I want to go to a match in Europe

Laser Show

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If this should be moved to TBLTS, go for it.
 
I'm studying in Europe this semester and with my post-World Cup soccer interest climbing, I was hoping to catch a top-flight match or two while I'm here. Obviously I want to minimize the costs, but here are my early thoughts on where to go:
 
- Of the Premier League clubs I've watched, Chelsea has been the most entertaining. Combine that with their convenient location in London (I plan to go there regardless of whether I can get to a match or not), plus Stamford Bridge (which looks gorgeous), they're currently at the top of my list for the Premier League.
- I would love to see Messi play. Combined with the history and tradition of FCB and the Nou Camp, that's a no-brainer to me.
 
My questions are:
 
1) I don't know when I'll be back in Europe, so is there one club/stadium I should absolutely try to visit? Is there a specific match that you'd recommend?
2) Would it be worth the hassle of going to a Champions League match (between higher prices and midweek dates)?
3) Is it worth making a trip to Liverpool to see a match at Anfield?
4) Is my best bet for buying (affordable) tickets through each club's website? 
 
I'm still a novice to the sport and it's history and culture so I'm all ears for any advice/recommendations anyone has.
 

Luis Taint

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The two I would want to see is obviously Emirates, and sneakily enough Crystal Palace. CP looks like it has an amazing atmosphere.
 

Titans Bastard

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Important question: where exactly are you studying?
 

dirtynine

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If you're near London, I'd personally try to get to the Emirates or Craven Cottage (Fulham - the stadium dates to 1896).  
 

candylandriots

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Laser Show said:
If this should be moved to TBLTS, go for it.
 
I'm studying in Europe this semester and with my post-World Cup soccer interest climbing, I was hoping to catch a top-flight match or two while I'm here. Obviously I want to minimize the costs, but here are my early thoughts on where to go:
 
- Of the Premier League clubs I've watched, Chelsea has been the most entertaining. Combine that with their convenient location in London (I plan to go there regardless of whether I can get to a match or not), plus Stamford Bridge (which looks gorgeous), they're currently at the top of my list for the Premier League.
- I would love to see Messi play. Combined with the history and tradition of FCB and the Nou Camp, that's a no-brainer to me.
 
My questions are:
 
1) I don't know when I'll be back in Europe, so is there one club/stadium I should absolutely try to visit? Is there a specific match that you'd recommend?
2) Would it be worth the hassle of going to a Champions League match (between higher prices and midweek dates)?
3) Is it worth making a trip to Liverpool to see a match at Anfield?
4) Is my best bet for buying (affordable) tickets through each club's website? 
 
I'm still a novice to the sport and it's history and culture so I'm all ears for any advice/recommendations anyone has.
 
 
Luis Taint said:
The two I would want to see is obviously Emirates, and sneakily enough Crystal Palace. CP looks like it has an amazing atmosphere.
 
Palace is a lot of fun (thought it's the only one I've been to). If you decide you want to go there, PM me and I can give you the details.
 
And if you want to go to the Leicester (9/27) game, I ***may*** be able to get you really nice tickets for a good price.
 

sachmoney

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When I was in London, I went to the Emirates. I think we got our tickets through Craigslist. I think they had tickets with chips in them or something, so there wasn't a paper situation. We had to return the tickets. It was a Champions League game. It was expensive. I'm pretty sure you could do better than me as far as expense is concerned. The Emirates is clean, modern, and comfortable. The atmosphere has gotten better in recent years too. It's easy to access via the Tube. Bonger can shed much more light than I can as he goes to the Emirates every once in a while.
 
I'd echo the Craven Cottage sentiment. I wish they were still up at the top level, as I've wanted to visit. I know that when Arsenal visits, the supporters take a boat/pontoon on the Thames to get to the Cottage, which is right on the water in West London. It seems like a very traditional, very English stadium. One of the few left in this day and age. Non-premiership matches seem to generally be cheaper and more accessible (unless it's a derby or something).
 
I went to the Nou Camp for a Spanish Super Copa game. We got the tickets straight from the club.I don't remember how the pricing was, but it's a 90,000 seat stadium. I don't think you'll have trouble getting a seat, though the match I went to was a pseudo friendly (that Messi scored a hat trick in). 
 

Laser Show

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Thanks for the suggestions so far guys.
 
jkempa said:
Palace is a lot of fun (thought it's the only one I've been to). If you decide you want to go there, PM me and I can give you the details.
 
