The 12 best away days in EFL League One named and ranked by AI | OneFootball

Football League World has asked ChatGPT which are the best away days in League One, and here's what it told us.

The away day is a fundamental part of the life of the football supporter and the actual facilities aren't always the most important factor in determining how could they can be.

So FLW has asked ChatGPT to rank the twelve best away days in League One, and this is what it came up with.

League One is the intersection at which English football meets. From grounds that were built with the Premier League in mind to those built for non-league clubs who've grown since, all life is here.

And there can be excellent away days, no matter what division you watch your football in. What makes an excellent away day is about the entire day, from the distance that you have to travel and the difficulty of getting there, to the town or city itself, or the ground itself or its immediate environs, and even the cost of a pint.

With all of this in mind, FLW has asked ChatGPT to rank the twelve best away days in League One, and this is what it told us.

Three of last year's four newly-promoted clubs from League Two make this list, and Doncaster Rovers are praised for being a "friendly club with decent local pubs", although it should be added that the Eco-Power Stadium is a bit of a hike from the town centre, which a couple of miles away, with the ground being located next to a retail village.

The atmosphere inside the ground is described as "solid rather than spectacular", though away fans can improve this by turning up in numbers, with Doncaster having an away fans allocation of up to just over 3,000.

Also promoted at the end of the 2024-25 season, Port Vale also make this list as what ChapGPT describes as a "reliable away day with adequate facilities". There was a time when the hope was that Vale Park would be far greater than "adequate". The first plans for the ground, which opened in 1950, was for it to be the "Wembley of the North", and a little bit of that scale is still visible if you squint, even though the plans were drastically scaled back before construction.

AI describes a day out there as "not bad, but lacking real excitement", and it is fair to say that, with a capacity of 19,000 and crowds often less than half of it, the ground can feel a little too big for the club's current needs. But the Potteries has a lot of local breweries, so the pub scene is good, the centre of Burslem is only a ten-minute walk away, and in addition to this they can offer up to 4,500 tickets for away fans.

It is somewhat surprising to see the Pirelli Stadium being described as having "old-school terrace charm" when it only opened twenty years ago, but like Port Vale, Burton-on-Trent picks up points for having a "classic pub scene". The local booze scene is perhaps best summarised by the fact that Burton Albion's nickname is the Brewers.

ChatGPT describes a visit to the Pirelli Stadium as "enjoyable, though small-scale", but with 1,400 tickets available for away fans, at least getting in shouldn't be too much of a problem except for the biggest matches.

Fans from other parts of the country may occasionally grumble about going to "That London", but there's no doubt that it offers a different level when it comes to things to do. The public transport links are on a different level to anywhere else in the country, and the pub scene in East London is second to none.

But even on its own merits, ChatGPT feels that Leyton Orient's Brisbane Road is one of the better away days in League One, praising its "traditional feel and friendly vibe", as well as its "great pubs".

Stevenage isn't in London, but it is well-placed for away supporters, being on the train line from the capital to Leeds. ChatGPT describes it as "convenient for Londoners" (which it is, as a 30-minute train journey from King's Cross), but it's a good location for travellers from the north, as well.

The Lamex Stadium has had a lot of redevelopment work carried in recent years, and AI praises its "solid facilities", but its description of "canal-side pubs" seems a little wide of the mark when there are no canals in Stevenage (the Grand Union Canal heads north out of London towards Birmingham, but in completely the opposite direction to Stevenage).

Describing it as "a nice, chill outing" feels a little wide of the mark, although the Lamex Stadium a well-designed, modern little ground with a decent atmosphere for bigger matches.

Again, ChatGPT has got its geographical knickers in a twist, describing Exeter as a "coastal city" when, well, it's not; it sits on the River Exe. Exmouth is a coastal town, but that's 10 miles south of Exeter. The clue, as they say, is in the name.

But St Jame's Park is a great away day, if a long one for many travelling fans. The ground is located close to the city centre, has good pubs, and a railway station within yards of the ground. As a fan-owned club, Exeter City prioritise the fan experience, and the ground has undergone renovation in the last few years. These almost match ChatGPT's description of "passionate fans and a historic ground", but not quite.

6 Peterborough United - London Road Stadium

Again with the canals! ChatGPT praises Peterborough United's London Road for having "a lively bar on the canal", but you don't see any of those if you go to the ground from the centre of town, though you do have to cross the River Nene to get there and the "easy station access" for which it's also praised is true enough; it's only a 15-minute walk from the station to the ground.

AI also seems to have misunderstood something else, as well. It praises the ground for having terracing, but while it's true to say that London Road does have rail-seating (safe standing) at the London Road End of the ground, these are for home fans only, with away fans being placed in the Main Stand. They make almost 1,900 tickets available for away fans.

Sincil Bank is described by ChatGPT as a "compact ground with cathedral views, vocal locals, and character". The cathedral views are certainly a fair comment. Lincoln's world-famous Gothic cathedral dominates the skyline, no matter where you are in the city, and it's only a 15-minute walk from the railway station.

Lincoln City's ground does err towards the traditional end of the spectrum, so it does have bags of character, and there are plenty of pubs in the nearby city centre.

4 Bolton Wanderers - Toughsheet Community Stadium

There are several League One grounds which were clearly built for Premier League football, but Bolton's is the only one to appear on this list. The relatively large capacity allows plenty of space for a large ticket allocation; Bolton Wanderers can offer 3,000 tickets for matches, and this can be expanded to 5,000.

ChatGPT praises this large ticket allocation, as well as a "booming atmosphere and modern amenities", and its "big-club away" feel. It's worth mentioning that The Toughsheet Community Stadium isn't in Bolton. It's in neighbouring Horwich, but this doesn't affect travel plans. Indeed, Horwich Parkway station is barely a couple of hundred yards from the ground, with regular connections to Manchester.

ChatGPT describes Blackpool as a "classic seaside day out", and this is certainly true, although there's little question that the town has seen better days. AI specifies the beach and the nightlife as being particularly strong points, though its mention of "strong away support" as a selling point is particularly perplexing.

Bloomfield Road is only a 15-minute walk from the town centre, and you'll be able to see the town's most famous landmark, the Blackpool Tower, looming in the distance throughout most of the day. ChatGPT claims that "fans call it "awesome", but whether away supporters do might depend on the sort of away day they want. There are a number of ground improvements being carried out this summer, so the fan experience should be better in 2025-26.