- Green flag study finds Newcastle fans will travel almost 9,000 miles and spend £1,758.82 attending away games
- Arsenal fans will spend the least out of all premier league teams on away travel
With the start of the new Premier League season just days away, a new study by Green Flag reveals how much football fans across the UK will pay in petrol to attend their club’s away games.
With the pandemic causing an 18-month period of disruption for fans, it’s no doubt they will be eager to return to stadiums to watch their beloved club. However, considering the cost of match tickets and travel, watching their club away from home is a steep commitment for football lovers.
With that in mind, breakdown provider, Green Flag, has calculated which Premier League supporters will be hit hardest, both financially and physically, when it comes to travelling by car to watch their team play this season.
The study shows Newcastle fans will spend a whopping £1,758.82 in petrol, travelling 8,724 miles, making them the fanbase with the furthest distance to travel to watch their team play compared to the other 19 Premier League teams. This is the equivalent of spending 7 per cent of the average salary in Newcastle.
Norwich City and Brighton and Hove Albion fans are also estimated to fork out a hefty sum on petrol to watch their teams play away, spending £1,1321.42 (6,554 miles) and £1,303.39 (6,465 miles) respectively.
On the other hand, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are ‘Gunner’ have the easiest away travel to contend with, as the Gooners only need to travel 3,974.69 miles in comparison, translating to £801.35 in petrol costs and 2 per cent of their annual salary.
With the margins for success often decided by such fine lines amongst the top teams in the division, it’s the London based teams that will have the biggest advantage when it comes to the distances they’ll need to travel. Of all the London clubs, West Ham United has the greatest disadvantage traveling a total of 4,774 miles, although all London clubs are in the bottom half of the table when it comes to distance needed to travel.
Hayley Fewster at Green Flag commented: “The appetite for fans wanting to watch their teams play at football grounds across the country will no doubt be higher than ever. However, there is no denying that the expense to honour that commitment can build up. On top of a match day ticket, food and drink expenses and travel costs can really add up. At the same time, the distances that fans are travelling means more time spent on the road, which could lead to potential breakdowns.
“At Green Flag, we want to ensure that fans can enjoy their away day trips without any complications, so we’re urging drivers to ensure their vehicles are road ready. We know that many breakdowns are avoidable if the proper care is taken before and during a trip, so it’s important to undergo a proper inspection of your car before leaving home and taking care on the roads when driving.”
In preparation for a long journey, Green Flag has released the following easy, common sense tips for away travel this season:
- Walk around the car and look for any signs of potential trouble, especially tyres and lights
- Check tyre pressures (spare included) and all fluid levels, make sure to top up if necessary, before your journey
- Make sure your phone battery is topped up prior to making your journey – in the event of a breakdown, using an in-car phone charger without the engine running can flatten the car battery in a very short space of time
- Pack warmer clothes – For those winter away matches always keep some warm clothes, a rug and some comforting snacks in the car in case you get stuck in cold conditions for a long time
- Make sure you have breakdown cover
For the full breakdown of petrol prices, distance travelled, and percentage of average salary spent on away travel, please see the tables below.
Petrol Prices Per Premier League Team
|
| Premier League Team | Totals |
| 1 | Newcastle United | £1,758.82 |
| 2 | Norwich City | £1,321.42 |
| 3 | Brighton and Hove Albion | £1,303.39 |
| 4 | Southampton | £1,276.73 |
| 5 | Burnley | £1,212.60 |
| 6 | Everton | £1,198.39 |
| 7 | Liverpool | £1,166.62 |
| 8 | Leeds United | £1,110.81 |
| 9 | Manchester United | £1,099.79 |
| 10 | Manchester City | £1,085.49 |
| 11 | West Ham United | £962.41 |
| 12 | Crystal Palace | £952.71 |
| 13 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | £926.18 |
| 14 | Chelsea | £926.06 |
| 15 | Brentford | £915.77 |
| 16 | Tottenham Hotspur | £911.89 |
| 17 | Leicester City | £883.12 |
| 18 | Watford | £879.07 |
| 19 | Aston Villa | £842.06 |
| 20 | Arsenal | £801.35 |
Distance Travelled (miles) Per Premier League Team
|
| Premier League Team | Totals |
| 1 | Newcastle United | 8,723.76 |
| 2 | Norwich City | 6,554.25 |
| 3 | Brighton and Hove Albion | 6,464.82 |
| 4 | Southampton | 6,332.88 |
| 5 | Burnley | 6,014.51 |
| 6 | Everton | 5,944.01 |
| 7 | Liverpool | 5,786.44 |
| 8 | Leeds United | 5,509.60 |
| 9 | Manchester United | 5,454.94 |
| 10 | Manchester City | 5,384.02 |
| 11 | West Ham United | 4,773.53 |
| 12 | Crystal Palace | 4,725.43 |
| 13 | Chelsea | 4,600.30 |
| 14 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 4,593.83 |
| 15 | Brentford | 4,542.21 |
| 16 | Tottenham Hotspur | 4,522.99 |
| 17 | Leicester City | 4,380.26 |
| 18 | Watford | 4,360.18 |
| 19 | Aston Villa | 4,176.60 |
| 20 | Arsenal | 3,974.69 |
Petrol Cost of Average Salary Per Premier League Team
|
| Premier League Team | Percentage of Average Salary |
| 1 | Newcastle United | 6.51% |
| 2 | Norwich City | 5.08% |
| 3 | Burnley | 4.85% |
| 4 | Brighton and Hove Albion | 4.65% |
| 5 | Everton | 4.44% |
| 6 | Southampton | 4.40% |
| 7 | Liverpool | 4.32% |
| 8 | Leeds United | 3.83% |
| 9 | Manchester United | 3.79% |
| 10 | Manchester City | 3.74% |
| 11 | Leicester City | 3.27% |
| 12 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 3.19% |
| 13 | Aston Villa | 2.90% |
| 14 | West Ham United | 2.60% |
| 15 | Crystal Palace | 2.57% |
| 16 | Chelsea | 2.50% |
| 17 | Brentford | 2.47% |
| 18 | Tottenham Hotspur | 2.46% |
| 19 | Watford | 2.38% |
| 20 | Arsenal | 2.16% |
For more information about how to show your car some love, visit: www.greenflag.com
- ENDS -
Notes to Editors:
* Petrol prices calculated using https://journeyprice.co.uk/, as of w/c 26.07.21
** Distance travelled calculated by mileage between stadiums using https://journeyprice.co.uk/, as of w/c 26.07.21
*** Average salary taken from https://www.payscale.com for each individual Premier League club, as of w/c w/c 26.07.21
About Green Flag
With over 50 years' experience, Green Flag provides customers with breakdown cover 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Customers have access to a network of breakdown operators across the UK and mainland Europe (Euro Plus cover required).
Green Flag Motoring Assistance is underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
Green Flag and U K Insurance Limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.
Customers can find out more about Green Flag products or get a quote by calling 0345 246 1557, connecting via the Green Flag Rescue Me Application, or visiting www.greenflag.com
Notes to editors:
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