Long gone are the days of a sad sausage roll and a polystyrene cup of Bovril at the footy. Across Greater Manchester, clubs large and small are upping their game when it comes to food and drink, from incredible pizzas and burgers to authentic street food, as well as properly interesting beer selections from independent breweries.
From Ashton to Wythenshawe, we’ve rounded up the best places to eat things while watching the footy. Or while pretending to watch the footy, if you’re just there for the vibes. A better way to spend an afternoon, we couldn’t think of.
Read our round-up of the best football food Manchester has to offer…
Altrincham FC
Down at The J. Davidson Stadium on a match day you’ll find a real mix of old boys and the trendy Alty crowd. Food-wise there’s a bit of everything, but it’s the pies here that scoop the glory – not least their chicken balti pie, served with proper chips and a curry sauce. And despite what you might think about Alty, there’s some pretty good budget options too. Over in the Fanzone, you can drink from a rotation of some decidedly non-standard beers too, with IPAs, porters and more from the likes of Cloudwater, Pomona Island and more.
Ashton Town FC
Ashton Town FC (that’s the Ashton-in-Makerfield, in Wigan, not one of the numerous other ones) has achieved the holy grail of football food, having their double bacon cheeseburger featured on the all-knowing Footy Scran Instagram page. To be fair, it looks excellent – and at under £7, you really can’t argue with it. It comes from their grill, ‘The Dugout’, which is headed up by chef Dave Grogan, who aims to make some of the ‘finest grill and barbecue food in Non-League’. The menu also features a chicken burger with a choice of normal or spicy mayo, and some exceptional salt and pepper fries.
Avro FC
Over in Oldham, Avro FC have one of the most comprehensive pitch-side menus we’ve ever seen. Their choice of fries alone is impressive, including skin on, salt and pepper and sweet potato varieties. The burgers are incredibly budget friendly – the ‘ultimate’ version with bacon, cheese and fried onions is only a fiver. There are also more exotic creations (well, exotic for a football ground) like a spiced chicken salad and a falafel and halloumi wrap. Hash browns are 50p. What else could you possibly want?
Blackburn Rovers
We’re stretching the definition of Greater Manchester here beyond recognition, but if you ever find yourself over at Ewood Park, then you have to check out their pizza, which is provided by Killa Carbs. Perfectly light and crispy NYC-style bases loaded with exactly the sort of toppings you want at the footy – classic margarita, pepperoni honey, mushroom and garlic. This would be great pizza anywhere, but at the footy, it’s next level.
Bolton Wanderers FC
Down at the cheekily-monikered Toughsheet Stadium, there is a plethora of above-average food options available. Fratelli’s catering are on-hand with gooey, stonebaked pizzas that would give some of the city centre pizzerias a run for their money – all fresh toppings, cured meats and tasty charred bits. If you fancy something a little more noodle-based, there’s an outpost of the town’s popular Nam Ploy Thai restaurant, serving pad thai, loaded fries and street food snacks.
FC United
Broadhurst Park is home to the mighty FC United, the alternative, grassroots club for disillusioned United fans. And fans who have been disillusioned by underwhelming football stadium food are catered for here too. Mamma Chilli’s are a Mexican street food place serving up burritos and loaded fries, meanwhile on certain match days Bombay Away serve up kebabs, bombay sandwiches, samosas, bhaajis, paavs and balti pies out of their unmissable truck. So, just a little bit different from Old Trafford then.
Oldham Athletic
Over at Boundary Park – Oldham Althetic’s ground – they’ve enlisted the help of Filthy Fries to serve the hungry masses. That means you can get a tray-full of hot, crisp fries topped with whatever you fancy really (within reason), from cheesy bacon to pulled BBQ pork to salt and pepper style. If you’re sick of sad chips and sadder gravy, this is a welcome alternative.
Wigan Athletic
It’s Wigan, so you know it’s probably going to be pies, but you might not have expected the pies to be this good. For the recession-busting price of three quid (or less), you can enjoy everything from a steak and pepper pie to a bombay potato pie. There’s even a cottage pie and, of course, the Lancashire speciality, butter pie. If, for some strange reason, pie isn’t really your thing, they also have a couple of other street food offerings, doing things like curries and wings, and to wash it all down there’s Latic’s Lager, a bar pouring pints by independent breweries.
Stockport County FC
If you find yourself down at Stockport County FC, you want to make your way to the County Courtyard where you can choose from a rotating menu of Greek, Spanish, Italian and Asian street food, all priced at £6 per dish, which we think is pretty reasonable. There are also pies on offer from Great North Pie Co. and local brewery Runaway on the tap, with everything from your normal lagers to your juicy IPAs.
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