Sarah Shaffi Tuesday, May 14, 2013 1:16 AM
Arsenal, Tottenham and Fulham's stadiums are among the easiest in the country for fans to get to, according to a new study.
Campaign for Better Transport and the Football Supporters' Federation (FSF) identified the clubs after spending the season examining fans' travel habits.
The report, Door to Turnstile – Improving travel choices for football fans, looked at a number of factors over the 2012/13 season for Premier League clubs, including how easy top flight grounds are to access, transport choice fans have in how they get to games, and what steps clubs should take to make transport easier.
Arsenal were praised for cutting car trips to and from the Emirates Stadium and contributing to tube station improvements. Fulham's work to promote walking and cycling around Craven Cottage was also held up as an example, and Spurs were commended for their work on supporting new train and bus services for fans wanting to get to White Hart Lane.
Other London clubs did not fare as well, with QPR coming 19th out of 20 clubs for not having a coherent travel plan and offering poor information to fans on how to get to Loftus Road.
Campaign for Better Transport's Sian Berry, co-author of the research, said: "The quality and extent of public transport in the capital gave London teams a natural advantage in our research.
"But Arsenal, Spurs and Fulham deserve congratulation for building on this, giving fans plenty of choices in how they get to the ground and promoting alternatives to driving."
Newcastle United came top, praised for being 'transport champions' with initiatives including season-long matchday public transport for £10.
She continued: "Our research shows that after match tickets, transport is the biggest cost that fans face. Any club worth its salt should be working hard to lessen that blow.
"While the likes of Newcastle and Arsenal are doing exactly that, fans of teams including Manchester United are often condemned to a weekly pattern of expensive parking and endless traffic jams."
"It's far easier to commit to that level of support if public transport to games is accessible and affordable. The FSF would like to see clubs and transport authorities working together to offer fans genuine travel options.
"Many fans prefer to leave their cars at home and enjoy the day without hassle. Making match day travel more convenient, pleasant and affordable would benefit everyone involved in football, and we hope to see these ideas employed more widely in future."
The research was based on a fan survey, supporter club views and assessments travel information and travel planning for each club.
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