And if you want to go to the Leicester (9/27) game, I ***may*** be able to get you really nice tickets for a good price.
 
I'll let you know if I do. I actually had not realized Palace are in London - I thought they were much further north.
 
sachmoney said:
I'd echo the Craven Cottage sentiment. I wish they were still up at the top level, as I've wanted to visit. I know that when Arsenal visits, the supporters take a boat/pontoon on the Thames to get to the Cottage, which is right on the water in West London. It seems like a very traditional, very English stadium. One of the few left in this day and age. Non-premiership matches seem to generally be cheaper and more accessible (unless it's a derby or something).
 
I'll read up on it some. How much does attendance and atmosphere usually suffer when a team gets relegated?
 
It's interesting that there's so many clubs right in London - I was looking on Google Maps and Craven Cottage is just over a mile west of Stamford Bridge.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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If you're going solo and want to see one of the big clubs in England, the best way to get tickets is to join the club's supporter's club.  It generally gives you the opportunity to buy tickets in a presale a few weeks before each game.
 
It's usually about 35 to 50 pounds to join, but the benefit of being able to log in during the presale, choose a seat, and not have to worry about it usually makes it an advantage over trying to buy tickets from scalpers.  It generally comes with some swag like a scarf or something, but by and large, I usually join the least expensive tier I can and still get in for the presale.  Each club has a slightly different procedure.
 
It sounds like you'll be there only through December.  If by chance you'll be there in January or later, many of the clubs around the holidays start to sell a half year subscription to their supporter's club, which gives you access to tickets for the second half of the season and is usually cheaper.
 

Titans Bastard

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Laser Show said:
I'm in Dublin, so getting to Liverpool and London will be easiest. 
 
You should go to the Ireland-US friendly on November 18 at Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
 
I've never been to a match in England, but I'll echo Craven Cottage, which sure looks like a beauty.  There are many good choices in England, though, and honestly it'll be hard for you to go wrong.  If you plan on traveling to the continent, chances are you'll be somewhere with a reasonably-sized club, particularly if you are in the capital or other large city.  If you are in Prague, go see Sparta.  If you are in Copenhagen, go see FCK.  If you are in Lisbon, go see Benfica or Sporting.  Etc.
 
I have more esoteric soccer interests than most on this board, but it might also be fun to go to a League of Ireland match just for the hell of it in addition to a trip to England/wherever.  It'll be shitty soccer, but it will be cheap, easy, and there are a bunch of clubs in Dublin.  Shamrock Rovers, St. Patrick's, and Bohemians are the bigger ones, I believe.  Ireland plays a summer season, which ends in late October.
 

Laser Show

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DennyDoyle'sBoil said:
If you're going solo and want to see one of the big clubs in England, the best way to get tickets is to join the club's supporter's club.  It generally gives you the opportunity to buy tickets in a presale a few weeks before each game.
 
It's usually about 35 to 50 pounds to join, but the benefit of being able to log in during the presale, choose a seat, and not have to worry about it usually makes it an advantage over trying to buy tickets from scalpers.  It generally comes with some swag like a scarf or something, but by and large, I usually join the least expensive tier I can and still get in for the presale.  Each club has a slightly different procedure.
 
It sounds like you'll be there only through December.  If by chance you'll be there in January or later, many of the clubs around the holidays start to sell a half year subscription to their supporter's club, which gives you access to tickets for the second half of the season and is usually cheaper.
Yea I'm only here until the 19th of December unfortunately. Thanks for the tip though -  I figured that the supporters clubs would be too expensive/arduous since I'm only here for a few months. That actually sounds much more manageable, and swag is always nice.
 
Titans Bastard said:
 
You should go to the Ireland-US friendly on November 18 at Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
 
I've never been to a match in England, but I'll echo Craven Cottage, which sure looks like a beauty.  There are many good choices in England, though, and honestly it'll be hard for you to go wrong.  If you plan on traveling to the continent, chances are you'll be somewhere with a reasonably-sized club, particularly if you are in the capital or other large city.  If you are in Prague, go see Sparta.  If you are in Copenhagen, go see FCK.  If you are in Lisbon, go see Benfica or Sporting.  Etc.
 
