As the birthplace of football, the UK has a large number of cities with traditions of great football. For travelers, it can be hard to choose which cities to visit. In general, cities which are home to English Premier League teams will have quality football, but even then there are too many towns to visit in one trip. To help decide which towns are worth visiting, here are some of the best football cities to visit in the UK.
Manchester
For many fans, Manchester United is the epitome of UK football. The club has played in Old Trafford since 1902 and has captured more English titles than any other football team, save Liverpool FC, with which they equal in number. The presence of Manchester United obviously makes the Greater Manchester area worth visiting, as it is steeped in football history. Manchester proper is home to Manchester City FC. The club suffered relegation to a lower league two times in the 1990's, but has recently become the recipient of an injection of foreign investment, and as a result has experienced an influx of high profile players. It is worthwhile to see Manchester United play Manchester City in the Manchester derby, one of UK football's fiercest rivalries.
Liverpool
To the west of Manchester is Liverpool, home to both Liverpool FC and Everton FC. While Liverpool is tied for most English championships, Everton holds the honor of participating in the top level of play for a record 108 seasons. Liverpool and Everton have an old rivalry, dating back to Liverpool breaking away from Everton in 1892, which resulted in Everton vacating Liverpool's current home of Anfield. The two clubs compete in the Merseyside derby.
London
It is hard to talk about UK football cities without mention London and the surrounding area. Home to powerhouses such as Chelsea, Fulham, Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham, the London area has an abundance of quality football. Be sure to visit during Premiere League play to guarantee yourself the opportunity to see some top notch matches.
Glasgow
While much of the focus of UK football is on England, Scotland also has a rich history of great football. Glasgow is home to a particularly significant rivalry between it's most notable teams,
Rangers FC and Celtic FC. Collectively, the teams are known as the Old Firm. Once marked by notorious fan violence, the rivalry has taken on a friendlier tone in recent years, thanks to efforts by both clubs.
Due to the UK's history and tradition of football, it can be difficult to choose the best football cities to visit. However, you generally can expect to find quality football where there are intense rivalries, as these generally date back many decades.
Of course, this list is not comprehensive, but rather a selection of some (view a list of our hotels near the
English Football League venues).
If you're looking to visit any famous footballing cities, and need a hotel to stay in, check out
Leonardo Hotel's range of prices for
hotels across the UK.
