PREMIER LEAGUE FANS PAYING AS MUCH AS £1,200 TO TRAVEL TO AWAY GAMES

Fans can expect to spend around £700⁽²⁾ on fuel if travelling to watch their team play away this season, on average 

●       Newcastle fans face the longest journeys to watch their team on the road this season, totalling more than 8,000 miles over the 10 months. This could cost as much as £1,200 in fuel.

●       Meanwhile, Luton Town fans have the least amount of miles to travel, with the season’s away games totalling just over 2,000. That’s a total of £330 in fuel costs.

●       Further research found that fans spend £79 per game on top of fuel and tickets, on average, bumping costs up further.

●       Almost half (47%) of football fans will travel to fewer away games this season due to the rising costs. And more than 1 in 4 (26%) will only attend away games nearby.

●       So how can you save money on fuel? Confused.com fuel price finder can help fans find the cheapest pumps near them to cut back on costs.

 The 2023/24 football season is underway. And some Premier League fans could be paying around £1,200 to travel to see their team play away over the season, on average⁽¹⁾.

New research from Confused.com found that fans could be spending as much as £709 on fuel to travel to away games.That’s in addition to £570 for away game tickets⁽³⁾, on average. This is based on the average fan travelling around 4,700 miles in total to watch their team play away⁽²⁾.

However, this cost varies from team to team, with some paying significantly more, and travelling more than the average fan. As the most northern team in the league, it’s no surprise that Newcastle United fans face the longest journeys over the course of the season. If they were to travel to every game, they can expect to travel more than 8,000 miles in total. This would work out to be around £1,193 in petrol costs, or £1,209 for diesel.

Meanwhile, Luton Town fans have the fewest miles to travel, with all of their away games totalling just 2,199 miles in comparison. This would cost them around £326 in petrol, or £330 in diesel – a far cheaper season than fans of the Magpies.

Teams with the highest away game mileage for 23/24

Teams with the lowest away game mileage for 23/24

When combining the total mileage for all away games, it’s no surprise that those based most northern and southern travel the furthest over the season. And in comparison, it’s those that are more centralised that have the fewest miles to travel, and therefore the lowest fuel costs.

But which journeys cost fans the most money? According to the research, fans of AFC Bournemouth and Newcastle United face the longest journey when they play at their respective stadiums. Based on the journey from stadium to stadium, fans would travel 714 miles in total, this would cost around £107 in diesel costs, and £106 for petrol.

Top away game journeys for 23/24

Fans of Newcastle United are facing some lengthy journeys to watch their team away this season. But fans of more southern teams may be put out when they realise how long and costly their journey to St James’s park could be. For example, the journey between AFC Bournemouth and Newcastle is 714 miles. Their other away games average just 311 miles return in comparison, with some journeys as short as 71 miles there and back. Similarly, when taking the Newcastle fixture out of the equation, the average return journey for an away game for Brighton Fans is just 293 miles.

Fuel costs may not seem too high for some, especially for the shorter journeys. But this isn’t the only cost to consider when travelling to away games. With Premier League away game tickets capped at £30, fans attending every game would spend £570 over the season. But football fans are also spending an additional £79 per game on food, drinks, merchandise, parking and any accommodation they may need, on average. That’s according to further research by Confused.com. This bumps prices up even further for those travelling regularly.

But according to the research, the average Premier League fan plans to travel to just 4 games this season.Only 1 in 8 (12%) plan to travel to 7 or more. And this is roughly the same across all leagues, with the average fan opting for just 4 away trips this season.

This could be down to the rising cost of living causing people to make sacrifices. In fact, over half (57%) of football fans admitted they plan to travel to fewer away games this year due to increased costs. And 1 in 4 (26%) will only attend away games that are nearby this year due to costs. Others are looking to save on travel, with 1 in 2 (48%) planning to use public or arranged transport. Just under a quarter (24%) are car sharing to split costs.

How much a fan is likely to spend could be a key consideration when deciding whether to travel to an away game. Especially with some journeys costing more than £100 in fuel. But planning ahead and budgeting can keep things affordable so fans don’t have to miss out on any key games. Confused.com’s fuel price finder can help fans find the cheapest pumps near them to fill up at a lower price. That means fans won’t get caught out paying expensive motorway prices. Similarly, Confused.com’s fuel cost calculator can give an estimate on how much their journey could cost and help them budget for their trip.

Louise Thomas, motoring expert at Confused.com car insurance comments, “For football fans the beginning of the new season is a very exciting time. And the idea of travelling to watch their team play away gives them something to look forward to. But it’s no surprise that many fans are choosing to go to fewer away games this season as the price of one trip could cost them hundreds of pounds. Especially as people are spending more than £70 on top of their ticket and travel costs – it becomes an expensive day out.

“Fans don’t need to miss out, though. Fuel is one of the biggest expenses for a road trip, especially those travelling to the other end of the country. You can save money here if you plan ahead and seek out the cheapest places to fill up on fuel. Our fuel price finder will find the cheapest pumps around. That way you can save a few pounds before you set off, and avoid paying motorway fuel prices if you can.”