I have more esoteric soccer interests than most on this board, but it might also be fun to go to a League of Ireland match just for the hell of it in addition to a trip to England/wherever.  It'll be shitty soccer, but it will be cheap, easy, and there are a bunch of clubs in Dublin.  Shamrock Rovers, St. Patrick's, and Bohemians are the bigger ones, I believe.  Ireland plays a summer season, which ends in late October.
 
The friendly has been on my schedule since I saw it announced last month. Super pumped for it. 
 
If I had my way, I'd try to catch a game each place I go. Unfortunately that's probably not practical haha. League of Ireland is definitely on my radar, but I was actually surprised that hurling is the predominant sport here. I had almost never heard of it until I got here but the entire city was amped up and covered with the colors of Kilkenny and Tipperary for the All-Ireland Final on Sunday.
 

Zomp

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Stamford Bridge is very nice stadium in a cool neighborhood. I'd go there, and echo the sentiments about joining the supporters club to get tickets, or you could take advantage of a clubs hospitality package but that can get pricey.
 

eddiew112

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I will echo Crystal Palace (I was the beneficiary of jkempa's trip). Old school stadium, amazing fans with a bit of an edge. One of the few places in England where there is an ultras-type atmosphere. 
 
I have no idea if Istanbul is in your travel plans (it should be), but I had the chance to see Galatasaray at home. They are in a new stadium now, but still an unforgettable atmosphere. If you are in Istanbul, go see a Galatasaray or a Besiktas game. 
 
Edit: Have to give a plug for White Hart Lane as well. Go see a Spurs game there while it is still standing.
 

Schnerres

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If you´re going to Germany, best stadiums are Dortmund ("the wall", where it could be hard to get a ticket), Schalke or you go to some newer arena like Munich.
I would never go to an arena of a team like Wolfsburg, Hoffenheim or Leverkusen. They play decent attacking football and have some great players, but if i had one match to go to, i wouldn´t wanna say, "i will go to Wolfsburg", just out of romantic reasons.
i would also never visit teams like Frankfurt (some mad and hateful fans), Hamburg (beautiful city, but poor team --> i would prefer the "cooler" team from Hamburg in 2nd league, St.Pauli, which was always the outsider) or Mainz.
 
Perfect games for a single male person could be something like Dortmund-Schalke (great game in perfect stadium), Bayern-Dortmund or Bayern-Leverkusen (perfect game in beautiful city) or something like St.Pauli-Düsseldorf (good game in romantic stadium in beautiful city) in 2.Bundesliga.
 
You might want to investigate and see if the club you're interested in has an unofficial website or Twitter feed to help facilitate ticket exchanges. I know there's one for Arsenal, and it seems like there are always tickets being sold for face value (or very close to it) by ticket holders who can't make it on short notice, or sometimes even on long notice, as long as you're disciplined enough to hang around the site long enough to be the first person to pounce on tickets which go up for offer.
 
Btw, when I spent a year studying in Scotland back in 1995-96, I went down to London for New Year's and saw four Premier League matches in four days, including two on New Year's Day itself (one being the infamous William Prunier game, when Man Utd lost 4-1 at Spurs). If you really want a European soccer orgy, I'd highly recommend trying something like that.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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mikeford said:
Hit up Craven Cottage if you can. Fulham isn't in the BPL anymore but man that looks like a great stadium.
The first European footie game I ever saw was at Craven Cottage. It's about a 15 minute walk from the tube, right along the Thames. On a nice day, it's amazing. Then when you get there, you can have a reasonably priced beer outside the west stands right above the river bank. The day I went, Fulham were down to ten men after a couple of minutes so the football was not much fun, but the day was still fantastic.
 

Spacemans Bong

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The logistics of getting tickets for most clubs can be a pain in the ass - clubs keep a very tight watch on who has what tickets to keep undesirables out (or find out who is becoming undesirable - whether by scalping or becoming violent or whatever). You seem to be a free agent clubs wise so that will make it a bit tougher - most big English clubs are going to have US fan clubs that basically cater to people on holiday or students, but you can't realistically join all of them and pay the membership fee.
 
There are some exceptions - a club like Fulham that struggles to sell out...you might be able to just turn up and buy a ticket. Lower demand games for any club (such as Chelsea vs. Stoke rather than Chelsea vs. Arsenal) are going to be easier to find tickets for.
 
