Here’s why
Research has shown that the average Premier League football fan ducks-out of home games seven minutes and 37 seconds early to avoid the hustle and bustle of leaving the stadium and the inevitable traffic getting away from the ground.
With this in mind, a new study has analysed the closing stages of each Premier League side’s home games to evaluate what fans could be missing out on by leaving before the final whistle.
The findings, from money saving website Voucherbox.co.uk, reveal that the average Premier League fan missed eight goals by leaving early last season, representing an average wastage of £72.63 of a season ticket price, based on the share of goals missed.
A costly escape
With the costliest season ticket and nearly one in five home goals taking place in the final seven minutes (18 per cent), Arsenal fans might want to stick around for the full duration of games at the Emirates.
Early leavers wasted £185.77 through missed goals – over 15 times the wastage of Stoke fans who left the bet365 Stadium early.
The fans who wasted the most money on their season ticket by leaving 7.5 minutes early during the 2016/17 season were:
- Arsenal – missed 18 per cent of home goals, accounting for £185.77 of the season ticket
- Chelsea – 20 per cent of goals, £150.00 wasted
- Southampton – 24 per cent of goals, £137.41 wasted
- Everton – 24 per cent of goals, £122.62 wasted
- Swansea City – 24 per cent of goals, £108.63 wasted
The fans who wasted the least amount of money on their season ticket by leaving 7.5 minutes early during the 2016/17 season were:
- Stoke City – missed 4 per cent of home goals, accounting for £12.25 of the season ticket
- West Brom – 4 per cent of goals, £14.78 wasted
- Huddersfield Town – 15 per cent of goals, £26.32 wasted
- Newcastle United – 8 per cent of goals, £26.86 wasted
- Brighton – 7 per cent of goals, £32.28 wasted
Late goals galore
Chelsea fans who lasted the full 90 were able to celebrate the most late goals. Accounting for all goals from the 83rd minute onwards, the Blues scored 11 times last season. With a potential waste of £150, fans at Stamford Bridge might also want to consider the financial cost, as well as goals missed.
Chelsea’s defence was also the strongest in the Premier League late on. Along with Liverpool, they conceded just once in the final seven minutes of home matches.
Including goals scored by visiting teams, early-leaving supporters of Everton and Swansea missed out on the most action, with 13 goals being scored after the 83rd minute at both Goodison Park and the Liberty Stadium respectively. That being said, six of the goals at the Liberty Stadium were scored by the visiting team.
Get out while you can
At the other end of the scale, Crystal Palace fans might want to duck-out early – they conceded more late goals (six) than any other side last year. However, given that they also scored 21 per cent of their goals in the closing stages, an early leave would waste £87.50 over the season.
The findings also reveal that Stoke followers would lose the least by heading home early. Just 4 per cent of all Potters goals were scored in the final seven minutes, which equates to a £12.25 loss based on the cost per goal.
West Brom supporters can also escape early to miss the traffic without too much fear of missing any action. The Hawthorns hosted just four late goals last season, three of which were scored by the opposition.
The early getaway won’t even put that much of a dent in fans’ wallets – Baggies fans skipping out five minutes early on average wasted just £14.78 of a season ticket across the season.
Sezer Yurdakul, Global Head of Online Marketing at Voucherbox.co.uk said, “While we understand that some fans may want to leave games early to avoid the traffic, or perhaps just to get away from their team’s poor performances, our findings show just what fans could be missing out on.
“From a footballing perspective, Chelsea fans will want to make sure they stay for the full game to enjoy their team’s late flurry of goals, but from a financial perspective, Arsenal fans could be wasting just short of £200 per season by consistently heading home only a few minutes early. Check out the full premier league table of season ticket wastage.”
| Team | Goals for | Goals against | Total goals | Season ticket price | per cent of goals scored by home team in final 7.5 mins | Wastage of ticket price |
| Arsenal | 7 | 2 | 9 | £1,035 | 18 per cent | £185.77 |
| Chelsea | 11 | 1 | 12 | £750 | 20 per cent | £150.00 |
| Southampton | 4 | 3 | 7 | £584 | 24 per cent | £137.41 |
| Everton | 10 | 3 | 13 | £515 | 24 per cent | £122.62 |
| Swansea City | 7 | 6 | 13 | £419 | 26 per cent | £108.63 |
| Crystal Palace | 5 | 6 | 11 | £420 | 21 per cent | £87.50 |
| Manchester United | 4 | 2 | 6 | £550 | 15 per cent | £84.62 |
| Bournemouth | 5 | 5 | 10 | £550 | 14 per cent | £78.57 |
| West Ham United | 5 | 5 | 10 | £289 | 26 per cent | £76.05 |
| Liverpool | 4 | 1 | 5 | £685 | 9 per cent | £60.89 |
| Watford | 3 | 5 | 8 | £505 | 12 per cent | £60.60 |
| Burnley | 4 | 3 | 7 | £390 | 15 per cent | £60.00 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 3 | 3 | 6 | £765 | 6 per cent | £48.83 |
| Manchester City | 5 | 4 | 9 | £299 | 14 per cent | £40.41 |
| Leicester City | 3 | 5 | 8 | £395 | 10 per cent | £38.23 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 3 | 4 | 7 | £495 | 7 per cent | £32.28 |
| Newcastle United | 4 | 2 | 6 | £329 | 8 per cent | £26.86 |
| Huddersfield Town | 5 | 2 | 7 | £179 | 15 per cent | £26.32 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 1 | 3 | 4 | £399 | 4 per cent | £14.78 |
| Stoke City | 1 | 5 | 6 | £294 | 4 per cent | £12.25 |
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