Top 12 most expensive EFL League One clubs to follow as a fan | OneFootball

The third tier of English football is full of dedicated fanbases when assessing the costs it takes to follow their clubs

English football fans are known for being some of the most dedicated across the globe when it comes to following their team, irrespective of its fortunes on and off the pitch.

Whether it is purchasing a season ticket for home matches or beyond, the loyalty of fanbases in the Premier League, Championship, League One, League Two and, indeed, the non-league system is very rarely questioned, especially during a period where finances in any walk of life has become a hot topic of discussion.

However, it is fair to say that one of the strongest elements of fan culture in the English game is an 'away day', which involves so many infamous rituals beyond the 90 minutes of on-pitch action.

Depending on the geography of any specific away day, this can entail having to wake up in the early hours to board a train or coach, which in itself, could take up many hours of the day due to the mileage involved, then arriving at a pub in a close proximity to the stadium before your club inevitably 'makes' or 'breaks' the weekend depending on the final score.

That said, whilst away ends in the country are often filled to a respectable degree regardless of the division, it is fair to say that some fanbases will have to part with more of their hard-earned cash to follow their team each and every week.

And, with a recent study from TrainPal taking into account distances, routes and train costs, Football League World have looked at which 12 League One sides are the most expensive to support in the 2026/27 campaign.

12 ? ? Barnsley

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Barnsley are now in their fifth successive season as a League One outfit, with the Tykes recently regressing in the table after two instances of play-off heartbreak in 2023 and 2024.

Located in South Yorkshire, the Oakwell club are often competing against the likes of Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United when it comes to attracting a new generation of supporters.

However, those who follow the Reds still have plenty of long-distance travelling to do throughout 2026/27, and the aforementioned study claims that, on average, it costs £1,545.47 to do exactly that for all 23 away matches.

11 ? ? Stockport County

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Stockport County supporters will certainly have enjoyed the club's recent rise from the National League North to League One, even if they have lost out on promotion to the Championship in each of the past two seasons.

Now under the management of James McNulty following Dave Challinor's exit, those in Greater Manchester will hope their loyalty is rewarded and that it is a case of 'third-time lucky'.

That is especially the case for those who follow the Hatters week-in, week-out, as, even though they are located on the West Coast Main Line as part of a strong transport network, it costs £1,564.19 on average to attend all 23 away matches.

10 ? ? Bromley

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Bromley are the 10th most-expensive club to follow in League One this season, in what is the Ravens' first ever campaign at the level.

Located in South-East London, it perhaps isn't the greatest of surprises that they feature in this particular ranking given the cost of many things which are associated with England's capital, such as the Underground.

Even though they don't have to travel far for away fixtures against AFC Wimbledon and Leyton Orient, it has been claimed that their supporters, on average, would pay £1,578.50 to attend every away league match.

9 ? ? Stevenage

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Next up are Stevenage, whose supporters will have also been thrilled by the club's recent trajectory.

After avoiding relegation back to non-league only a few short years ago, Alex Revell's side have since returned to League One, and last season, were defeated in the play-off semi-finals after a remarkable campaign.

Despite this, they only had the 12th-best away form in the league, which they will hope to improve as their most-dedicated supporters are said to be paying approximately £1,641.91 to follow them across the country.

8 ? ? Oxford United

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Oxford United are eighth on this list after spending the past two seasons as a Championship side for the first time since 1999.

However, the 2024 play-off winners are now back in familiar territory in the third tier, and will be hoping that, despite a summer of chaos, Aaron Ramsey is able to bring success to the Kassam Stadium in his first managerial post.

Although Oxford have plenty of close enough away fixtures in terms of mileage, due to its location in a rather expensive and historic part of the country, it has been claimed that fans are paying £1,666.92 to travel to all 23 of those on average.

7 ? ? Cambridge United

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Next up are Cambridge United, with the East Anglian side achieving an immediate return to League One under Neil Harris.

It is fair to say that, aside from matches with Peterborough United, Luton Town and Stevenage, there are plenty of miles which Yellows supporters have to put in across the campaign.

As such, the aforementioned study suggests those fans will be paying around £1,667.14 if they make every fixture on the road between now and May.

6 ? ? Wigan Athletic

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Beginning the top six of this ranking are Wigan Athletic, who, like Stockport, are located extremely close to Manchester's vast transporting network.

There are still plenty of northern away days for Latics fans to attend, but the cost of doing exactly that is still fairly seismic when taking the cost of train tickets, even well in advance, into account.

Wigan had the fifth-worst away record last term, despite the fact that their supporters were paying £1,683.85 on average to travel across the country.

5 ? ? Bradford City

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In fifth are Bradford City's loyal supporters, who are said to be paying as much as £1,696.49 to make it to all of their away fixtures in 2026/27.

The Bantams enjoyed a fine first season back in League One since 2019 despite play-off semi-final heartbreak at the hands of Bolton Wanderers.

However, like Wigan, there are still plenty of trips close enough to Valley Parade which makes for an enjoyable experience on the road.

4 ? ? Wycombe Wanderers

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In fourth are Wycombe Wanderers' fans.

With the Chairboys located in an area of the country close enough to expensive cities such as London and Oxford, it is perhaps no surprise that they feature so high on this list.

Although the club aren't exactly known for bringing the highest number of supporters on their travels, it has been suggested that they part with £1,832.63 to make away fixtures on average.

3 ? ? Blackpool

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Taking up third spot is Blackpool, with the Tangerines certainly out on a limb when it comes to geography in this season's third tier.

As such, whilst a trip to the Fylde Coast is seen as a staple for many other fanbases, the same might not exactly be reciprocated by those in Lancashire.

It has been claimed that those willing to put the miles in for Ian Evatt's side are paying £1,896.40 to do so for the nine-month season.