Rising fuel costs hit football fans
- Supporters travel average 1,889 miles a year – but it’s down on last year
- Chelsea fans will travel furthest - 2,385 miles
- One in ten supporters will travel more than 5,000 miles
Football fans are going the distance in support of their team – and it’s an average 1,899 miles a year, according to new research* from Virgin Money. That’s 132 miles a year less than a year ago when Virgin Money last conducted the research but still works out at around 50 miles a league game for Premiership sides and 41 miles a league game in the Championship and Leagues 1 and 2.
It is perhaps not that surprising that overall travelling is down as costs are remorselessly rising as measured by Virgin Money’s Football Fans Inflation Index in 2006 – it shows matchday costs for fans have risen 7.2 per cent since the start of the year and by 31.5 per cent compared to when the index launched in January 2006
The price of a gallon of petrol has increased by 17 per cent to £4.78 since launch in January 2006 although this has dropped slightly since this time last year when a gallon of petrol would set you back £5.13. However fans who travel by train have seen average rail fares rise by nearly 10% to £17.73 today compared against £16.16 this time last year.
When it comes to the Premiership, Chelsea fans travel furthest clocking up a total of 2,385 miles a season, a massive 737 more miles a year than Everton fans who estimated they are travelling just 1,648 miles a season.
Based on each Premier League team playing 38 games a season, fans are travelling on average 50 miles per game, while Chelsea fans are trekking a very sizeable 63 miles a match.
And it seems some fans will go to the ends of the earth for their team - a diehard contingent of fans - accounting for around 1 per cent - estimated they were travelling in excess of 15,000 miles a season, equivalent to travelling more than half way around the world.
One in ten Premiership fans is currently travelling over 5,000 miles each season with those from Chelsea, Portsmouth, Manchester United, Birmingham City and Aston Villa most likely to clock up the big miles.
Chelsea have replaced Portsmouth at the top of the travel league table, with the average Pompey travelling over a hundred miles less this year down to 2,301 from 2,410.
Virgin Money’s Grant Bather said: “Travelling to games costs not just in time but in cash and increasingly fans are staying at home. The high price of petrol and rail fares make travelling an expensive business and for fans the cost doesn’t stop there, pre-match pints, tickets and match programmes all add up to a day at the ground a big commitment.
“Different kick-off times with late Saturday games, Sunday games, Monday games and mid-week games make travelling difficult.
“It might be good news for weekend traffic levels but it’s not good for the game and a shame for those keen to see their team in action.“
| PREMIERSHIP CLUB | Average mileage in a typical season | Average miles per game | % of supporters travelling 5,000 miles or more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | 2,385 | 63 | 18% |
| Sunderland | 2,370 | 62 | 7% |
| Portsmouth | 2,301 | 61 | 17% |
| Manchester United | 2,186 | 58 | 14% |
| Aston Villa | 2,034 | 54 | 13% |
| Burnley | 1,929 | 51 | 8% |
| Liverpool | 1,906 | 50 | 9% |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1,900 | 50 | 9% |
| Stoke City | 1,897 | 50 | 9% |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1,894 | 50 | 7% |
| Arsenal | 1,827 | 48 | 12% |
| Blackburn Rovers | 1,827 | 48 | 11% |
| Hull City | 1,766 | 46 | 6% |
| West Ham United | 1,706 | 45 | 5% |
| Manchester City | 1,705 | 45 | 10% |
| Birmingham City | 1,701 | 45 | 14% |
| Fulham | 1,697 | 45 | 8% |
| Bolton Wanderers | 1,654 | 44 | 9% |
| Wigan Athletic | 1,652 | 43 | 7% |
| Everton | 1,648 | 43 | 7% |
| AVERAGE | 1,899 | 50 | 10% |
Virgin Money’s Football Fans’ Price Index shows that since January 2006 the cost of attending games has risen by 31.5 per cent. The index is aimed at helping supporters keep track of the rises and falls in the costs of supporting their team. The company identified the match day essentials fans buy and keeps tabs on increases and decreases.
At the launch of the index in January 2006, the match day basket of goods** cost £77.95. However the most recent analysis puts the cost at £102.53 – a rise of £24.58. Virgin Money’s Football Fans’ Prices Index runs every three months and the firm’s research team examines the cost of items such as a gallon of petrol, match tickets food, alcohol, train tickets and replica shirts.
-Ends-
Notes to editors:
* Football Fans’ Census interviewed a representative sample of 4,003 football fans between 5th and 13th October 2009
** The basket of goods includes a gallon of petrol, a pint of lager, a bacon roll, a train fare, a match ticket, a replica shirt, pay-per-view cost and a match programme.
For further information
Grant Bather, Public Relations Manager, Virgin Money
Tel: 0207 111 1012
Kevan Reilly/Jonathan Henderson Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Tel: 0207 638 9571
About Virgin Money:
- Virgin Money is Virgin’s financial services arm and was established in 1995.
- Virgin Money has more than 2 million customers and offers a wide range of financial products across lending (e.g. credit cards and personal loans), savings (e.g. deposits, investments and pensions) and protection (e.g. life assurance, household and car insurance) to the UK market.
Virgin Money Personal Financial Service Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Registered office: Discovery House, Whiting Road, Norwich NR4 6EJ. Registered in England No. 3072766. Entered on the Financial Services Authority's register number 179271.
About The Football Fans’ Census:
The Football Fans Census is Europe’s leading football research expert. With over 100,000 members The FFC provides a communication channel between the supporter and the football industry.