My advice would be to preplan. Identify the games you want to go to now, and start working the Internet, hard work will find you somebody who's willing to sell you a ticket. Last but not least, be prepared to pay - you'll always be able to get into the stadium if you're willing to go the extra mile for it.
 

FanRoy

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I've actually been to a few games over there - Champions League games at Stadio Olimpico, Nou Camp, Stamford Bridge, as well as league games in other countries... And maybe I've just been lucky, but I've actually had the opposite experience of many here. For larger clubs, I would just go to the official team store in their city and buy a ticket directly from there. Even up until matchday. I did this for UCL games for both Barcelona (albeit against a minnow in week 6 of the group stage) and also Roma (for a potentially group deciding game against Bayern, an incredible 3-2 come from behind win after being down 2 goals!!). You might try that route if you happen to be in a city with a big club? This was all a few years ago, maybe things have changed??

While we're on the subject... Schnerres, I'm planning a trip to Europe solely to see a game at Westfalenstadion (Dortmund are my 2nd team). My goal is when they host Bayern in April. I have two questions for you: if both are still active in other tournaments at that point, would they reschedule more than a couple days from the original game date and would signing up for the Dortmund supporters club be my best bet to getting a ticket?? I would only go for a week so I could have wiggle room of maybe 3 days on either side of the game date but don't want to go there only for the match to be rescheduled to another week entirely. Thanks in advance!

Good luck Laser Show!! And I might be able to find you a ticket to a Swansea game if you plan on visiting Wales?? Not sure, but I could contact an old friend who lives there and has seats.

Edit: First time posting here and couldn't figure out how to format.
 

Zomp

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Camp nou and Stadio Olimpico both old over 80,000 people.  Stamford Bridge holds half that much.  Things haven't changed, but the English attendance is a lot better than the Spanish or Italian leagues.
 

CPT Neuron

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I saw a Roma match at the Olympic Stadium a couple of years back - got the tickets on line and had them delivered to the hotel where we were staying in Rome.  It was an absolute one of a kind experience.  Highly recommend it.
 

pockmeister

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In addition to all the excellent advice above, if you do end up coming to the UK for a game, try and take in a lower division fixture too - something in the Championship or League 1.  Much easier to arrange tickets (often just pay on the gate), significantly cheaper, and a different perspective on the professional game.  
 
If you're in London, I'd recommend Charlton Athletic as worth a visit, and also Brentford.  Both are in the Championship.  If you'd like something a little lower down the food chain, try Leyton Orient in League 1.
 

SoxFanInCali

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I went to a Charlton Athletic game when they were still in League One, it's a fun place to see a game.  It's also reasonably easy to get to, even when a couple of the tube lines were closed that day.
 
That brings up another point, they will often close down certain Underground lines on weekends for construction/maintenance, so make sure you check that your planned route will work.
 

Schnerres

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FanRoy said:
While we're on the subject... Schnerres, I'm planning a trip to Europe solely to see a game at Westfalenstadion (Dortmund are my 2nd team). My goal is when they host Bayern in April. I have two questions for you: if both are still active in other tournaments at that point, would they reschedule more than a couple days from the original game date and would signing up for the Dortmund supporters club be my best bet to getting a ticket?? I would only go for a week so I could have wiggle room of maybe 3 days on either side of the game date but don't want to go there only for the match to be rescheduled to another week entirely. Thanks in advance!

Good luck Laser Show!! And I might be able to find you a ticket to a Swansea game if you plan on visiting Wales?? Not sure, but I could contact an old friend who lives there and has seats.

Edit: First time posting here and couldn't figure out how to format.
 
After checking this, i saw that the Bundesliga has each match scheduled until 12th matchday. From then on it´s just "12th match is 21-23.november" and you don´t know when each of the matches (pairs are set of course) will take place exactly, due to CL, EL, cup fixtures.
Usually, each team in the Bundesliga has the same number of matches as others after each match. That sounds logical, but when i check table of the Premier League this is not often the case that there are 20 teams with the same number of matches. So last season was really special, as Bayern had to play @the club World Cup and had to make up a match (vs.Stuttgart). Why am i saying this...--> Most of the times, you will see league scheduling 1-3 months ahead and the exact date is set up, so there won´t be any trouble with international or cup fixtures. You will know the exact date for sure, 100%.
 
