Forget xG, the stat most Premier League fans want to know is how many pubs are within one mile of each stadium. The pre-match drink has been an important part of English football culture for over a century, with pubs and the beautiful game complementing each other brilliantly.
Some 239 pubs closed in England and Wales during the first three months of 2024, a 56% increase on the same period in 2023. A shocking statistic, not least for match-going football fans who enjoy pre and post-match drinks.
Pre-match pint lovers will be glad to know that all 20 Premier League clubs have at least one pub within a one-mile radius of their stadium, but as research by OLBG has revealed, some offer more choice than others.
Less than ten pubs within a one-mile radius
Ten Premier League clubs’ one-mile radius offering doesn’t get into double figures. Manchester City, so used to being top of the table, are bottom of the one-mile radius pub league with just TWO pubs situated within a mile of the Etihad Stadium.
Brighton & Hove Albion can only do one better than that, with Southampton offering just four waterholes within a mile of St. Marys. Aston Villa have just eight, but are the club with a pub closest to their stadium: The Villa Tavern is just 0.1 miles from the ground.
| Club | Stadium | No. of pubs within one mile |
|---|---|---|
| Aston Villa | Villa Park | 8 |
| Bournemouth | Vitality Stadium | 7 |
| Crystal Palace | Selhurst Park | 7 |
| Leicester City | King Power Stadium | 7 |
| Manchester United | Old Trafford | 7 |
| Brentford | Gtech Community Stadium | 6 |
| Fulham | Craven Cottage | 6 |
| Southampton | St Mary’s Stadium | 4 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | Amex Stadium | 3 |
| Manchester City | Etihad Stadium | 2 |
Further up the table, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham, Everton, Liverpool, Chelsea and Ipswich Town have between 10 and 30 pubs for supporters to choose from within a mile of their grounds.
All these clubs have pubs within either 0.2 miles or 0.3 miles of their stadiums, which is significantly closer than Wolves, Manchester City, Leicester Crystal Palace and Brentford. At these clubs, you need to walk a minimum of 0.5 miles between bar and stadium.
A new calculation will have to be made for Everton when they relocate from Goodison Park to their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock next season. A quick look at Google Maps suggests that they won’t be able to improve on the 23-strong pub offering Goodison could claim, which means Liverpool will retain the Merseyside-one-mile-radius-pub-derby in 2025/26.
| Team | Stadium | No. of pubs within one mile |
|---|---|---|
| Ipswich Town | Portman Road | 29 |
| Chelsea | Stamford Bridge | 27 |
| Liverpool | Anfield | 25 |
| Everton | Goodison Park | 23 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium | 20 |
| Nottingham Forest | City Ground | 14 |
| West Ham United | London Stadium | 12 |
The top three clubs in the league for pubs within a one-mile radius features a club from the North, a club from the Midlands and a club from the south.
Arsenal fans have a choice of 30 pubs in and around The Emirates Stadium, where they have watched their football for almost 20 years now. A significant jump up from there to the second-most pubs per mile radius finds Molineux where there are 50 pubs to choose from.
However, travelling opposition fans who have made the trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers might be quick to point out that a lot of these pubs don’t always cater for away supporters. We will have to wait for the most-pubs-within-a-mile-radius-that-away-fans-can-use report to be commissioned to see where that leaves Wolves.
Regardless, it’s Newcastle United who remain untouchable at the top of the one-mile-pub radius league. There are an incredible 174 pubs within a mile of St. James’ Park, where the team have played since 1892.
174 pubs within a one-mile radius, you’ll never sing that
| Team | Stadium | No. of pubs within a one-mile radius |
|---|---|---|
| Newcastle United | St James’ Park | 174 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | Molineux | 50 |
| Arsenal | Emirates Stadium | 33 |
At the time of writing the Newcastle owners are conducting a stadium feasibility study to determine whether it would be more beneficial to revamp St. James’ Park, the expansion of which is hemmed in by various roads, railways and listed buildings, or relocate to a different area of the city where a larger capacity might be achievable.
Toon supporters who value a pint as part of the matchday experience might be keen for the club to remain at their current address.
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2025-01-27 16:44:56