Premier League Festive Fixtures Travel Time

by Luke Andrews, 5 December 2023

While many look forward to spending time with families this Christmas, for many football fans, the festive period means just one thing: football and plenty of it. In this article, our resident sports expert, Luke Andrews, will reveal the distance die-hard fans will travel and the time spent on the road supporting their teams in the Premier League over Christmas.

Christmas creates an exhilarating ambience in the Premier League within and beyond the stadiums. It’s a period where devoted fans eagerly set off on voyages to rally behind their teams. In this article, I explore the schedules of Premier League clubs during this time, focusing on the travel obstacles that fans will encounter. I have taken on the task of calculating the distances supporters have to cover when they attend away matches.

I utilised Google Maps to calculate the distance between each team’s home stadiums and their opponents’ grounds. This analysis provides insights into the commitment of these fans. It shows which supporters embark on the longest journeys, pursuing football happiness during this festive season.

Premier League – Christmas Travel – Newcastle United

Newcastle United’s Christmas fixture schedule includes three Premier League matches. They start with an away game against Luton Town on Saturday, the 23rd of December, at 15:00. This is followed by a home fixture against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, the 26th of December, at 12:30. Finally, they face another away game against Liverpool on Monday, the 1st of January at 20:00.

The ‘Toon Army’ is famous for its unwavering support, which will be tested with a gruelling schedule. Away games at Luton on the 23rd and to Liverpool on New Year’s Day mean Newcastle

United fans will spend an estimated 946 minutes on the road, over 15 hours (15.76).

Out of all the 20 Premier League teams, the Geordies face the most stressfull time travelling.

Premier League – Christmas Travel – Burnley

Burnley’s Christmas fixture schedule includes three Premier League matches. They begin with an away game against Fulham on Saturday, the 23rd of December, at 15:00. This is followed by a home fixture against Liverpool on Tuesday, the 26th of December, at 17:30. The last match of the period is another away game against Aston Villa on Saturday, the 30th of December at 15:00.

The 738-mile return trip to London on the 23rd means fans will spend a fair amount of time on the A1. Birmingham on the 30th will mean fans will spend 908 minutes on the road. The bright side for Burnley fans is that they then don’t play another league game until the 15th of January (Luton at home).

Premier League – Christmas Travel – Manchester United

Manchester United’s Christmas fixture schedule includes three Premier League matches. They start with an away game against West Ham United on Saturday, the 23rd of December, at 12:30. This is followed by a home fixture against Aston Villa on Tuesday, the 26th of December, at 20:00. Finally, they have another away game against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, the 30th of December at 17:30.

Christmas is fast approaching… Are you ready, Reds? 👀🎄#MUFC || #RedsWonderland

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 28, 2023

The Red Devils have two away fixtures in a week. Manchester to London (where West Ham is based) is approximately 200 miles, and Manchester to Nottingham is around 80 miles. Baring infamous road works, Manchester United fans can expect to spend 710 minutes on the road, which is enough time to watch The Sound of Music (172 minutes) 4.12 times, but please don’t if you are the designated driver!

As United are inconsistent at the moment, their games are likely to attract plenty of interest at UK betting sites.

Premier League – Christmas Travel – Bournemouth

Bournemouth’s Christmas fixture schedule includes three Premier League matches. They begin with an away game against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, the 23rd of December, at 15:00. This is followed by a home fixture against Fulham on Tuesday, the 26th of December, at 15:00. The last match of the period is another away game against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, the 31st of December at 14:00.

Bournemouth fans have two epic road trips to look forward to. Bournemouth to Nottingham is approximately 200 miles, and Bournemouth to London (where Tottenham Hotspur is based) is around 110 miles. The Cherries fans can expect to spend 784 minutes on the road (13.06 hours).

Premier League – Christmas Travel – Everton

Everton’s Christmas fixture schedule includes three Premier League matches. They begin with an away game against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, the 23rd of December, at 15:00. This is followed by a home fixture against Manchester City on Wednesday, the 27th of December, at 20:15. The last match of the period is another away game against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, the 30th of December at 15:00.