About your other question: I really have no idea, how you can get tickets for such a match. I mean when i go to "my" stadium (FC Kaiserslautern, 48k arena in 2.Bundesliga), there are little to no problems to go to the ticket shop and just buy tickets for each block.
What i learned here:
http://forum.bvb-freunde.de/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=24818&sid=b8834d65d6366701716c4fe8ac18d67a
-members of the fanclub can order earlier tickets (per phone)
-members can order up to 4 tickets (vs.Bayern/Schalke only 2), every other "fan" just 2 tickets
-some posters say it is hard (in general) to get tickets, other say they have no problem to order tickets (so my guess is you have to call often enough)
 
https://www.eventimsports.de/shop/20/314009/314009/areaview
That´s the official page from BVB (for the match vs. Freiburg) for the next match and you can click through each block in the stadium. It´s sold out. Could also be that this is the case for most matches when they go to the homepage, as Freiburg is surely less attractive (almost no fans).
What would i do? I have no idea if you´ll make it to that match..The date will be set in stone early, but they could sell some 250k tickets without trouble. Then there´s the thing where you want to be. If you want to be at the Südtribüne (the huge yellow thing behind one goal), but that´s standing tickets..and harder to get. For these, you almost have to go into a fanclub. If you just wanna be in the arena, it might be possible without a fanclub membership and an early call, i don´t know. With membership, it should be possible, as you can order tickets earlier.
 

Laser Show

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Thanks a ton everyone. Some great suggestions here. I'll keep this updated as my travel plans become clearer.
 

canderson

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I'm going to piggyback this thread, as there is great stuff here.

We'll be in London May 13-22, 2015, and we want to see a match. My research tells me only BPL matches are available during that time, those all on May 16.

Here are the fixtures for that date:

Burnley v Stoke
Liverpool v Crystal Palace
Man Utd v Arsenal
QPR v Newcastle
Southampton v Aston Villa
Sunderland v Leicester
Swansea v Man City
Tottenham v Hull
West Brom v Chelsea
West Ham v Everton

Realistically QPR and Tottenham are the only new we can easily do as a day trip, right? I mean I'd love to see Liverpool or Man U vs Arsenal, but it doesn't seem a) timing it is that wise and b) tickets would be impossible to get anyway.

Is QPR worth a visit? I know nothing about them. I do enjoy Newcastle Brown Ale though!
 

Dehere

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I was in Manchester for a month earlier this year and found it much easier than I expected to scalp through Craigslist for both United and City. I'm sure plenty of people get burned buying fakes but my own experiences were great. Plenty of tickets available for both clubs and I hit four matches in four weeks.

As I recall you can get from London Euston to Manchester in about two hours and it's a pretty pleasant ride. It's an effort and a long day but it can certainly be done.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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canderson said:
I'm going to piggyback this thread, as there is great stuff here.

We'll be in London May 13-22, 2015, and we want to see a match. My research tells me only BPL matches are available during that time, those all on May 16.

Here are the fixtures for that date:

Burnley v Stoke
Liverpool v Crystal Palace
Man Utd v Arsenal
QPR v Newcastle
Southampton v Aston Villa
Sunderland v Leicester
Swansea v Man City
Tottenham v Hull
West Brom v Chelsea
West Ham v Everton

Realistically QPR and Tottenham are the only new we can easily do as a day trip, right? I mean I'd love to see Liverpool or Man U vs Arsenal, but it doesn't seem a) timing it is that wise and b) tickets would be impossible to get anyway.

Is QPR worth a visit? I know nothing about them. I do enjoy Newcastle Brown Ale though!
West Ham is also an option. Their match home to Everton looks like the best London fixture to me.
 

canderson

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Totally forgot West Ham's location. Thanks!

My wife isn't one to like to be surrounded by obscene drunk fans unless it's at Fenway, I presume we'll be fine but any tips to avoid any issues if we aim for the WH-Everton match?
 

veritas

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canderson said:
Totally forgot West Ham's location. Thanks!

My wife isn't one to like to be surrounded by obscene drunk fans unless it's at Fenway, I presume we'll be fine but any tips to avoid any issues if we aim for the WH-Everton match?
 
I went to the West Ham game vs Southampton earlier this year with 2 friends and our wives/girlfriends. It was easy to buy tickets through the team website, and it was an amazing experience. You don't have anything to worry about if you're concerned about violence or hooligans. I felt much safer than I would have as an away fan for a Boston team in cities like NY, Philly, Montreal, etc. We were obviously dumb Americans and everyone was nice to us.
 
