There’s nothing like a pint at the match. You’ve squeezed onto an away coach, wedged yourself into a cramped concourse and you’d like nothing more than a proper beer before the next 90 minutes of emotional trauma. Sadly, in 2025 a lot of clubs seem to think Carlsberg minus the fizz is an acceptable exchange for your hard‑earned cash. As @FootyBevs co‑founder Tom Sibley explained, the Twitter account’s biggest posts are usually “flat pints being sold at £6 or some other ridiculous prices” because fans love a good moan – and boy, do some clubs give us ammunition.
Below is our look at away grounds where you might be better off buying a bottled beer from the station off‑licence. We’ve included prices and fans’ comments from reputable sources so you know we’re not just whinging for the sake of it.
London Stadium (West Ham United)
If you like your beer price tags to look like telephone numbers, welcome to Stratford. According to a 2024 review of TripAdvisor comments, some pints at the London Stadium cost £7.60 each – the priciest in the Premier League – and reviewers repeatedly describe the food and drink as “expensive and average quality”. One poor soul at a Foo Fighters concert even paid £7 for a pint and called the place a “complete rip‑off”. When even West Ham fans feel ripped off you know something’s gone badly wrong. On the plus side, you might see a goal or two – just not from the Hammers.
Emirates Stadium (Arsenal)
Arsenal’s shiny bowl is beautiful to look at and the craft beer stands are courtesy of Camden Town Brewery… but you’ll need an Emirates‑sized bank balance. The footballgroundguide price table puts a pint at £6.35, the most expensive in the league. A gig‑goer on TripAdvisor described the venue as “overpriced and rubbish”; the beer was overpriced and the food “lukewarm”, noting that fans are treated with contempt on the prices. When your beer costs more than a programme and still tastes like regret, it’s not exactly value for money.
American Express Community Stadium (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Brighton’s Amex is a lovely, modern ground with a craft‑beer vibe in the concourses, but the prices have locals spitting out their vegan sausage rolls. A recent survey that trawled through TripAdvisor reviews found numerous fans complaining that refreshments were “expensive and average quality”. One reviewer couldn’t understand how a club in arty Brighton was charging London prices and summed up the beer situation as bleak. Maybe the Seagulls should stick to catching fish.
Portman Road (Ipswich Town)
Ipswich’s home has a proper old‑school feel, but your wallet will feel older when you order a drink. In the same analysis of TripAdvisor reviews, Portman Road ranked third on the “rip‑off scale”. One fan was particularly annoyed to pay £4.50 for a bottle of Peroni Libera (alcohol‑free) when a pint of beer was £4.80, complaining that it doesn’t exactly encourage responsible drinking. When the alcohol‑free option costs almost as much as a pint, you may as well go for the real thing – if you can find some carbonation.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (Spurs)
Spurs’ ground is state‑of‑the‑art. It has a microbrewery and bottom‑filling pint glasses that supposedly pour a beer in ten seconds. Unfortunately, away fans don’t get the VIP treatment. A TripAdvisor reviewer grumbled that the “longest bar in Europe” doesn’t exist for away fans; queues and service were poor and the hyped bottom‑filling glasses weren’t quicker than an old‑school pint. It’s a bit like Spurs’ trophy cabinet – lots of bells and whistles, but not much end product.
St Mary’s Stadium (Southampton)
Saints fans are among the friendliest in the league, but the beer at St Mary’s won’t inspire many hymns. One TripAdvisor review bluntly stated that some games are “a little too expensive and the beer is poor”. Paying through the nose for a pint of frothy dishwater isn’t how you want to remember your trip to the south coast – unless you’re drowning your sorrows after James Ward‑Prowse has curled another free‑kick past your keeper.
Honourable (or Dishonourable) Mentions
King Power Stadium (Leicester City) – The Foxes’ home charges £5.80 a pint. It’s not the most expensive, but paying London prices in the Midlands seems harsh. At least the team are easy on the eye.
Craven Cottage (Fulham) – A pint costs £5.80 and the riverside concourse can get rammed. If you do splash out, enjoy the view of the Thames and hope that nothing falls in.
St James’ Park (Newcastle United) – Cheaper at £4.90, but reports suggest the lager isn’t exactly a taste sensation. Luckily, you’ll soon forget after a night on the Toon.
Places That Get Pints (and Beer Lovers) Right
It’s not all doom and gloom. A few clubs still treat match‑going fans like people rather than walking ATMs. Watford FC recently teamed up with Tring Brewery to create a dedicated real‑ale bar offering five cask ales including a dark stout. Fans loved the pilot scheme so much that the club made it permanent. Meanwhile, Leyton Orient’s supporters’ club has become famous for serving top‑quality real ale at reasonable prices (around £2.10 a pint); CAMRA’s What’s Brewing noted that volunteers maintain excellent beer quality and the bar often sells over 700 pints of real ale on match days. When the beer is good, fans will flock – even if the football is League One.
Final Whistle
Football fans will put up with a lot: drizzle, late winners, VAR… but a flat, overpriced pint might just be the final straw. From West Ham’s champagne prices to Spurs’ ten‑second pints that still take an age, some away days are better approached with a tactical trip to the nearest pub. There are clubs bucking the trend – Watford’s real‑ale revolution and Leyton Orient’s supporters club show what can be done. Until more clubs follow suit, don’t blame us if we tip up to the turnstiles with a supermarket bottle hidden in a sock. It’s not illegal… just resourceful.