The best pub for every EFL League One club’s pre-match pint named by AI | OneFootball

A practical guide to the League One pre-match pint, via ChatGPT

Picking the right pre-match pub is one of football’s most important quiet rituals.

Not the best pub in town, necessarily, but the one that fits the flow of matchday - close enough to the ground, big enough to cope, familiar enough to feel like part of the routine.

To help out fans in the third tier, Football League World asked AI chatbot ChatGPT to name the best pre-match pub for every EFL League One club.

The results skew practical rather than romantic: supporter-run clubs, no-nonsense locals and the occasional Wetherspoon doing heavy lifting.

This isn’t a definitive guide - no list ever could be - but it is a revealing snapshot of how League One matchdays function, pint first, football second.

AFC Wimbledon - The Corner Pin

ChatGPT recommends The Corner Pin for “a quick pint before kick-off” and commends its “friendly, local vibe.”

The pub sits adjacent to Plough Lane, and even sells themed Wimbledon beers on matchday weekends, according to CAMRA.

Barnsley - The Old No. 7

Barnsley’s award-winning The Old No. 7 is recommended by AI for a “no-nonsense” pre-match pint.

The institution re-opened in 2023 but still boasts a traditional interior and old school atmosphere - just 15 minutes on foot away from Oakwell.

Blackpool - The Armfield Club

The Armfield Club is as close to the soul of the Tangerines as a pre-match pint gets: supporter-run and born out of the boycott years.

Sitting directly opposite Bloomfield Road, AI recommends it for “proper football chat” and cheap pints.

Bolton Wanderers - The Bee Hive

ChatGPT recommends The Bee Hive to Bolton fans for being “massive” and “close to the stadium” - so it’s a recommendation based on convenience, but comfortable nonetheless.

The pub shows sports, serves traditional food and has plenty of children’s entertainment.

Bradford City - The Fighting Cock

Bradford’s classic pre-match boozer.

The Fighting Cock is a little walk away from Valley Parade - but it comes with a glowing recommendation from ChatGPT.

The historic free house is multi award-winning, Good Beer Guide approved for more than 30 years, and proudly unpretentious.

Burton Albion - The Beech Hotel

The Beech Hotel is a no-nonsense, away-fan-only classic and the first port of call for visiting supporters at Burton.

Coaches are often directed here and the landlord actively encourages a good-natured atmosphere.

ChatGPT says it does exactly what a pre-match pub should - “no fuss, no nonsense, just football.”

Cardiff City - The Lansdowne

Built in 1898 and rescued from decline by imaginative new management, The Lansdowne is now a thriving local with a strong matchday following.

For the AI, it stands out not just for proximity to the Cardiff City Stadium, but for its “sense of community.”

Doncaster Rovers - The Salutation

ChatGPT recommends The Salutation for it’s “part of Doncaster Rovers folklore.”

A former coaching inn and the birthplace of the club itself, “The Sal” was sealed in modern Rovers mythology by a now-viral moment on BBC Radio Sheffield’s Praise or Grumble when a fan abruptly signed off mid-rant with, “I’m off to Sal for a pint.”

Exeter City - The Old Firehouse

Housed in a former 19th-century fire station, The Old Firehouse is valued by AI for its strong real ale and local cider selection and reliable atmosphere.

Add live music and the “famous” oversized square pizzas, and it’s an easy, dependable pre-match choice for Exeter fans before the short walk to St James Park.

Huddersfield Town - The Cherry Tree

Housed in a converted former bed shop, this town-centre Wetherspoon is recommended by AI for prioritising “range over romance.”

With up to seven rotating guest ales, real ciders always on and just minutes from the station, it’s a practical pre-match stop - especially if you’re killing time before the train or heading straight on to the Huddersfield ground.