Beyond dinner and a drink
Dinner and a drink is fine. But if you both love football, or one of you does and the other is curious, the game opens up a whole range of dates that are more memorable than another evening in the same bar. Here are ideas for first dates, for when you know each other a bit better, for the off-season and for rainy days, with a note on which work best when.
Low-pressure first dates
The best first dates are easy to talk through and easy to leave. These work well.
A walk around a ground on a non-match day. Most stadiums look different when they are empty. Walk around the outside, look at the statues and the memorial gardens, then find a café nearby. It gives you something to talk about without the noise.
A football museum. The National Football Museum in Manchester and the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden Park in Glasgow are both good for a relaxed couple of hours. Many clubs also have museums inside the ground, often included in a stadium tour.
Coffee before a pub screening. Meet somewhere quiet for an hour, then decide together whether to watch the match in a pub nearby. If it is going well, you have a plan. If not, you have an easy goodbye.
A non-league afternoon. Tickets are inexpensive, you can usually stand anywhere and many clubs have a clubhouse bar. It feels like a day out rather than a big event.
When you know each other a bit better
A live match. Once you have met and know you get on, a game together is a great shared experience. For planning advice, read first date at a football match.
An away day. Travelling to see your team away from home is a proper adventure: the train, the new city, the away end and the journey back. Save it for when you are comfortable spending a long day together.
Ground-hopping. Pick a club neither of you supports, in a town neither of you knows, and make a day of it. It takes the pressure off the result and gives you a new place to explore.
The women's game. Top-flight and second-tier women's fixtures often have a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere and good views, which suits a date.
A stadium tour. Seeing the dressing rooms and walking down the tunnel is fun even for people who are not big fans.
Active dates
Five-a-side. If you both play, booking a pitch with friends is a sociable date. If one of you is a beginner, make sure the group is friendly rather than competitive.
Walking football. Increasingly popular and genuinely good fun, with no running allowed.
A kickabout in the park. Simple, cheap and as competitive as you want it to be. Bring a ball and a picnic.
Footgolf. Many golf courses and leisure sites offer it. It is relaxed, and nobody needs to be good at it.
Rainy-day and evening ideas
A sofa night with a big match. Once you are past the first few dates, a takeaway and a televised game at home is hard to beat.
A football quiz night. Many pubs run sports quizzes. Make a team of two and see how you get on.
A football film or documentary. There are plenty of club documentaries and football films. Pick one about a club neither of you supports.
A board game or video game evening. Football management games can be surprisingly revealing about how someone makes decisions.
Summer and the off-season
The English season ends in May and starts again in August, with a few pre-season friendlies in July. Some summers have a World Cup or a Euros; others do not. Ideas for the gap:
Watch a tournament together. A big international tournament brings the whole country together. Watching games in a beer garden or at a big screen can be brilliant fun.
Pre-season friendlies. Cheaper, relaxed and often at smaller grounds. A good way to see your team without the stress.
Summer leagues. Many five-a-side centres run summer leagues, and some are mixed.
Something completely different. The off-season is a good time to show you are more than your club. Plan a date with no football in it at all.
Ideas by city
Every city has its own football landmarks. A few starting points:
- Manchester: the National Football Museum in the city centre, tours at Old Trafford or the Etihad, and Salford Quays for a walk afterwards. See our Manchester guide.
- London: riverside walks to Craven Cottage, stadium tours at the Emirates, Stamford Bridge or Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and plenty of non-league grounds across the city. See our London guide.
- Liverpool: Anfield and Stanley Park, Everton's new stadium on the waterfront at Bramley-Moore Dock and a walk along the Mersey. See our Liverpool guide.
- Glasgow: the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden Park.
Dates on a budget
Football dates do not have to cost much. A walk to look at a ground, a park kickabout, a non-league match with inexpensive entry and a pie, or a big game on the telly at home with a homemade curry are all low-cost and fun. A shared love of the game is often worth more than an expensive dinner. If money is tight for either of you, say so; nobody worth dating minds.
Matching the idea to the person
The best date idea is the one that suits your date, not just you. If they are new to football, choose something with plenty going on off the pitch. If they love it, think about what kind of fan they are: a stadium tour may delight a season ticket holder, while a player might prefer five-a-side. Asking "what's your idea of a good football day out?" is a perfect first-message question.
Tips for any football date
- Check the fixtures. Avoid planning a quiet dinner on derby day.
- Think about your date, not just yourself. If they are new to football, choose something welcoming.
- Keep the drinking sensible, especially around matches.
- Plan the journey home, because matchday transport gets busy.
- Have a backup plan in case a match is postponed.
Dates for mixed couples
If one of you loves football and the other does not, mix it up. Alternate between a football date and something entirely different, and choose football dates with a lot going on beyond the pitch: good food, a new place to explore or a lively atmosphere. Mixed couples will find more in when your partner hates football.
A safety note
For any first date, football or otherwise, choose a public venue, keep a friend posted and know how you are getting back. The safety page lists the rest.
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Ideas for long-distance couples
Football fans often date across a motorway or two. If you live in different cities, take turns hosting a home game, so each of you sees the other's ground and local routine. Between visits, watch the same televised match "together" on a video call, or play a football management game against each other online. When you do meet halfway, pick a town with a club neither of you supports and make a day of it.
Ask before you plan
The simplest tip of all: ask your date what kind of football day they enjoy. Their answer is a plan in itself.