FOR many footy fans, having a pint with the game is an important matchday ritual.
It can also be an expensive one.
New research suggests that by 2030, the cost of a beer at the Select Car Leasing Stadium could break the £10 barrier.
Football shirt retailer UKSoccerShop calculated how much beer could cost by 2030 at football stadiums, based on the average inflation rate of alcoholic drinks over 12 months from December 2023, 9.6%, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The research revealed that a pint of draught at Madejski Stadium could double from £5 to £10.41, increasing by around 68p a year.
The club’s prices are expected to be above average compared to stadiums outside London.
The Premier League’s most expensive pint, at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium and West Ham’s London Stadium, is predicted to reach an eye-watering £13.12 by 2030.
A brew at a stadium outside the capital will set the average footie fan back £8.48.
In comparison, Sheffield and Manchester United, have the cheapest lagers, which are estimated to reach £6.25 by 2030.
The beer price increase was calculated from 2022 prices using the latest ONS inflation figures for alcohol over 12 months from December 2023.
This percentage increase was then added to the existing price of beer year on year to estimate the cost at each stadium by 2030.
And their prediction pf a pint costing £10.41 by 2030 might not be far-fetched. Its research said that a pint was £5 in 2022, and it had calculated it would be £6.01 this year, and £6.58 next year. However, fans are currently paying £6.60 for a Heineken.
A spokesperson from UKSoccerShop said: “Drinkflation is on the rise, and UK households are feeling the squeeze on the cost of living.
“Hospitality services are trying to work around spiraling costs, with some choosing to serve weaker beer. It’s likely to affect our stadiums, too.
“Using inflation figures from the ONS, we can estimate what prices football fans could pay for a match day pint.
“We found that over £6 could become the norm up north and over £10 in London – some may even get closer to £15 by the end of 2030.”
