.34 |
| 16 | Elland Road | Leeds United | 4.6 | £5.00 | £3.80 | 0.1 | £5.00 | 1.9 | 22 | 5.28 |
| 16 | Kassam Stadium | Oxford United | 4.0 | £3.50 | £4.00 | 0.1 | £0.00 | 5.8 | 14 | 5.28 |
| 18 | Hillsborough Stadium | Sheffield Wednesday | 4.3 | £3.50 | £3.50 | 0.2 | £7.00 | 4.8 | 10 | 4.97 |
| 19 | Vicarage Road | Watford | 4.4 | £3.50 | £4.20 | 0.8 | £12.00 | 1.1 | 7 | 4.60 |
| 20 | Ashton Gate | Bristol City | 4.5 | £3.95 | £3.70 | 0.5 | £15.00 | 1.3 | 14 | 4.22 |
| 21 | Swansea.com Stadium | Swansea City | 4.4 | £3.90 | £3.90 | 0.3 | £6.00 | 2.4 | 12 | 4.10 |
| 22 | Cardiff City Stadium | Cardiff City | 4.4 | £4.30 | £3.90 | 1.0 | £5.00 | 0.3 | 27 | 3.73 |
| 23 | Pride Park Stadium | Derby County | 4.4 | £4.20 | £3.80 | 0.3 | £8.00 | 1.3 | 22 | 3.66 |
| 24 | Loftus Road | Queens Park Rangers | 4.1 | £4.60 | £3.60 | 0.9 | £6.60 | 0.6 | 22 | 2.98 |
What does the latest arrest data tell us about the safety of Premier League and Championship fans on matchday?
Football is full of badly behaved fans, and the biggest cause of trouble at stadiums is public disorder, making up 34% of arrests (404 in total) during the 23/24 season. Right behind public disorder is entering the stadium in possession of class-A drugs, which led to over one in five (21%) arrests, or 249 in total.
Violent disorder also remains a problem, with 215 arrests (18%), while missile throwing (91 arrests, 8%) and alcohol-related offences (90 arrests, 8%) show that some fans still can’t resist throwing objects or overindulging in booze. Other offences, like bringing pyrotechnics into the stadium (45 arrests), pitch invasions (35 arrests), and ticket touting (26 arrests), are less frequent but still contribute to the overall trouble in the top two English football leagues.
| Rank | Arrest reason | Total number of football-related arrests across Premier League and Championship (2023/24 season) | Percentage of total arrests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Public disorder | 404 | 34.0% |
| 2 | Entering inside stadium in possession of class A drugs | 249 | 21.0% |
| 3 | Violent disorder | 215 | 18.1% |
| 4 | Throwing missiles | 91 | 7.7% |
| 5 | Alcohol offences | 90 | 7.6% |
| 6 | Possession of pyrotechnics | 45 | 3.8% |
| 7 | Entering the pitch | 35 | 2.9% |
| 8 | Ticket touting | 26 | 2.2% |
| 9 | Criminal damage | 17 | 1.4% |
| 10 | Breach of banning order | 11 | 0.9% |
| 11 | Possession of offensive weapon | 4 | 0.3% |
| 12 | Racist indecent chanting | 1 | 0.1% |
Methodology
We compared all Premier League and Championship stadiums on the following:
Google review score sourced from Google
Average beer price from Football Ground Guide
Average pie price from Away Games
Distance to the nearest suggested car park and the cost from Away Games
Distance to the closest train station from Google Maps
Number of football-related arrests from Gov data*
*This included arrests at each stadium during league games in the 2023/24 season. Additional cup game arrests were excluded from the dataset.
All data was collected on 11/11/2024 and is correct as of then.
