- Matchday parking in the Premier League is 98 per cent more expensive than in the EFL Championship
- Brighton & Hove Albion is home to the most expensive matchday parking with home fans having to shell out £15 for a space
- Liverpool has the most public car parks within a mile of the stadium (17), closely followed by Everton (15)
- The North East has the cheapest matchday parking, only costing fans £2.66 on average to park close to stadiums
Between expensive TV packages and ever-increasing ticket prices, following your favourite football team can be a very costly affair and supporters seek to save money wherever possible. As such, many match-going fans opt to drive to stadiums to cut costs on train and coach fares. But how car-friendly are the biggest football stadiums in England? Will you save money commuting by road or incur further costs? Reflecting on these questions, Vertu Motors, the official car retailer for Middlesbrough FC, analysed the parking options and average prices for every football club in the Premier League and EFL Championship. The research found that matchday parking in the Premier League is 98 per cent more expensive than it is in the Championship. Premier League parking costs averaged out at £6.76 per game across 190 car parks, whereas Championship car parks were much cheaper at £3.42. The EFL Championship also had a much higher frequency of free car parks near stadiums, with over a third of car parks available at no cost to match-going fans.
Sourced from FootyParking, the data analysed the amount of car parks within a one mile radius of stadiums in the top two English divisions. An average car park price for the duration of matches was generated for each football club, which was then used to calculate costs across different leagues and regions. Vertu Motors also found that Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League has the most expensive matchday parking in the country, averaging at £15 for the duration of a game. Car-commuting Seagulls fans are forced to shell out over 200 per cent more for their parking tickets than the national average (£4.98). Five of the traditional Premier League ‘top six’ also make the most expensive car parks list, with only Manchester City avoiding a spot in the top 10. ‘Cityzens’ pay just £5.04 on average for parking during a game near The Etihad.
In terms of car parking options on matchday, it is Liverpool who lead the pack with 17 car parks located within a one mile radius of Anfield. They are closely followed by their local rivals, Everton, as well as Leicester City and Chelsea, who have 15, 13 and 13 car parks close to their stadiums, respectively. In general, Premier League clubs have many more car parks nearby (190) than Championship clubs do (144), with there being a much higher demand in the top division for parking spaces.
Looking at the data regionally highlights the cheapest and most expensive areas across the country for matchday parking, too. The North East, home to Middlesbrough FC and Newcastle United, has the cheapest car park rates in the Premier League and Championship, averaging at £2.66 per stay. Unsurprisingly, fans who commute by car to football games in the North West and Greater London are the most likely to pay out for expensive parking spots during matches. These regions are home to some of the biggest football clubs in the world, not just England, and their costly car parks reflect that popularity.
A Vertu Motors spokesperson commented: “We know the life of a football fan can be very expensive and one of the best ways to cut down on costs is to trade your train ticket for a car commute to each game. “However, expensive car park prices near stadiums can set you back a couple more quid than you initially expected. “To avoid any unpleasant surprises, we recommend always research the area close to the stadium prior to travelling as well as commuting with other fans to split the costs of petrol and parking.” For further insights about Vertu Motors’ matchday parking data, visit the Vertu blog.
