Newcastle United superfans would need to spend 24% of their annual income to support their team.

That’s according to Betsson, who set out to calculate the annual cost of supporting each club. They analysed how this compares to the average annual salary of each city each football club is based in and the number of hours fans would need to work to afford it, identifying which club is the most expensive to support.

Highlights from the research:

• Newcastle superfans spend the most each year (£7,455.35) accruing for 24% of their annual salary of £31,126.08
• They spend the most on match tickets and travel per season (£6,923)
• Bournemouth is in second place but would need to work the most hours to afford this cost (456)
• Fulham has the highest season ticket cost of all clubs (£1,869) 
• Manchester United’s home shirt is the most expensive (£110)
• Brentford superfans spend the least in a season (£4,128.53) 
• Both Crystal Palace and Brentford are the most affordable clubs to support

The total costs of supporting these Premier League clubs in a year: 

The above graphic can be downloaded here, and you can find the full, comprehensive dataset with all figures analysed here.

Newcastle superfans spend the most per season 

Betsson can reveal that Newcastle United is the most expensive Premier League club to be a superfan of, with a yearly cost of £7,455.35. Their fans face the highest total annual ticket costs + travel to away games of all clubs (£6,923) and the highest away game travel costs (£5,440), which is largely due to the club’s northern location, often requiring extensive travel to reach away matches. 

AFC Bournemouth is the second most expensive club for superfans, with the yearly cost of £6,704.94. If a superfan were to purchase merchandise once a season, they’d spend an average of £61.94, the highest of all clubs. They also have the third highest away game travel costs of all clubs (£4,734), which reflects the club’s southern location, which requires long-distance travel to all away matches. 

Manchester City is the third most expensive club, with a yearly cost of £6,037.24. They also have the third-highest total annual ticket costs + travel to away games (£5,539), reflecting the club’s central location and frequent travel down to away matches in London and the South Coast. Additionally, Manchester City superfans spend an average of £61.64 on merchandise annually, the second highest in the league, just £0.30 less than Bournemouth in first place.

Brentford is the most affordable Premier League club for superfans, with a yearly cost of £4,128.53. They are the cheapest club to follow to away games, with total ticket costs + travel to away games per year totalling £3,684.50, reflecting the club’s London location, which reduces travel costs for many away matches throughout the season. Additionally, their home shirts are the most affordable, costing £60, tying with Crystal Palace and Southampton, and their full kits cost £103, the second-cheapest, just above Southampton at £97, highlighting the club’s affordability for dedicated supporters.

How many hours these club’s fans would need to work to afford to support them:

• Bournemouth fans have to sacrifice the highest percentage of their salary (27%) to afford the annual cost, and they would have to work the most hours to afford it (456 hours/19 days).
• Newcastle is in second place; though their annual cost is the highest, their fans would need to spend 24% of their income (£31,126.08) and would need to work approximately 410 hours (17 days) to afford it. 
• London clubs like Tottenham, Arsenal, and Chelsea are more affordable, costing just 11-13% of their salary, thanks to London’s average income (£39,030.96).
• Ipswich’s annual costs account for 22% of their regional salary (£21,087.00), despite a lower yearly cost (£4,706.93).
• Crystal Palace and Brentford are the most affordable, both requiring just 11% of their income and requiring around a week’s work to afford it (186 hours). 

Methodology:

1. Betsson aimed to calculate the annual cost of being the ultimate Premier League fan to identify the most expensive club for superfans.

   • An “Ultimate fan” was defined as someone attending all home and away games, purchasing all major kits, training wear, and additional merchandise.

2. Fixture data for the 24/25 season was sourced from the Premier League website to determine away game origins and destinations.

3. Train travel costs for away games were calculated using Rome2Rio for all clubs and routes, excluding city origin travel and home game travel.

   • Total season train costs were based on typical prices, with potential savings from advance bookings.

4. Away ticket costs were set at the capped price of £30 per ticket for 19 away games.

5. Season ticket data was collected from each club’s website, using the lowest and highest adult prices to determine a median price.

6. Club store pages were scraped for item prices, including home kits, away shirts, third kits, scarves, hats, caps, jackets/hoodies, and training kits.

   • Average non-children’s item prices were calculated and multiplied by 52 to estimate annual merchandise costs for weekly purchases.

7. Total costs were calculated by combining travel, ticket, season ticket, and merchandise expenses to estimate annual fan spending for each club.

8. The average annual salary for cities that each club are based in was taken from Numbeo.

9. Data is accurate as of 9th January 2025 but is subject to change.

Notes for Editors:

Copyright: (IOIO Images): Shutterstock.com