Fair warning, there were some drunk people, and if West Ham loses you'll hear a few "twat", "wanker" and "cunt" directed at Sam Allardyce. But all in all, a much tamer atmosphere than a Bruins playoff game. Also, don't wander too far from the road between the tube and the stadium.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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canderson said:
Totally forgot West Ham's location. Thanks!

My wife isn't one to like to be surrounded by obscene drunk fans unless it's at Fenway, I presume we'll be fine but any tips to avoid any issues if we aim for the WH-Everton match?
I have no idea about the reputation of different stands. But probably better not to sit with the away fans (usually segregated in their own section) or in a section that borders them.
 

trs

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Morgan's Magic Snowplow said:
I have no idea about the reputation of different stands. But probably better not to sit with the away fans (usually segregated in their own section) or in a section that borders them.
 
The real reason not to sit near the away stands is because they're usually the worst seats in the house (at least here in Spain).  Don't worry about accidentally getting the away seats, you usually have to request them intentionally.
 

Cellar-Door

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Morgan's Magic Snowplow said:
I have no idea about the reputation of different stands. But probably better not to sit with the away fans (usually segregated in their own section) or in a section that borders them.
Trevor Brooking is a mix of home and visitors, East is next to it and the corner were they meet is one of the most boisterous areas but still nothing like it was, Bobby Moore is going to have the most standing and singing, Alpari is the newest and biggest and has the boxes, shop etc.
 

canderson

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Should add we don't give much of a damn about the match itself, just want to soak in the atmosphere. West Ham looks like our best bet, it's close and not having to worry about any hooliganism (I know that's not much of a thing anymore, but better to be safe than sorry).
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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Cellar-Door said:
Trevor Brooking is a mix of home and visitors, East is next to it and the corner were they meet is one of the most boisterous areas but still nothing like it was, Bobby Moore is going to have the most standing and singing, Alpari is the newest and biggest and has the boxes, shop etc.
There you go, Canderson. Cellar Door is our resident West Ham fan and clearly knows his shit, much better than me or anybody else. Listen to him.
 

pockmeister

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canderson said:
Should add we don't give much of a damn about the match itself, just want to soak in the atmosphere. West Ham looks like our best bet, it's close and not having to worry about any hooliganism (I know that's not much of a thing anymore, but better to be safe than sorry).
 
You'll be fine at West Ham, especially for a fixture like Everton where there's no particular rivalry either historic or through geographic reasons.  One thing to consider is that the May 13th game is the second to last round of fixtures, and is West Ham's last home game.  So that will probably mean a sell-out - make sure you get a ticket well in advance.  There are a number of reasons why is could be a sell out...
 
1)  West Ham have had a good season, and are finishing comfortably mid-table, so the fans want to have a happy end of season party
 
2)  West Ham have had a totally disastrous season, and are already relegated, so the fans will want to vent their vitriol and see Premier League football for the last time
 
3)  West Ham are in a relegation dogfight going down to the wire, and need every point they can muster, so the fans will be giving them every possible support.
 
I would guess that number 3 is the most likely to those, especially as they're at Newcastle the following weekend which could easily be a relegation decider!
 
On the off chance that they have a dreadful season and there's some real anger at the manager / players / owners, you might want to escape relatively quickly at the end of the game to avoid some East London "humour" (plenty of bad language), but other than that extreme possibility, you'll have a good day out 
 

cjdmadcow

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
1,477
St Albans, UK
Another thing you need to consider is that there is a possibility the date and/or time of the fixture you are interested in being moved for TV and there's no way you'll get to know that until February at the earliest.
 
All local times - It could be any of: Sat 12.45pm, Sat 3.00pm, Sat 5.30pm, Sun 1.30pm, Sun 4.00pm or even Mon 8.00pm
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
37,057
Hingham, MA
I brought this up in another thread, but I am going to be in London at the end of March. The BPL is off that week due to Euro '16 qualifiers. England is playing Lithuania at Wembley, which is a nice consolation prize.

My questions to the group are:

How should I go about purchasing tickets?

Have any SoSHers been to Wembley? Any tips with regard to seating, transportation, etc.?
 

canderson

Mr. Brightside
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
39,431
Harrisburg, Pa.
cjdmadcow said:
Another thing you need to consider is that there is a possibility the date and/or time of the fixture you are interested in being moved for TV and there's no way you'll get to know that until February at the earliest.
 
