Best sports pubs to watch football in the UK

Chelsea’s Landmark Football Pub

Touted as the No. 1 pub for local supporters, The Chelsea Pensioner is in the shadow of Stamford Bridge stadium, so it’s always hopping with fans on a home match day. The buzz pre-match is full-on football euphoria. You can hang with your tribe in the small, secret garden, or try your hand at a game of pool if you arrive early.

Music lovers will appreciate the property’s past as The Black Bull—where super band Fleetwood Mac rehearsed in the early days.

All-you-can-eat Sports

Regularly crowned as one of the best places to watch sports by The Great British Pub Awards, the Famous Three Kings is London’s epicentre for watching live football matches. After a full refurbishment, the kit out is relaxed and contemporary but the property still retains its traditional brick and brass features. Fulham’s best-known football pub has Sky, BT Sports, and other live-action on epic-sized screens with a good menu to accompany. So put your team colours on and support your team.

Historic Pub with Live Matches

As one of the city’s oldest establishments, The Sawyer’s Arms has served Mancunians for centuries. Yet, despite its indelible trace on the historical landscape, it’s one of the best places in town to put on the jersey and catch a game on the high-tech screens that showcase live sports and all the major Premier League matches throughout the year. It’s located in the busy Deansgate area, so expect an electric atmosphere with a cross-section of supporters.

American Stadium Vibe in the Heart of Manchester

Some 15 large screens take centre field at Dive Bar & Grill, a casual spot close to Manchester’s most famous market; Afflecks. Sports fanatics will feel right at home with the stadium-scale seating and ice-cold beers on tap.

Get the full Super Bowl vibe in the heated, sheltered terrace on the weekends by sharing out American-style grilled food or discounted cocktails, while shouting out to your favorite team. Along with live Premier League matches, you can catch all the boxing and rugby—and die-hard fans can book tables for guaranteed views.

A Local Pub with an Irish Air

Taking its name from an Irish language slang phrase, Pogue Mahone is quieter than some of the other bars on this list. So if you want uninterrupted views of the big screen, this might just be the place. Expect live matches daily on multiple large screens throughout the premises with fresh Guinness on tap. Home and away supporters mix with convivial banter, and a live acoustic band is usually on hand to soften the blow for the losing team’s tribe.

Slick Sports Bar in the City Centre

Located at Royal Albert Dock, The Long Shot Bar is one of the best places in England to watch the beautiful game. The vibe is full-on party atmosphere for big matches—floor space is at a premium across all bars and the mezzanine. Cocktails are flowing, and there’s a revolving selection of craft beers on offer seven days a week, with giant-sized sandwiches to accompany the football on the giant screens. Follow the posse outdoors to enjoy the game with a big screen al fresco. When you need a break, you can shoot pool or play pinball.

Outdoor Venue to Enjoy the Beautiful Game

Hennesey’s Bar, bang in Birmingham’s city centre, is the place to enjoy the match on several consoles across a multitude of platforms. It’s a live sports fan’s magnet and best enjoyed in the company of your personal football fan entourage. The pub regularly broadcasts up to four matches at the same time in its three bars and five rooms.

The Super Sunday Football is the real deal—with a roast lunch, and seating beneath a canopy with a heated enormous outdoor area, complete with giant HD screens. On a sunny day, with a crisp pint and a giant LED screen in the garden, the atmosphere is unreal.

Good Value from the Land Down Under

Footy fans wearing all jersey colours gather in this Aussie locale for a beer up or barbecue, to accompany the big match viewing at Walkabout on Broad Street. It’s a stylish backdrop to enjoy the game with a hearty, meaty menu for a long night of it on the weekend or after a hard day with your workmates. Multiple large screens offer live stream football along with anything else from rugby to Formula 1.

There’s a massive range of beer and reasonably priced menus along with novelties—like competitions to find Birmingham’s best football fan. They draw in the crowds, while your team will draw cheers at the state-of-the-art HD screens.

Charming Pub to Focus on the Game

A short stroll across Midsummer Common from Cambridge is the well-loved pub The Waterman. It’s a typical old-world-style pub with a courtyard—and surprisingly, a guarantee to view all live matches on the big screen. This is the place to sit with a good mate to discuss tactics or just keep one eye on the match. Set close to the River Cam, with a very impressive stock of craft beer or cider, its beer garden is the place to enjoy the game on a sunny day.

The Potting Shed is its private venue—a small space to catch the live sports with a bespoke, cooked-to-order menu. Drop by on the weekends for brunch or a traditional Sunday roast with sport on the screen.

Microbrewery in the Historic Centre

If you want more bang for your buck than a high stool and big screen on match day, head down to The Cambridge Brew House in the historic surroundings of the famous University. Fellow craft beer aficionados appreciate the in-house microbrewery and the selection of cask pumps and kegs—and of course, football.

Cheer on your favourite team that’s playing on the large, top-tech screens in The Locker Room. It’s the brewery’s wide-open, high-ceiling bar with an outside terrace where you’ll feel like you’re right in the stadium, yet have access to some of the best nachos and light bites in town.

Quiet, Local Retreat to Watch the Game

Geordies and students flock to Crow’s Nest for the full-on English football pub vibes. It’s close to Newcastle’s university zone, so supporters from home or visiting teams will be out in droves during a big match day. Widescreens are scattered about the establishment with unstructured seating, so you can pull up a stool to cheer on your team with ease, or if the day is fine, head outside for street seating. Wash it all down with a draft and typical bar fare, like grilled toasties and fish and chips.

Newcastle’s Best Alfresco Venue

For the best beer garden in Toon, head to The Hancock, which is close to Newcastle’s university heartland and a stone’s throw from The Great North Museum. It’s a casual spot where you’ll likely glimpse a sea of different jerseys during a match. The big screen gives full HD performance—and it’s a particularly atmospheric setting in the evening under the glow of garden bulbs and heaters. With a student population on the doorstep, anticipate good value drinks and deeply discounted pizza to enjoy before or after the big game.