CHOOSING where to stop off for a warm-up pint on match day can be a tough choice for football fans.
But the decision might be a little easier after having a look through the Premier League Pub Guide.
The study, carried out by betting company Odds Monkey, gives Albion followers the go-to places for supporters across the country, based on beer prices and how welcoming they are to fans.
According to the study, the best places to wet your whistle before a fixture at the Amex are the Evening Star in Surrey Street, near Brighton Station, and the Basketmakers Arms.
Joe Dowd, manager of the Basketmakers, said football fans are welcome – as long as they can sniff the pub out, as it is tucked away in Gloucester Road. He said: “We are off the beaten track here, so people that come here are here for the real ale and food.
“We don’t have a TV in here so fans come for either a pre-match or post-match drink, either to celebrate or commiserate.
“We get quite a few regular football fans that come in, and a lot of customers are Albion fans.”
Joe said the stigma around football supporters in pubs is not something he has to deal with at the pub. “It’s fine really,” he said. “We don’t attract that.”
The Downs Hotel in Woodingdean is also up there with the best watering holes Brighton has to offer on an Albion match day, although the guide does state it is an awkward area to travel to the stadium.
However, the pub offers a return coach service for Seagulls to the Amex and back for just £4.
And there is unison among both sets of supporters before kick-off, according to barman Will Mayo.
He said: “All football fans are welcome here.
“We get a lot of away fans and Albion fans, and they all get on with each other when they are here.”
Albion’s next away day is a 221-mile trip to Stoke, where there are few pubs near the Britannia Stadium.
So Seagulls should be on the lookout for the Terrace Bar in Leek Road or The Plough in Campbell Road.
The guide says the Harvester is close to the stadium and good for a pre-match pint, too.
And it will be slightly cheaper to drink than a home game, with the average price of a pint in the city just £2.50 – very cheap, especially compared with the average £3.45 in Brighton.
Beer-loving Albion followers will be looking forward to their trip to Burnley in April, the city offering the cheapest average pint at £2.20.