ENGLAND'S 92 CLUBS RANKED BASED ON EXPERIENCE FOR AWAY FANS

One of the many beautiful things about football is that no two stadiums are exactly the same. From the architecture of the building itself and the material the seats are made of, to the local ambiance around the stadium and the food on offer nearby, each venue is unique.

Of course, that doesn't mean they all make for a good match-day experience. In reality, by the very fact that there are 92 professional teams in four different leagues spread across the EFL, some are inevitably far better than others.

Ranking factors

With that being the case, BetVictor completed a study to form its own Fan Experience Rating. They analysed 10 distinct match-day factors which were: Season ticket price, Price Per Game, Stadium Utilisation, Total Mileage, Number of Votes, Atmosphere, Location, Stadium View, Infrastructure and Food. Let's take a look at the rankings in full:

Clubs Ranked 92nd-81st

Gillingham's Priestfield Stadium voted worst ground for away fans

League Two outfit Gillingham have the unfortunate honour of being ranked rock bottom on this list as Priestfield Stadium fails to impress with a score of 51.20/100, leaving them as the worst experience for fans across England’s top four divisions - no real surprise considering their 'temporary' unsheltered away stand which has been there for years now. Stevenage don't fare much better as the League 1 team's home venue is only marginally better.

It's interesting to note that Premier League teams Luton Town and Crystal Palace make the bottom 10. The Hatters were hoping that the £10m refurbishments at Kenilworth Road was worth it ahead of their first campaign in the top-flight. Forest Green Rovers also rank poorly – whoever had the final say on the food category clearly isn't a fan of vegan burgers.

Clubs Ranked 80th-71st

League One and League Two clubs dominate this section

The next section is dominated by League One and League Two clubs, which is not entirely surprising as many teams at that level just don't have the resources to provide when it comes to certain aspects of the judging criteria. Bournemouth are the only Premier League or Championship side to make the list here.

Showing the differences between the two divisions, the median ticket cost for the Cherries is £43.21, while at Accrington Stanley (the lowest of the bunch) it's just £12.39. Of the 92 clubs, in fact, only Salford City charge less (£10.87). Milton Keynes Dons are also the unfortunate side to have the lowest atmosphere ranking, 30/100, from across the entire list of professional teams.

Clubs Ranked 70th-61st

Featuring Wrexham and West Ham United

While Hollywood may have helped put Welsh outfit Wrexham unexpectedly on the map when it comes to global fame for football clubs, that hasn't helped the Racecourse Ground finish any higher than 68th. Though this can perhaps be forgiven considering it is the oldest international stadium in the world having opened in 1807, and then hosting Scotland as they visited Wales back in March 1877.

As mentioned before, Salford City – owned by Class of 92 members Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, and David Beckham – offer the cheapest median ticket cost per game of professional football in the EFL at just £10.87. In comparison, West Ham United charge £85.26 – their atmosphere rating of 50/100 would have surely ranked higher had they still been playing football at the Boleyn Ground, (Upton Park) instead of moving to the London Stadium

Clubs Ranked 60th-51st

Burnley and Everton ranked in the bottom half

Everton are planning to leave Goodison Park by the 2025–256season and move to a new stadium, currently under construction on Bramley-Moore Dock. Maybe then they'll score better than 64.91/100 on the list. After changing home grounds, however, many teams often initially struggle to recapture the same atmosphere and with a strong current score of 70/100, this could be the case for the Toffees in the future too.

It's interesting to see that League Two outfit Harrogate Town are boosted all the way up to 52/92 on the list thanks, in part, to their very respectable food raking of 70/100. Only AFC Wimbledon and Notts County (who come further down the list) can match this from that division. So if you want to watch some football and grab a bite to eat, the EnviroVent Stadium could be the place to go.

Clubs Ranked 50th-41st

Featuring Ipswich Town and Reading

With a location rating of 80/100, Birmingham City is nearly as good a place to visit as any. Only Newcastle United – who ranked 16/92 all up – have a higher score with 90/100.

Despite playing in League One, Charlton Athletic charge a whopping £630.00 for their most expensive season ticket. This is by far the most in their division and even more than some Premier League teams. Although that's not as much as Ipswich Town, with the Championship club charging £733.00 – only two clubs in that league, Leicester and Norwich, charge more.

Clubs Ranked 40th-31st

Arsenal ranked 36th on the list

Described lovingly by their fans as 'The Carpet', Arsenal's Emirates Stadium is known for having a pristine playing surface, but the atmosphere hasn't always been much to write home about, with rivals dubbing it "The Library" as a less favourable nickname. Still, the location in north London makes for a great day out as the venue scores 80/100 on that front, and also ranks the same score for stadium view and infrastructure.

Fulham are the other Premier League team in this group, and they stand out for having the most expensive season ticket going in English football. Indeed, you can pay as much as £3000 if you want to regularly watch the action last Craven Cottage this term. For reference, League One side Wigan Athletic charge just £366, and they rank one place better than the Cottagers.

Clubs Ranked 30th-21st

Liverpool and Chelsea miss out on top 20

Anfield may well be one of the most iconic stadiums in world football but Liverpool fans will have to settle for 29th spot here, with Leeds United's fantastic Elland Road sitting one place lower in 28th. The Whites are boosted by their 80/100 atmosphere which is as good as any across the rankings.

Interestingly enough, Chelsea's Stamford Bridge performs better than those two venues. They perform notably well when it comes to location, with their 80/100 score matched by Rotherham United and Norwich City who rank 23rd and 22nd respectively. Perhaps Sunderland's Stadium of Light would have performed better if they made more out of their home ground for non-footballing events, as they scored only 79% in terms of stadium utilisation across 2022/23​​​​​​.

Clubs Ranked 20th-11th

Man City six places above Manchester United

It should be noted that Wolverhampton Wanderers and Coventry City are both level with a score of 74.26 here, but the Premier League side score much higher when it comes to stadium utilisation, location and atmosphere while the Sky Blues drag it back with better food and infrastructure.

Brighton & Hove Albion show that they can do more than just brilliant scouting with their 80/100 food ranking, which is on par with Spurs' as the best place to get your scran across all 92 professional grounds. Manchester United sit one place above Newcastle United in the rankings, with Old Trafford viewed as a better experience for match-going fans by the smallest margin of 0.36​​​​​​.

Clubs Ranked 10th-1st

The 10 stadiums that provide best experience for away fans

Now into the top ten. Derby County's Pride Park Stadium is ranked as the best League 1 venue, coming in at eighth, while Bradford City's Valley Parade is best ranked League 2 ground, finishing even higher in fifth. As for the Championship, West Brom and the Hawthorns can't be topped in fourth.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – with unmatched stadium utilisation of 99.20% – sneaks in at third, while Nottingham Forest's City Ground comes in at second. But the best ground for fan experience across the top four tiers this time around is Bramall Lane of Sheffield United. The Blades' home turf has a median ticket cost average of just £22.89, which is the cheapest in the Premier League, while still boasting 80/100 atmosphere, location, and stadium view – making it a worthy winner.

2023-09-12T11:13:57Z dg43tfdfdgfd