Sheffield named one of the UK’s cheapest cities to watch the World Cup Qualifiers
England are off to a perfect start in the World Cup Qualifiers, winning all five of their opening games, and fans are already heading to pubs to catch every goal. For anyone looking to enjoy the matches without spending a fortune, Sheffield is a strong option.
Which UK cities are the cheapest places to watch the World Cup Qualifiers? A new study by BetWright has the answer. Researchers looked at 73 major areas, measuring travel costs to the pub, beer prices, food prices, and the number of sports pubs per 10,000 residents. Travel and beer were weighted most heavily (30% each), food slightly less (25%), and pub availability a bit lower (15%). Using data from Numbeo and Use Your Local, the study provides one of the most detailed looks at football-watching costs in the UK.
Sheffield rounded out the top 10 with a score of 61.44. Travel to the pub averages £14.18, beer is £4.07, and meals cost £14.00. While the number of sports pubs isn’t the highest (43rd nationally), Sheffield’s consistency in affordability makes it an attractive spot for fans to catch England’s qualifiers without stretching their wallets.
Other cities rounding out the top ten include Salford, Preston, Lancaster, Ely, Lichfield, Hull, Wakefield, York, and Bradford, all providing good value for matchday.
At the other end of the scale, Lisburn, London, Cambridge, and Oxford scored under 20, largely due to high food, drink, and travel costs. Even some major football hubs didn’t rank well: Manchester (67th), Edinburgh (68th), Birmingham (42nd), Newcastle (46th), Leeds (50th), Glasgow (53rd), and Liverpool (36th).
Top 20 list of the cheapest UK cities to watch football matches:
| Rank | City | Sport pubs per 10K | Travel to pub cost | Average beer price | Average food price | Final Score |
| 1 | Salford | 39.54 | £14.18 | £3.40 | £12.50 | 72.68 |
| 2 | Preston | 41.67 | £11.68 | £4.00 | £12.47 | 71.24 |
| 3 | Lancaster | 12.57 | £21.66 | £3.00 | £10.00 | 70.15 |
| 4 | Ely | 209.00 | £18.00 | £3.88 | £14.25 | 69.99 |
| 5 | Lichfield | 155.43 | £13.60 | £4.00 | £15.00 | 69.71 |
| 6 | Kingston upon Hull | 8.16 | £11.04 | £3.75 | £15.00 | 65.75 |
| 7 | Wakefield | 30.91 | £12.18 | £4.07 | £14.00 | 65.41 |
| 8 | York | 15.87 | £12.88 | £4.07 | £14.00 | 63.45 |
| 9 | Bradford | 25.15 | £14.18 | £4.07 | £14.00 | 62.24 |
| 10 | Sheffield | 12.89 | £14.18 | £4.07 | £14.00 | 61.44 |
| 11 | Nottingham | 16.24 | £10.72 | £4.50 | £15.00 | 60.30 |
| 12 | Leicester | 8.22 | £13.60 | £4.00 | £15.00 | 60.04 |
| 13 | Wrexham | 15.20 | £16.14 | £4.00 | £14.00 | 59.45 |
| 14 | Newport | 35.75 | £14.68 | £4.50 | £14.00 | 58.56 |
| 15 | Wolverhampton | 24.14 | £12.72 | £4.50 | £15.00 | 58.03 |
| 16 | Chester | 64.48 | £13.18 | £4.75 | £15.00 | 57.89 |
| 17 | Stirling | 33.63 | £15.74 | £5.00 | £12.00 | 57.65 |
| 18 | Westminster | 80.89 | £12.80 | £5.00 | £15.00 | 57.36 |
| 19 | Derry | 17.48 | £18.98 | £4.25 | £13.00 | 56.00 |
| 20 | Colchester | 12.05 | £16.00 | £5.00 | £12.00 | 55.87 |