A pint before kick-off is as much a part of the matchday experience as the football itself, but new research reveals that where fans choose to have it can make a significant difference to the price.
New research from credit card experts Zable has revealed the average price of a pint at pubs near each Premier League stadium, and has compared this with the cost of a pint inside each ground, revealing where fans are paying the biggest premiums, and where heading through the turnstiles could actually save money.
You can read the full study here: https://zable.co.uk/money-academy/cost-of-a-pint
Chelsea has the most expensive pubs near its stadium, while Coventry offers the cheapest
While stadium prices can vary considerably, the cost of a pre-match pint at nearby pubs also differs dramatically depending on where fans are heading for kick-off.
Chelsea has the highest average pub pint price of all the stadium locations analysed, at £6.94. Tottenham follows at £6.63, while Crystal Palace (£6.25) and Arsenal (£6.22) also rank among the most expensive locations for a pre-match pint.
The top 10 most expensive:
| Rank | Premier League club | Stadium | Average price at pubs near stadium |
| 1 | Chelsea | Stamford Bridge | £6.94 |
| 2 | Tottenham Hotspur | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium | £6.63 |
| 3 | Crystal Palace | Selhurst Park | £6.25 |
| 4 | Arsenal | Emirates Stadium | £6.22 |
| 5 | Brentford | Gtech Community Stadium | £5.74 |
| 6 | Everton | Hill Dickinson Stadium | £5.73 |
| 7 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Amex Stadium | £5.64 |
| 8 | Aston Villa | Villa Park | £5.48 |
| 9 | Fulham | Craven Cottage | £5.45 |
| 10 | Manchester City | Etihad Stadium | £5.35 |
At the other end of the scale, Coventry has the cheapest average pub pint at £4.16, followed by Sunderland (£4.41) and Hull City (£4.70).
This means there is a £2.78 difference between the most and least expensive locations for a pub pint before fans have even entered the stadium.
The top 10 most affordable:
| Rank | Premier League club | Stadium | Average price at pubs near stadium |
| 1 | Coventry City | Coventry Building Society Arena | £4.16 |
| 2 | Sunderland | Stadium of Light | £4.41 |
| 3 | Hull City | MKM Stadium | £4.70 |
| 4 | Bournemouth | Vitality Stadium | £4.72 |
| 5 | Leeds United | Elland Road | £4.74 |
| 6 | Liverpool | Anfield | £4.95 |
| 7 | Newcastle United | St James’ Park | £5.07 |
| 8 | Manchester United | Old Trafford | £5.18 |
| 9 | Ipswich Town | Portman Road | £5.27 |
| 10 | Nottingham Forest | The City Ground | £5.34 |
Bournemouth has the biggest stadium pint premium, with fans paying 18.64% more inside the ground than at nearby pubs.
A pint inside the stadium costs £5.60 on average, compared with £4.72 at nearby pubs, meaning fans can expect to pay an additional 88p per pint for the convenience of drinking inside the ground.
Leeds United follows closely, with a stadium pint costing £5.60 compared with £4.74 at nearby pubs, an 86p difference, or an 18.21% premium. Sunderland rounds out the top three, with fans paying 13.38% more for a pint inside the stadium than they would at a nearby pub.
Pint price differences at every Premier League club (nearby pubs vs. inside the stadium):
| Rank | Premier League club | Stadium | Pint price in stadium | Average price at pubs near stadium | £ Difference (Stadium vs Pub) | % Difference (Stadium vs Pub) |
| 1 | Bournemouth | Vitality Stadium | £5.60 | £4.72 | £0.88 | 18.64% |
| 2 | Leeds United | Elland Road | £5.60 | £4.74 | £0.86 | 18.21% |
| 3 | Sunderland | Stadium of Light | £5.00 | £4.41 | £0.59 | 13.38% |
| 4 | Nottingham Forest | City Ground | £6.00 | £5.34 | £0.66 | 12.36% |
| 5 | Manchester City | Etihad Stadium | £6.00 | £5.35 | £0.65 | 12.15% |
| 6 | Manchester United | Old Trafford | £5.80 | £5.18 | £0.63 | 12.08% |
| 7 | Aston Villa | Villa Park | £6.10 | £5.48 | £0.62 | 11.31% |
| 8 | Newcastle United | St James’ Park | £5.60 | £5.07 | £0.53 | 10.45% |
| 9 | Fulham | Craven Cottage | £6.00 | £5.45 | £0.55 | 10.09% |
| 10 | Arsenal | Emirates Stadium | £6.80 | £6.22 | £0.58 | 9.32% |
| 11 | Brentford | Gtech Community Stadium | £6.00 | £5.74 | £0.26 | 4.53% |
| 12 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Amex Stadium | £5.80 | £5.64 | £0.16 | 2.84% |
| 13 | Liverpool | Anfield | £4.80 | £4.95 | -£0.15 | -3.03% |
| 14 | Everton | Hill Dickinson Stadium | £5.50 | £5.73 | -£0.23 | -4.01% |
| 15 | Crystal Palace | Selhurst Park | £5.90 | £6.25 | -£0.35 | -5.60% |
| 16 | Chelsea | Stamford Bridge | £6.50 | £6.94 | -£0.44 | -6.36% |
| 17 | Tottenham Hotspur | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium | £6.00 | £6.63 | -£0.63 | -9.55% |
| 18 | Coventry | Coventry Building Society Arena | £3.60 | £4.16 | -£0.56 | -13.46% |
| 19 | Hull City | MKM Stadium | £3.90 | £4.70 | -£0.80 | -17.02% |
| 20 | Ipswich Town | Portman Road | £3.50 | £5.27 | -£1.77 | -33.54% |
*Table ranked by % difference.
Ipswich Town offers the biggest saving for fans who choose to drink inside the ground
At eight of the 20 clubs analysed, fans can actually get a cheaper pint inside the stadium than at a nearby pub. Ipswich Town offers the biggest saving for fans who choose to drink inside the stadium, with a pint costing just £3.50 inside the ground, compared with £5.27 at nearby pubs. That means pints outside the stadium cost around 33.54% more, an impressive £1.77 saving per pint.
Hull City follows, with a stadium pint costing £3.90 compared with £4.70 at nearby pubs, while Coventry fans can save 56p by drinking inside the CBS Arena.
Adam McAllister, Head of Growth at Zable, says: “For many fans, grabbing a pint before kick-off is part and parcel of the matchday experience, but our research shows that where you choose to drink can make a noticeable difference to the price. While stadium pints are often assumed to be more expensive, that’s not always the case, with our research revealing some surprising differences between prices inside grounds and at nearby pubs.
“With the cost of attending football continuing to add up, from tickets and travel to food and drinks, small differences like these can make a real impact on the overall cost of a matchday. Taking a little time to compare prices before heading to the stadium this season could help fans make their money go further, whether they choose to have a pint at the pub or inside the ground.”
Photo by Huy Phan: https://www.pexels.com/photo/emirates-stadium-of-arsenal-in-london-17160683/
Leave a Reply