The Toffee’s supporters have a 400-mile round trip on the 23rd of December, then a 200-mile roundtrip to the Midlands a week later. The fans can expect to spend 738 minutes travelling to see 180 minutes of action.

Premier League – Christmas Travel – Arsenal

Arsenal’s Christmas fixture schedule includes three Premier League matches. They start with an away game against Liverpool on Saturday, the 23rd of December, at 17:30. This is followed by a home fixture against West Ham United on Thursday, the 28th of December, at 20:15. Finally, they have another away game against Fulham on Sunday, the 31st of December at 14:00.

Passengers in cars for the trip to Liverpool will have plenty of time to kill, with the journey likely to take over four hours. The New Year’s Eve trip will be much easier; they play Fulham, just six miles away. Gooners can expect to spend 582 minutes on the road (9.7 hours).

An interesting fact is the fastest time to complete a Rubik’s Cube is 3.13 seconds. If Max Park had joined Arsenal fans for the away games, he could have completed the puzzle 11,156 times! Personally, I found peeling off the stickers quicker.

Premier League – Christmas Travel – Chelsea

Chelsea’s Christmas fixture schedule includes three Premier League matches. They begin with an away game against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, the 24th of December, at 13:00. This is followed by a home fixture against Crystal Palace on Wednesday, the 27th of December, at 19:30. The last match of the period is another away game against Luton Town on Saturday, the 30th of December at 12:30.

The Blues have a compact Christmas Fixture schedule with three games in less than a week. The trip to the Midlands to face Wolves is their most significant hike, a 260-mile round trip. The scheduling of a Christmas Eve fixture hasn’t gone down well with some Chelsea fans, and it’s possible that there might be a distinct lack of Christmas spirit in some Chelsea-supporting households.

The Premiership Years
Advent Calendar
Day 1

A Chelsea FC pantomime from Christmas, 2000.#Chelsea #ChelseaFC #CFC #CFCHeritage pic.twitter.com/NlhieAvTrq

— The Premiership Years (@PremiershipYrs) December 1, 2023

Luton on the 30th is more manageable, with Luton just 35 miles away. Chelsea fans can expect to spend 468 minutes on the road.

Premier League – Christmas Travel – Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest’s Christmas fixture schedule includes three Premier League matches. They start with a home game against AFC Bournemouth on Saturday, the 23rd of December, at 15:00. This is followed by an away match against Newcastle United on Tuesday, the 26th of December, at 12:30. Finally, they have another home game against Manchester United on Saturday, the 30th of December at 17:30.

Although Forest only has one away fixture, it’s a daunting trip to Newcastle on Boxing Day. The 338-mile trip means a 392-minute stint in the car, which is not ideal if you’ve overdone the sprouts the day before.

Premier League – Christmas Travel – Wolves

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Christmas fixture schedule includes three Premier League matches. They begin with a home game against Chelsea on Sunday, the 24th of December, at 13:00. This is followed by an away game against Brentford on Wednesday, the 27th of December, at 19:30. The last match of the period is another home game against Everton on Saturday, the 30th of December at 15:00.

Those Wolves fans who leave their Christmas shopping to the last minute risk being visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past if they are not organised this year, with their fixture taking place at the Molineux Stadium on Christmas Eve. Three days later, they travel to London to face Brentford, a journey that should take 290 minutes.

Premier League – Christmas Travel – Luton Town

Luton Town’s Christmas fixture schedule includes three Premier League matches. They start with a home game against Newcastle United on Saturday, the 23rd of December, at 15:00. This is followed by an away match against Sheffield United on Tuesday, the 26th of December, at 15:00. Finally, they have another home game against Chelsea on Saturday, the 30th of December at 12:30.

Luton fans spend Christmas in Bedfordshire with just one away trip over the festive period. Sheffield is roughly a 260-mile round trip. Sadly for Luton fans, they will miss out on visiting the famous Christmas market that runs in the city from the 16th of November to the 24th of December, but with some luck, there might still be a few stalls serving Yorkshire pudding wraps.

Premier League – Christmas Travel – Sheffield United

Sheffield United’s Christmas fixture schedule includes three Premier League matches. They start with an away game against Aston Villa on Friday, the 22nd of December, at 20:00. This is followed by a home game against Luton Town on Tuesday, the 26th of December, at 15:00. Finally, they have another away game against Manchester City on Saturday, the 30th of December at 15:00.

