I want to go to a match in Europe

CodPiece XL

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I was curious about this too. I want to go to a Celtic game next month. The problem is limited availability due to ST , they are mostly nose bleeds left. I want to get some nice seats and I have seen a couple of 3rd party websites with some. They don't tell you which seats only the sections and the websites and reviews look a bit dodgy. Any reputable sites you can suggest?
 

candylandriots

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I was curious about this too. I want to go to a Celtic game next month. The problem is limited availability due to ST , they are mostly nose bleeds left. I want to get some nice seats and I have seen a couple of 3rd party websites with some. They don't tell you which seats only the sections and the websites and reviews look a bit dodgy. Any reputable sites you can suggest?
I don't know if you'll be staying in a hotel there, or if you're really price-sensitive, but I had good luck in London using the hotel concierge to get me tickets for an Arsenal-Man U game on very short notice (i.e. less than 6 hours). I ended up with Mr. Tom Buckingham's season ticket for the day. I probably overpaid, but I was confident it was going to work.

You may already know this, but you can also find a nice hotel, even if you're not staying there, and still use the concierge. Just be clear you aren't staying there and let them know there's a good tip in it for them.
 

Soxfan in Fla

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Took in a friendly this summer at QPR against Watford. Nice old quaint stadium. Despite Watford being in EPL and QPR having just been relegated QPR seemed the far superior team. The crowd was dead and it was maybe 1/3 full at best so not the best experience as far as that goes.

Took in a friendly at Arsenal in the 90's which was a much better atmosphere.
 
Has anyone been to a Champions League game in the Camp Nou? I'm going to be in Spain, about an hour outside of Barcelona, on a family beach holiday during the week of the Barcelona v Man City game, and I'm wondering if anyone can advise with regard to both ticket availability and evening/late-night public transport options.
 

CodPiece XL

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I don't know if you'll be staying in a hotel there, or if you're really price-sensitive, but I had good luck in London using the hotel concierge to get me tickets for an Arsenal-Man U game on very short notice (i.e. less than 6 hours). I ended up with Mr. Tom Buckingham's season ticket for the day. I probably overpaid, but I was confident it was going to work.

You may already know this, but you can also find a nice hotel, even if you're not staying there, and still use the concierge. Just be clear you aren't staying there and let them know there's a good tip in it for them.
Well, I'm sort of looking at this from the opposite perspective. This will be my wife's first match and I want to get decent seats, I don't honestly care about price..2-3 times face value, it doesn't really matter. The point is I only want to stay in the Glasgow area and will change plans accordingly if we can get good seats. The seats really dictate if we go or not. It may end up being decision we make once we are in Scotland ( I am only in Glasgow for the night we fly in because it will be too late and I don't fancy driving at night when I haven't slept ) but I suppose I could ask the concierge at that hotel about getting tickets for the following week.
 

Investor 11

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I'll be going to an Eintracht Frankfurt match next weekend. If anyone has been before, is there anything I need to know? Or anything specific to Getman matches in general? I'm already aware that all purchases in stadium are done by a pre loaded debit card that I need to buy.
 

Schnerres

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Don´t show up in fan gear of the opponent. It would be best if you just arrive in neutral clothes if you don´t know anything. Frankfurt-Gladbach doesn´t have a huge aggression potential I know about, but both fans aren´t the nicest. Usually you just show up in your teams´ stuff, but if you don´t know the areas which you should not go to (especially in the evening match), I would not show up in a shirt/hat.
Be early to the game: 30 minutes before it starts. One beer before it starts and then take another with you inside (or two...). Then you´ll probably have to leave for a toilet break. There´s no problem with leaving in the game and I would always do it, as 90+% go in the half and you have to wait most of the times and can´t get in line for the (also overused) Bratwurst+Beer (possibly another line) cabin.
That´s about my football experience as a godfather with a small boy in the seated area.


And don´t stand in full line with 6 guys staring at the Bratwurst/Bier house like it´s a 1974 cinema. Everyone will know "aaah the US boys are watching their first football match and don´t have an idea about the Bier" ;)
Just ask some (not too drunk,) younger person in home gear with a bier in hand for help...
 

