Cost of the Game 19/20: Scottish football's cheapest away days
- Published
A day-trip, sometimes to the other side of the country. A flick through the programme. A pie and a cup of tea. Followed by 90 minutes of high-octane football. But is an away day an affordable experience across Scotland's four divisions?
BBC Scotland's Cost of the Game survey has discovered that the average price for a Scottish travelling fan this season is £24.26 for a single adult ticket, programme, pie and cup of tea. Transport costs obviously add to that.
If you are not fussed about the extras, admission to a game can start at just £12 for adults at the likes of Annan Athletic, Cove Rangers, Edinburgh City and Elgin City - but can also rise all the way up to £52 for the Old Firm derby. But what away day gives you the most bang for your buck in each league?
Premiership - Hamilton
Hamilton Academical is the cheapest away day in the top flight, with £27.50 getting you admission, a programme, a pie and a tea. The latter two are the cheapest in the division at £1.50 each, and the programme is the second-cheapest printed version at £2.50.
If you are bringing along kids, though, elsewhere may be more cost-effective. Hamilton do offer a cost-effective £38 season ticket for under 18s, but those travelling to the FYS Stadium for an away game will be charged £12.
Motherwell and St Johnstone are among clubs with attractive deals for young fans, with the former charging £3 for all under 16s and the latter allowing under 13s in for free with an adult.
Predictably, Rangers and Celtic are by far the steepest away days - the cheapest you can hope for to get a ticket, programme, pie and tea is £35.40 at Celtic Park and £37.80 at Ibrox.
Championship - Alloa & Arbroath
With both costing £23 for a ticket, programme, pie and tea, Alloa and Arbroath are tied for the cheapest away day in the second tier.
Alloa's Recreation Park has a stunning view of the Ochil Hills behind the Railway End, while Arbroath's Gayfield Park's is positioned next to the sea, which makes for an interesting spectacle - not least since a wayward punt combined with lethal winds may carry the ball into the sea.
The sum of £3 to warm yourself from the often-Baltic conditions at Arbroath with a tea and pie at half-time is not a bad deal, but if you prefer a hill-view and kids are tagging along, Alloa may be the place for you - they charge £4 admission for under 16s.
Ayr and Queen of the South are not far behind at £23.60 and £24 for a cheap away day, but best avoiding Dundee if you want a cost-effective Championship day out. You will be at least £30.75 for a ticket, programme, pie and tea at Dens Park, which is more expensive than most Premiership grounds.
League One - Peterhead
In an act of sure to spark outrage, we have decided to crown the second-cheapest away day team in League One as the cheapest.
A trip to Forfar Athletic may technically be the most cost-effective - and they have the accolade of the cheapest pie and tea in the country (just £1.25 and 90p respectively) - but they are also one of three SPFL teams that do not offer a programme, alongside Ross County and Brechin City.
The next cheapest is Peterhead, who also do not offer a physical programme, but do offer a free online edition for every match - so they take the divisional honours at £17.50. As well as an attractive cost for away fans, the north-east club boast the cheapest season ticket in the league for home fans, and offers for young fans including free tickets for under 12s.
If a physical programme makes or breaks the away day for you, taking in a match in the Coo Shed at Stranraer's Stair Park is not much more expensive at £19.50.
League Two - Annan Athletic
All away days in League Two will cost £20 or less for your ticket, programme, pie and tea, and £18.31 on average. But at £16.60, Annan Athletic is the cheapest trip for your money - the only downside is that it is closer to Newcastle United than any other League Two club.
If you are an Elgin City fan, that is more than a nine-hour round trip across over 500 miles by car. Or if you would walk 500 miles, it would take you about six days. If travel is not an issue though, Galabank is the place for a cheap away day, situated next to the River Annan.
The club also boasts by far the best young adult single ticket price in the country with 18-21 year olds only paying £6 - and for home fans it is tied for the cheapest season book in the SPFL at just £150.
There is another cheap away day at other side of the country, with Elgin costing just £17, and the new SPFL away day at recently promoted Cove Rangers is just a little more at £18.