10 to try: Sport on TV

Time Out selects 10 of the best places to watch Premiership football in Dubai Discuss this article

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Dubai is one of the best places in the world to watch Premiership football.

Thanks to Showtime’s sports packages it is now possible to watch every single game of the year live in the Middle East.

If you are not a subscriber Time Out selects ten of the best places to catch the action.

Barrels: Mankhool Road sports bar that has a steady flow of fans most nights of the week. Screens a host of other sports should you’re not be sated with the Premiership.

Screens: seven LCDs and one big screen. Majestic Hotel, Bur Dubai, (04 359 8888)

Boston Bar: No frills traditional pub that attracts Arsenal, Chelsea and even the odd West Ham fan. Still the boozer of choice for many a Man Utd devotee. A spot that stands the test of time.

Screens: 10 small and one huge screen. Jumeira Rotana Hotel, (04 345 5888)

Double Decker: It’s darn noisy, usually packed to the hilt and invariably a riotous festival of perspiration. Just the right atmosphere for rowdy football fans. Traditionally a Man Utd haunt.

Screens: Games shown on the bar’s six screens. Al Marooj Rotana, (04 321 1111)

El Paso: The original Dubai Toffees hangout, this Tex-Mex bar and restaurant has been catering to Everton fans for years and is a firm favourite amongst many football fans. Plenty of screens with a football-focus, occasionally they do lower the volume if there’s a band playing, but plan around this for the big games.

Screens: one big screen and five plasma TVs. Dubai Marine Resort and Spa, (04 304 8173)

Fibber Magee’s: One of the few stand-alone bars in town, Fibber’s is tied to the Chelsea Supporters Club for the next season. Nonetheless, it’s an inviting pub and will be showing teams up and down the league.

Sheikh Zayed Road, (04 332 2400)

Goodfellas: Once host to the now-elusive Arsenal Supporters’ Club, Goodfellas is the definitive sports bar. Screens dominate the place, and are even in the bathrooms. And should you forget why you’re here, Goodfellas features more sport memorabilia on the walls than you ever thought possible (or necessary). A solid choice.

Regal Plaza Hotel, Bur Dubai, (04 355 6633)

Long's Bar: The Middle East’s longest bar (could you forget?) really does live up to it’s pretensions. An inclusive atmosphere, a screen never out of eye-shot and a genuine commitment to showing as much sport as they possibly can.

Screens: Two large screens and several small ones. Towers Rotana Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, (04 312 2202)

Player's Lounge: Plush leather sofas and more TVs than you can shake a stick at. The atmosphere is consistently friendly and a favourite among Man City supporters. You might even be propping up the bar with local (and very vocal) man of football, Ray Reed. Screens: three big projectors and eight plasmas dotted throughout.

Chelsea Hotel, Bur Dubai, (04 398 8840)

The Underground: Themed to London’s tube network, you can imagine you’re really there as you jostle with a pack of football fans to get to the bar. All the same, the atmosphere here is bang on at times and is home to Dubai Reds, a local Liverpool supporters club.

Screens: 11 screens dotted around the bar. Habtoor Grand, Dubai Marina, (04 399 5000)

Waxy O’ Conners: After playing host to Tottenham’s supporters club last year and quite a few ‘Boro boys (and the one-man Crystal Palace fan club of the bar’s manager), this hub of expat life is perfect for those in search of feeling ‘right at home’…

Screens: 15 screens in total. Ascot Hotel, Bank Street, (04 352 0900)