Blades fans have two out of their three games away from Bramall Lane with trips to Villa, and then their last game of the year is against the defending champions, Manchester City. The Villa trip is a round trip of about 150 miles, almost double that of Manchester (80 miles). In total, Sheffield United fans can expect to be on the road for 396 mins (6.6 hours), enough time to watch Cleopatra (242 mins) and still have 154 minutes to discuss the United’s performance on the way back.

Premier League – Christmas Travel – Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton & Hove Albion’s fixture schedule around the Christmas and New Year period includes three Premier League matches. They start with an away game against Crystal Palace on Thursday, the 21st of December, at 20:00. This is followed by a home game against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, the 28th of December, at 19:30. Finally, they have another away game against West Ham United on Tuesday, the 2nd of January at 19:30.

Although the Seagulls face two away trips over the Christmas holidays, both are in London, which are reasonably easy trips with a roundtrip mileage of about 90 miles. Rather uniquely, their home fixture over Christmas is against Spurs, another London side. All in all, Brighton fans will spend approximately 388 minutes on the road.

Premier League – Christmas Travel – Fulham

Fulham’s Christmas fixture schedule includes three Premier League matches. They start with a home game against Burnley on Saturday, the 23rd of December, at 15:00. This is followed by an away match against AFC Bournemouth on Tuesday, the 26th of December, at 15:00. Finally, they have another home game against Arsenal on Sunday, the 31st of December at 14:00.

The Cottagers are another club with an easy festive period with two home games against Burnley and Arsenal. The only trip away from Craven Cottage is against Bournemouth on Boxing Day. Fulham fans may want to limit their alcohol intake the day before as the 230-minute trip (204 miles) will feel much longer with a hangover.

Premier League – Christmas Travel – Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur’s Christmas fixture schedule includes three Premier League matches. They begin with a home game against Everton on Saturday, the 23rd of December, at 15:00. This is followed by an away match against Brighton & Hove Albion on Thursday, the 28th of December, at 19:30. The last match of the period is another home game against AFC Bournemouth on Sunday, the 31st of December at 14:00.

hd sonny in the tottenham hotspur christmas jumper im gonna cry pic.twitter.com/Yz4HDTAFWe

— luke (@thebellshells) December 1, 2023

Spurs have two home games over the festive period, meaning their supporters can spend more time at home than on the motorway. However, it’s not all good news, as their away fixture on the 28th of December is at Brighton, meaning a journey of over 183 miles. To make matters worse, that game is an evening kick-off, which means fans will be lucky to arrive back home before midnight. Spurs fans will spend about 204 minutes travelling (3.4 hours).

Premier League – Christmas Travel – Aston Villa

Aston Villa’s Christmas fixture schedule includes three Premier League matches. They start with a home game against Sheffield United on Friday, the 22nd of December, at 20:00. This is followed by an away match against Manchester United on Tuesday, the 26th of December, at 20:00. Finally, they have another home game against Burnley on Saturday, the 30th of December at 15:00.

Villa have the luxury of two home games over the Christmas holidays with a trip to Old Trafford, the only fixture away from Villa Park. By my calculations, the trip should take about 206 minutes, depending on traffic. The downside is that is an evening kick-off, meaning it is a late night. The good news for Villa fans is that their last fixture of the year is on the 30th, meaning they get to celebrate the New Year without worrying about travel.

Premier League – Christmas Travel – Liverpool

Liverpool’s Christmas fixture schedule includes three Premier League matches. They start with a home game against Arsenal on Saturday, the 23rd of December, at 17:30. This is followed by an away match against Burnley on Tuesday, the 26th of December, at 17:30. Finally, they have another home game against Newcastle United on Monday, the 1st of January at 20:00.

Although Liverpool have tricky games against Tottenham and Newcastle over Christmas, both games are at Anfield, which has become a fortress for the title hopefuls. The only away fixture is Burnley, which means a roundtrip of about 80 miles, depending on the route taken. Travelling on Boxing Day can be a nightmare, but the kick-off time of 17:30 means the travelling support should get back at a decent time.

