Football is one of the most emotional sports in the world. The famous Bill Shankly quote “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you it’s much more serious than that”, has certainly stood the test of time. Supporters work hard all week and travel all over the country to watch their teams play at the weekend. They see following their clubs as a rite of passage, with the game often just part of the overall matchday experience of meeting with friends and visiting new stadiums.
Speaking of stadiums, they play a massive part of the whole matchday experience. Whether it is a ground steeped in tradition or a more modern building, each Premier League ground has its own characteristics.
However, to get a feel of what PL supporters really think, we have surveyed over 3,000 fans from clubs across the league. To remove any bias, fans were asked to rank the stadiums from an away perspective, so they couldn’t vote for their own. So, let’s have a look at where each ground sits in the opinion of Premier League fans.
Criteria
Before jumping into the rankings, it’s worth pointing out the criteria used to rank PL stadiums. These categories are:
- Favourite stadium
- Least favourite stadium
- Best and worst views
- Best atmosphere
- Best food, beer, and value for money
- Most hostile environment
- Are ticket prices fair across the league?
The votes were counted, and the rankings were then given out. Here is what a typical Premier League fan had to say.
Favourite Stadium
Number one on the list is the Etihad Stadium, home of champions Manchester City, pulling in four votes from fans who have travelled far and wide. The Etihad is popular with fans due to its spacious seating, modern design, and easy access. If you are a fan of football, it also doesn’t hurt watching Pep Guardiola’s side play. With stats like Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, even as an away fa,n you have to take your hat off to their quality.
The catering facilities also score well at the Etihad, and it is not difficult to get to the ground by road or by train. Sitting in 2nd place behind the Etihad is Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. Ironically, this has been the case on the pitch the last few years, as well. The Emirates is an excellent, modern ground but the ticket prices are extortionate, and the old ‘Highbury library’ vibes have followed Arsenal to their new ground in terms of lack of atmosphere. Those factors keep it from the top spot.
Least Favourite Stadium
It might come as no surprise to many PL fans, but Goodison Park, the very old home of Everton, didn’t score well on many things. No one can deny it is not steeped in history and tradition, but it was voted as the least favourite stadium by six different groups of supporters. The major complaint was that you can’t actually see the pitch that well.
Goodison is old-school, there are pillars everywhere and this leads to obstructed views. Everything else in the ground is also old, from the food and drink facilities to the toilets. This will be the last season Everton play at Goodison before they move to their brand new home at Bram-Moore Dock, and it seems some fans are very happy about that.
Many fans have complained about poor mobile signal in the ground, leaving them unable to place a wager on their betting app. They have also been unable to view scores from other games, or take and share that photo of the big game.
Worst View
It follows, then, that the worst view was voted as Goodison Park with 10 votes. Those pesky pillars! In second place was Selhurst Park, which clocked up three votes. Palace are known for having a great atmosphere, but, like Goodison, the stands are very old. It seems the modern football fan wants a bit more comfort.
Best View
At the top of the voting for having the best view is the Emirates. It is the opposite of Goodison and Selhurst Park, with an ultra-modern design, which means no matter where you are sitting, you have a great view of the action. Fans were keen to note that the Emirates was clearly designed with the supporter in mind, which gives it a big tick. In second place was their North London rivals, Tottenham, and their new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with four votes. Having been myself, I can safely say it is an astounding stadium with magnificent views and the type of food and drinks facilities that wouldn’t be out of place in a shopping centre.
Best Food, Beer & Value for Money
Premier League tickets have never been more expensive, so fans are always looking for reduced prices and value for money. From trying to claim free bets to getting the best value seats, football fans are always looking for a way to save money. The best ground for value for money, according to our survey, is Villa Park, with three votes. Villa Park is a classic stadium, with the fans close to the pitch creating a great atmosphere.
Villa also picked up the most votes for the best beer, with three votes again. Fans praised the value and range of beer on offer, claiming it was priced favourably compared to other stadia. Beer is important when you work up a first with all the travelling!
For food, the number one ground is Old Trafford, with three votes. The home of Manchester Utd is always in the news, and many will have seen clips recently of leaks around the ground as the roof needs major work. But it seems fans are more than happy with the food available.
Best Atmosphere
It what certainly came as a surprise to me, the best atmosphere award went to the Etihad, with six votes from rival fans. There has been a longstanding accusation that City fans wait to be entertained rather than galvanise their side, but that appears not to be the case. Lots of work has gone into improving the match day experience at City since their takeover all those years ago, and it would appear those changes are paying dividends.
Second place went to Anfield, with three votes. Liverpool fans are famous for the atmosphere they create, particularly on European nights, and that seems to be replicated in the Premier League, as well.
Most Hostile Stadium
West Ham’s London Stadium came out tops for the toughest, most intimidating away day with seven votes. The biggest criticism of this ground is the distance the stands are from the pitch, but West Ham fans have done everything to overcome that, turning up the heat on away fans.
Away fans have described the feel of visiting the ground as “intense”, but not dangerous. The Hammers’ former ground, Upton Park, was notorious for being a hostile place, and this is no different. Second on the list was Stamford Bridge, with four votes. Chelsea’s ground is one of the older one’s in the league, and the home fans use the character and acoustics it generates to good effect.
Are Ticket Prices in the Premier League Fair?
One of the biggest takeaways from the survey was how many fans are furious with the ticket pricing. To further that point, 100% of Liverpool fans answered ‘no’ when asked if ticket prices are reasonable. Alongside Leicester City (82%), Crystal Palace (77%), Nottingham Forest (71%), and Tottenham Hotspur (57%), it is clear that pricing is a massive problem.
Villa Scoop Prize for Best Away Day in Premier League
So, Villa Park takes the prize in our survey of the best ground to visit in the Premier League. This famous old club has had some tumultuous times recently, playing in the Championship only five years ago, a massive fall from grace for former European Cup winners. But under Unai Emery, they are getting back to those heady days, claiming fourth place in the league last year and playing Champions League football this season.
With a superb atmosphere, reasonable prices, and an excellent matchday experience, Villa Park seems to be the place to be for PL fans. There is a three-way tie for the runners-up spot, with Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge, West Ham’s London Stadium, and Brighton’s Amex Stadium all second in the list.
