London football grounds

Plan: go to a pub near the ground of every league team in London. (Watford and Brentford are in Herts and Middlesex so they don't count.)

The basic rule is that you don't necessarily have to go to the nearest pub to the ground, just a pub close enough that fans would be likely to drink there before and after a match.

The way we did it:

Wimbledon, Palace (so 2 pubs near Selhurst Park), Millwall, Charlton, West Ham, Leyton Orient, Spurs, Arsenal, QPR, Chelsea, Fulham.

We chose the day of the England - Sweden friendly so that none of the premiership teams and not many league teams would be playing (the thought of, for example, drinking in South Bermondsey when Millwall were playing at home didn't really appeal).

Arrived at Thornton Heath (train from Clapham Junction). First pub - the Victory (although we'd recommend the Thomas Farley instead, we would have gone there but it was closed for refurbishment). Then past the ground towards Norwood Junction station, stopping at the Alliance for a second pint. From there, get a train to South Bermondsey (there are some direct trains but we got a fast one to London Bridge and then another one out again) for Millwall.

Here we went to the Golden Lion for a quick one, then back to the station, London Bridge yet again and a train to Charlton. Nice pub there, the Antigallican, but we didn't stay long because we thought getting to Upton Park would be a bit of a trek. And indeed it was. On the advice of a friendly bloke at the station, we got a train further out of London to Woolwich Arsenal, walked under the Thames (a word of advice - wait for the lift when you get to the other side, those stairs are a killer), and then got a mad Silverlink train from North Woolwich to West Ham. North Woolwich station is in the middle of nowhere, but the trains run every 20 minutes and seemed very reliable. A couple of stops on the district line to Upton Park, and then another quick drink in Queens (nice and close to the station). Back down to West Ham, that Silverlink train again to Stratford, and then central line to Leyton and the Coach and Horses.

Then back to Stratford, Silverlink once more to Highbury and Islington, where the Famous Cock (no sniggering at the back) is right next to the station. Another 2 stops up to Seven Sisters, and the Connaught Tavern is about 15 minutes walk (towards the ground) away.

After that is a bit of a long journey to Shepherds Bush (via Kings Cross) for QPR. We went in a pub called the Green (used to be a Wetherspoons). The last 2 grounds are ridiculously easy - just head down to Fulham Broadway for Chelsea, we chose the White Hart, just out of the station, there's a Slug and Lettuce very close too. And finally down to Putney Bridge for Fulham - we got to the Eight Bells at about 9.30, so plenty of time for a relaxing few pints.

another possible route and timetable here - thanks mark (we didn't use this ourselves as none of us were organised enough to print it out)