New Greene King survey suggests football fans are cutting back on how much they spend supporting their team as cost of living rises

The study, by pub company and brewer Greene King, found that almost two thirds of fans (62%) are attending fewer matches to keep costs down.

What’s more, more than two in five (42%) cash conscious football supporters are buying less merchandise and a third (33%) are opting to only attend away games close to where they live to avoid overspending.

Despite the costs, Brits’ commitment to travelling to watch their club hasn’t waned, with more than a third (36%) of fans willing to spend at least four hours on the road to see their side play away from home, while as many as one in ten (8%) say they’ll travel for as long as it takes to support their team.

Following football is far from cheap, with one in five (20%) fans spending more than £1,000 a year to support their team, and a further one in ten (10%) admitting to spending more than £2,000 on matches, merchandise, and more.

Despite the costs, football fanatics will also stop at nothing to attend their team’s matches. Almost half (45%) surveyed said they will happily take a prospective partner on a date to the football if it means they don’t have to miss their side play.

Not only that, more than a quarter (28%) admit to pulling a sickie at work in order to get to the footy and more than one in ten (11%) will even skip a wedding for the same reason.

Michelle West, Head of Marketing for Greene King Sport said: “Watching football is a huge passion for so many people and it’s remarkable to see the lengths people will go to and the money they spend to support their team.

“With the women’s league due to kick off again this week, it’s going to have more eyeballs on it than ever before following the success of the England team in the summer, and with more than a third of UK fans planning to follow a team this season, we want to reward people for their loyalty and give them an away day experience like no other.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re the Ultimate Away Day fan, or you’re enjoying a casual weekend game, our pubs have everything you need for the perfect matchday experience before.”

To help fans out with matchday costs, Greene King has launched a national competition to find the most committed fans, giving them the chance to win an all-expenses paid, Ultimate Away Day experience.

A supporter of both a women’s and men’s football side will be chosen, with both winners claiming £2,000 worth of Greene King vouchers each and VIP travel to a sport pub of their choice for one matchday*.

To enter, fans need to visit https://www.greeneking.co.uk/competitions/ultimate-away-day, fill out their details and say why they are the ultimate football fan. The competition is live from Thursday 28th September – Sunday 22nd October, with the winner chosen on Tuesday 24th October.