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Best away days in the Championship: Our top five ranked from 1-5

Written by Andy Delaney
Last Update: March 9, 2026
Best away days in the Championship: Our top five ranked from 1-5
Photo by Every Second Media, Every Second Media / Alamy

While the Premier League is widely considered the ‘best' league in the world when it comes to quality on the pitch, there are many fans who regard English football's second tier, the Championship, as the best when it comes to entertainment and fan experience.

In terms of unpredictability, it's hard to trump the Championship. Each season, there are surprise packages at both ends of the league table, which helps to keep fans entertained and invested from the first game in August through to the playoff final at the end of May.

Another brilliant aspect of the Championship is the diversity of stadia. Naturally, there are some stadiums of Premier League calibre; however, there are also some that wouldn't look out of place in the National League. Next season, there is even a chance that one of the best stadiums in the world, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, will host Championship football.

Below, we run through the best five away days in the Championship, taking into account the stadium, the area, the away end and the transport links.

Best away days in the Championship: The top five

5) Ewood Park, Blackburn Rovers

Ewood Park sneaks into the top five courtesy of one key point; away fans are often allocated at least 7,000 tickets in the Darwen End. This is comfortably the biggest allocation in the division, and it makes, at least for those who can fill it, Blackburn away one of the most enjoyable of the season.

The area that surrounds Ewood Park is surprisingly quite nice too, with a hilly backdrop and a selection of away-friendly pubs, including the Fernhurst, which is just a five-minute walk from the away turnstiles.

In terms of the stadium itself, Ewood Park is nothing to write home about, and there is rarely a good atmosphere generated from home supporters. This is unlikely to be resolved until the Venky's sell the club.

4) Deepdale, Preston

Another northern stadium to make the top four is Deepdale, one of the oldest football stadiums still in use in the EFL.

The main reason why Deepdale makes the top five is the location of the stadium in relation to the city centre. No, it isn't right in the thick of things, but it is within walking distance of the city's main strip of bars, pubs and restaurants, all of which are priced significantly cheaper than the vast majority of the country.

While you may have a pre-conceived idea of why the prices might be on the cheap side in Preston, you are almost certainly wrong. There are plenty of excellent pubs on the walk from the station to Deepdale, while the restaurant offerings have been modernised in recent years.

The stadium, while historic, doesn't feel like an old stadium, either. The away end, located in the Bill Shankly Stand, is a good one, too, with allocations ranging from 3,000 to 6,000.

3) Fratton Park, Portsmouth

Going down south, Fratton Park is well worth the number three spot in our list of best away days in the Championship.

Any stadium located on the south coast is automatically a good one, but the charm of Fratton Park makes it a better place to visit than the Amex Stadium, the Vitality Stadium and St Mary's.

You will be hard pressed to find an away end in the country that is closer to the pitch than the Milton End at Fratton Park, which is situated behind the eastern goal at the stadium. A typical allocation for away fans in this stand is around 2,000, which is the only disappointing aspect of Pompey away.

In terms of getting here, the stadium is around a 30-minute walk from Portsmouth station, but given the number of pubs en route, it won't feel like a long half-an-hour.

2) Pride Park, Derby County

Pride Park is the only stadium to feature in our top five that was built in the last 100 years. In fact, it's still classed as a relatively new stadium, having been built in the late 1990s.

Pride Park absolutely captures the traditions and ‘feel' of a classic football stadium, though, and the acoustics from the away end in the south-east corner are the best in the division.

Beyond that, the stadium is a short walk away from Derby train station and Derby city centre, which is widely considered one of the most historic in the United Kingdom.

1) Bramall Lane, Sheffield United

For our money, Bramall Lane is the best away day in the Championship because it ticks every box.

Away end? The Bramall Lane Stand is packed in tight to the pitch, and the acoustics are excellent. For league matches, the away allocation is around the 3,000 mark in the lower tier of the stand, but the full stand is given for cup games.

Stadium? A truly historic stadium, having been built in 1855 to host cricket matches. Yes, the stadium has evolved over the years, but you can feel the history when you are there.

Transport links? Sheffield is well-connected by rail to almost everywhere in the United Kingdom. Sheffield station is just a 20-minute walk away from Bramall Lane.

The area? Sheffield is one of the very best cities in the United Kingdom when it comes to pubs, which is often so important for a good away day. The centre of Sheffield is just a 15-minute walk from Bramall Lane.

Avatar of Andy Delaney

Andy Delaney

Andy is a freelance sports writer with ten years of experience covering major sporting events across Europe. He has also been a season ticket holder at Old Trafford since 2008 and has visited over 40 football stadiums in the United Kingdom and abroad following the Reds.

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