In total, Liverpool fans will spend around 168 minutes travelling.

Premier League – Christmas Travel – Manchester City

Manchester City’s fixture schedule towards the end of December includes two Premier League matches. They start with an away game against Everton on Wednesday, the 27th of December, at 20:15. This is followed by a home game against Sheffield United on Saturday, the 30th of December, at 15:00.

Looking at Manchester City’s Premier League schedule from the 21st of December to the 2nd of January, you would be forgiven for thinking the reigning champions have an easy Christmas with a short trip to Liverpool to face Everton on Wednesday the 27th of December and a home game against Sheffield United on the 30th of December, which should take about 128 minutes in total.

However, the devil is in the details, and before they play the Blades, Manchester City will play in the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup, which is being held in Saudi Arabia this year. City will play their first game on the 19th of December (semi-final stage) and in either the final or the 3rd/4th play-off on the 22nd of December.

–

Wtf that made me smile for the first time today https://twitter.com/nocontextfooty/status/1731609225267151258

— Erling Haaland (@ErlingHaaland) December 4, 2023

If any City fans decided to drive, it would be a journey of 4,033 miles each way, taking 61 hours and 19 minutes, totalling over 122 hours.

If anyone is considering the drive, I advise scheduling several toilet breaks along the way.

Premier League – Christmas Travel – Brentford

Brentford’s fixture schedule towards the end of December includes two Premier League matches. They start with a home game against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday, the 27th of December, at 19:30, followed by an away match against Crystal Palace on Saturday, the 30th of December, at 15:00.

The Bees fans have Manchester City to thank for a stress-free Christmas. Their participation in the Club World Cup means their trip to Manchester, initially scheduled for the 27th of December, has been postponed. As a result, Brentford’s only away game is against Crystal Palace, a distance of just 15 miles as the crow flies. With a kick-off time of 15:00 for that fixture, supporters can get back home at a reasonable time on the eve of New Year’s Eve.

Brentford fans should be on the road for just over two hours (124 minutes).

Premier League – Christmas Travel – Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace’s fixture schedule around Christmas includes three Premier League matches. They start with a home game against Brighton & Hove Albion on Thursday, the 21st of December, at 20:00. This is followed by an away match against Chelsea on Wednesday, the 27th of December, at 19:30. Finally, they have another home game against Brentford on Saturday, the 30th of December at 15:00.

The Scheduling gods have been very kind to Palace, with their only away fixture being against close neighbours Chelsea, whose stadium is a mere 9.7 miles away. With traffic being the main issue in London, it might be best to just jump on the Tube with the Southern Line, which will take you there in less than an hour (47 mins).

Premier League – Christmas Travel – West Ham United

West Ham United’s fixture schedule around the Christmas and New Year period includes three Premier League matches. They begin with a home game against Manchester United on Saturday, the 23rd of December, at 12:30. This is followed by an away match against Arsenal on Thursday, the 28th of December, at 20:15. Finally, they have another home game against Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday, the 2nd of January at 19:30.

The Hammers also have a great Christmas schedule with two home games and a short trip across the city that is so short even hodophobia sufferers (fear of travelling) might be tempted to attempt. The 6.1-mile journey should take about 42 minutes each way in the car, or you can shave about four minutes off by taking a mixture of the Tube (Piccadilly) and overground (southeastern).

The Premier League’s busy and thrilling holiday season presents teams with both chances and obstacles regarding their performance. With a jam-packed calendar of matches, the physical and mental demands on players can make a difference.

Teams, such as West Ham United, who have less distance to travel during this period, could benefit from an advantage. The decreased travel time provides an opportunity for rest and recovery, which plays a role in preserving player fitness and team spirit. This advantage might have an impact on their performances on the pitch.

Teams like Newcastle are facing longer journeys and may face additional challenges. The fatigue from travel can worsen the demanding schedule, potentially affecting player performance. As Newcastle already has an injury crisis with 13 unfit or suspended players, it may not be a happy Christmas for them.

The difference in travel requirements raises questions about fairness and whether all teams have a playing field in the league. Shorter travel times could potentially be advantageous for teams, and this is something to consider when building your seasonal accumulators.