Note: I’m starting to include it in the title if an article is specific to a certain country, other than the US, since this is a US-based blog. Since I’ve branched out with my staff and I am now living outside the US, I am expecting more and more articles to be directed towards people all over the world. Enjoy this article, and yes for the US readers, this is about “soccer.”
Being a football fan is an expensive hobby. Every year millions of Premier League supporters pay for Sky Sports subscriptions, new season shirts and match tickets to cheer on their favourite club. But there’s a difference price to pay to support each team.
Here, Mike James working with UK-based jersey and replica kit supplier Soccer Box compares the prices of being a fan of both Arsenal and Hull City to see if there really is as big a difference between North and South as the narrative would have you believe.
Season Ticket
- Arsenal: £1,014 – perhaps it’s no surprise that Arsenal – perennial title challengers – are one of the most expensive clubs in the league to watch. The cheapest Arsenal season ticket is £1,014. But it’s the highest priced season ticket of £2,013 that actually leads the league in cost. Amazingly, you even have to pay £15 just to join the waiting list for an Arsenal season ticket.
- Hull City: £252 – unfortunately Hull City fans would have to admit that their team might not quite have the same prestige as Arsenal – but that comes across in the season ticket price. You can get a ticket that will give you entry to all 19 of Hull City’s home Premier League matches for as little as £252.
Parking
- Arsenal: £228 – trying to park anywhere around Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium would be tricky. The vast majority of supporters find other ways to get there. One of the most popular ways is to park at the Cockfosters Underground Station car park for £2 and then take a tube to and from the ground for around £10. So for every home game that will cost you around £228 over the course of the year.
- Hull City: £95 – parking is no problem at Hull. In fact this is one of the only clubs in the Premier League where it is usually possible to park at the stadium on a match day. The cost is £5 for the day. Total that up for the 19 home games and it is £95 for the year.
Match Programme
- Arsenal: £66.50 – the official match day programme will set a fan back £3.50 a time. There are also a range of fanzines available too. For the fans who like to get a programme every time they visit it will cost a total of £66.50 over the course of the season.
- Hull City: £57 – the programme is a little cheaper at £3, so Hull fans will only need to shell out £57 over the year. Is paper cheaper in Hull?
Food & Drink
- Arsenal: £167.20 – London is not famous for its cheap prices on food and drink. Inside the Emirates Stadium it’s no different. It will cost you £4.30 for a beer – amongst the most expensive prices in the league. For those fans hungry for a classic snack in the terraces, you can pay £4.50 for a pie. Assuming at average of one pie and one beer per game, an Arsenal supporter will pay £167.20 over the season for their food and drink at the ground.
- Hull City: £125.40 – in contrast to the Emirates, a beer at Hull City’s KCOM Stadium will cost you £3.50 – one of the cheapest prices in the league for a pint. The pies are cheaper too: £3.10. Throughout the season, using the same basis of a beer and a pie per game, a Hull City fan will pay £125.40.
Merchandise
- Arsenal: £88 – want to get a shirt to wear at the matches? It’ll set you back £55 for a home shirt, or almost double to £100 for an ‘authentic’ home shirt. An Arsenal branded backpack goes for £25, while you can get a mug for £8. Altogether that adds up to £88 for a season’s worth of goodies.
- Hull City: £70 – following the theme, almost everything that Hull City sells is just a little bit cheaper. You’ll pay £45 for your home shirt, £20 for your backpack and £5 for your mug. That’s an overall total of £70 per season on merchandise.
Overall
Totalling up the figures, being an Arsenal fan will cost you £1,564 a year, whereas supporting Hull City will cost you a shade under £600 – and that’s just the cost of going to see them play. There are two of the extreme examples of the Premier League and most clubs lie somewhere between these figures.