The best venues to watch football near Weybridge
Weybridge is a lovely community to be a part of. From its excellent schools and recreational facilities to its stunning array of restaurants and delightful green spaces to explore, it’s one of Surrey’s finest locations to live in. Given its proximity to some of English football’s finest clubs, it’s also not much of a journey for locals to make if they want to experience some live football in the flesh.
Thankfully, if you live in the area or even close to it, a fairly straightforward car journey or commute on the train can take you to some of the beautiful game’s most wonderful venues. Of course, you can support local sides, such as Weybridge Town, but there’s also an opportunity to experience league football and even sample the Premier League, arguably the world’s finest sporting competition.
So, with a number of Weybridge locals embarking on a variety of journeys to watch various football teams in action on a weekend, let’s assess some of the most accessible venues to watch football near Weybridge.
Brentford clearly belong in the Premier League
If your preference is to watch top-flight football, then there aren’t many better options for Weybridge locals than taking in a game at Brentford. An opportunity to see players like Ivan Toney in action before he potentially departs the Bees for pastures new at Arsenal in the summer, Brentford also play some impressive football in the clubs’ wonderful new home, the Gtech Community Stadium. While it might lack the history and overall charm of Griffin Park, Brentford’s modern home symbolises the club’s rise through the leagues and their deserved status as a Premier League club. The Bees clearly belong in England’s top football league, and it’s impossible not to be captivated by their rise when you sample the atmosphere on offer in their stunning new stadium.
AFC Wimbledon’s Plough Lane home is worth a visit
If the bright lights and extortionate money of the Premier League isn’t something that tickles your fancy, then a more pure experience with fans at the forefront at AFC Wimbledon represents the perfect alternative. You can also still watch Match of the Day in the evening and partake in some football betting alongside visiting the Wombles’ swish new Plough Lane home, something the fans helped make happen given the clubs’ unique ownership model. The Dons currently play in League Two and have risen up the football pyramid since their formation in 2002, although they’re aiming to return to the division above them after relegation from League One in 2022. While the fan-owned favourite doesn’t have the rich benefactor that so many other clubs do, fan power is what Wimbledon’s football club is all about. As soon as you enter the Wombles’ Wimbledon home, it’s impossible not to be in awe of what this fan-run club has achieved. For the people of Weybridge, it’s also a fairly straightforward journey to make, with the stadium being within walking distance from Wimbledon Station and Earlsfield Station.
Woking are aiming to stay up in the National League
Taking part in a hugely competitive competition that is one below League Two, the division the aforementioned AFC Wimbledon play in, Woking’s play-off disappointment from last season has resulted in somewhat of a hangover that now sees the club fighting against relegation from the National League this campaign. A venue many Weybridge residents opt for if they’re keen to take in a game somewhere, the Kingfield Stadium has played host to a number of thrillers over the years. It’s also a lovely venue to frequent, with bars serving refreshing drinks, a welcoming vibe on offer despite the teams’ depressing showing this season, and a strong atmosphere for a non-league venue, particularly if you attend a game against some of the bigger sides in the league. Given the team’s evident decline this season, Woking could certainly do with your support. It isn’t as expensive as venturing to options like Brentford either, although the quality on show obviously isn’t as high.
Fulham’s Craven Cottage home is steeped in history
Another option from the Premier League that definitely deserves to be there given the club’s showing in the competition this season, Fulham’s Craven Cottage home is another enticing opportunity for football lovers from Weybridge. A ground that exudes character and history, it even contains a quaint cottage in the corner of the stadium, which highlights the club’s fascinating past. Additionally, with the team arguably over-performing on the pitch, there is a buzz around the place that perhaps wasn’t there during previous stays in England’s top flight. A stadium that is walkable from Putney Bridge Station and Putney Station, watching the Cottagers in action is definitely worth doing if you’ve never been to arguably one of English football’s finest stadiums before. It’s particularly popular with those who struggle to warm to the more modern stadiums of today.
Charlton Athletic are desperate to stay in League One
While the homes of other well-supported clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal, Millwall, Crystal Palace, QPR, and Spurs are also strong contenders here, The Valley is another stadium many football fans are keen to visit. This season, though, the Addicks’ demise has been alarming as the usual play-off contenders find themselves battling for survival down at the lower end of the League One table. The appointment of Nathan Jones appears to have increased their chances of staying up, although a nail-biting end to the season seems likely for the Charlton faithful. While it’s one of the longer journeys for people from Weybridge to make, this impressive League One stadium is a great place to watch football, particularly as the team on the pitch simply has to secure the clubs’ place in League One next season and avoid dropping down to League Two for the first time in their history.