All local times - It could be any of: Sat 12.45pm, Sat 3.00pm, Sat 5.30pm, Sun 1.30pm, Sun 4.00pm or even Mon 8.00pm
This is a good point, donut we could attend the Monday night match if that occurred.
 

pockmeister

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 4, 2006
372
London, England
tims4wins said:
I brought this up in another thread, but I am going to be in London at the end of March. The BPL is off that week due to Euro '16 qualifiers. England is playing Lithuania at Wembley, which is a nice consolation prize.

My questions to the group are:

How should I go about purchasing tickets?

Have any SoSHers been to Wembley? Any tips with regard to seating, transportation, etc.?
Buy your tickets via the Football Association website. It won't be hard to get them as England won't sell out for that game.

Seats anywhere are great. You'll likely be allocated upper tier unless you want to pay for the higher price brackets (not worth it)

Access to Wembley is easy from central London. Just take the Underground to the station dedicated to the stadium. The Jubilee Line and Metropolitan Line are your quickest options and the crowds are well managed. Don't even think about driving up there (or indeed anywhere else in London)
 

kenneycb

Hates Goose Island Beer; Loves Backdoor Play
SoSH Member
Dec 2, 2006
16,090
Tuukka's refugee camp
I very easily found scalped tickets to the Barca game I went to. Got down in the first level and it rained for the first 15 minutes so got to move like four rows off the field. Saw Hleb get taken out and effectively end his time at Barcelona. Goid times all around except for the draw. But yeah tickets weren't very difficult.
 

pockmeister

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 4, 2006
372
London, England
T4W - I'm not sure that the England team are worth paying any money to go and see at the moment, but that's just my view as someone bored of watching them be dull and 10 years behind the game.
 
The sightlines are Wembley are so good that I'm skeptical of paying top dollar to be a little nearer the action.  Hence why if I was going to go and see England, I'd be happy with a lower priced ticket in the upper tier of the stadium.  But that's just personal preference (and being partially from Yorkshire so suffering from deep pockets / short arms syndrome).  Given you're already paying to get across the London, if you want to spend a few £ more to be at the heart of the action, I doubt you'll be disappointed
 

LondonSox

Robert the Deuce
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
8,956
North Bay California
For London stadiums Arsenal is the best IMO. Spurs is a horror show, Chelsea fans are just the worst, Fulham is ok and quite a retro experience but they are sucking in the championship right now.... so..... but if you're looking cheap. Score.
 
I have friends with season tickets for arsenal, if you PM me some dates you're looking at then I'll see if any are spare. The less headline the more likely of course. But no harm in asking.
 
I live nearby to Arsenal so if you do go let me know and we can grab a beer before or after or something.
 

BrotherMouzone

New Member
Aug 2, 2010
141
tims4wins said:
I brought this up in another thread, but I am going to be in London at the end of March. The BPL is off that week due to Euro '16 qualifiers. England is playing Lithuania at Wembley, which is a nice consolation prize.

My questions to the group are:

How should I go about purchasing tickets?

Have any SoSHers been to Wembley? Any tips with regard to seating, transportation, etc.?
 
I went to an England/Belgium friendly there a few years ago. It's a breathtaking stadium, probably the nicest one I've ever been to. Every seat seemed to be a good one. Really easy to get tickets through the England FA website.
 
Word of advice. You can't bring beer to your seats. So any drinking has to be done pregame or near the concession stands. I found this out the hard way when I was stopped by an usher double-fisting Carlings. Had to chug them both and almost missed God Save The Queen.
 

pockmeister

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 4, 2006
372
London, England
BrotherMouzone said:
 
Word of advice. You can't bring beer to your seats. So any drinking has to be done pregame or near the concession stands. I found this out the hard way when I was stopped by an usher double-fisting Carlings. Had to chug them both and almost missed God Save The Queen.
Yep, sadly the case at pretty much any British soccer stadium. Legacy from darker times...

When Wembley is set up for NFL or rugby, its much more relaxed and at seat drinking is actively encouraged
 

Vinho Tinto

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 9, 2003
7,047
Auburn, MA
I was unable to drink beer at my seat in the Estadio da Luz. My wife & I don't recall if beer drinking was restricted when we were in Faro. The rule is strange to me since it encourages rapid drinking.