Investor 11

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@Schnerres Thanks for the info. We did plan on on grabbing an Eintracht shirt or scarf but I'll reconsider. We've done one other match in Europe but that was in the Director's box so I guess I should be expecting a slightly different atmosphere. And a good reminder in bringing some beers in to the arena. I had forgot that was allowed over there.
 

Investor 11

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Figured I'd leave a quick review from the Frankfurt match yesterday, as I sit on an early train out of the city, should anyone look at this thread down the road.

The stadium is just outside of downtown Frankfurt. We made our way to the main Frankfurt train station a few hours before kickoff. A friendly police officer in riot gear rerouted me from walking into a swarm of Monchengladbach supporters who had amassed at the O'Reillys Irish pub opposite the train station. A couple minutes later we were on the S Bahn and after two short stops exited at the Stadion stop. The stadium is in its own a little area so there's very few actual bars or buildings right around. That was, however, no impediment to scene. The long walkway leading to the stadium was lined with food and beer stands and even some entrepreneurial folks who tossed a few cases of Bitburger into a shopping cart to sell to the fans. We settled on a stand just outside the gates where we happily enjoyed a few Pilsners for the low price of €3.50, the first of a few stark differences we noted from the typical American sporting event.

We made our way in to the stadium with beers in hand, yes you are able to bring a beer in to the stadium provided it is in a plastic cup, where we each received a very thorough frisking. From there, we needed to secure what they call a JustPay card. All transactions at the concession stands are cashless. Roaming all over the stadium are JustPay employees who issue a RFID enabled card which you load with cash. The cards cost a refundable €2.

The atmosphere in the stadium was great. I've done an English Championship match as well as a couple USMNT matches and neither compared to this. We roamed around the stadium until about 30 minutes prior to kickoff at which point we decided to grab a few beers and be in our seats. Back at the concession stand I was handed 2 sturdy plastic mugs of Pilsner. Of note, there is no 2 beer limit that I have become accustomed to at sporting events back home. We both commented on the general fanciness of the cups that even sported a handle. I'd learn more about these mugs as the game progressed. A near miss on what should have been a goal 15 seconds in to the match for Frankfurt was just the beginning of cheers and chants from the supporters section that rang throughout the stadium. At about the 38 minute mark, Michelle made her way to the concourse to beat the bathroom rush and get in line for some halftime beers. As soon as the whistle blew I made a beeline for the bathroom. That's when I learned that it's not just BMW and Mercedes that showcase the feats of German engineering. Those beer mugs with the handle also doubled as hooks, where a row of guys lined up against the trough with beer mugs hooked in to their front pocket. Back in line for more beer we ran in to a snag. I was short on funds to buy the beers I wanted. As I stood there confused, doing my math on how many €4,30 beers I had purchased the lady explained to me that each beer comes with a €2 surcharge for the mugs. She also explained that there was a return station just around the corner where you could turn in empty mugs and have that €2 placed back on your JustPay card. after some hustling around we were back in our seats for the 2nd half kickoff. I don't know if it's expressly allowed or just not enforced but the guy next to me proceeded to practically chain smoke cigarettes for the majority of the half. Frankfurt controlled much of the ball but couldn't find the back of the net. Even a late penalty in the box saw the Monchengladbach keeper come up with a penalty save to his right. We quickly made our way up and out when the final whistle blew hoping to beat the rush to the train.

Once outside we realized the party was still continuing as the same beer stands were still steadily pumping out Pilsners. We decided to hang out for bit longer. One thing I learned from the match is that it's seems to be socially acceptable to just pee wherever you are should the need arise. You see a tree you like, pee on it. Fancy that bush in the corner, pee on it. We both noted that we had to be sure not to be seen as staring at what we both had trouble mentally processing. Then we figured, when in Rome..... and officially joined the party. We grabbed one more beer and packed ourselves in to the train for the quick jaunt back to the city.

We had an absolute blast at the game and all that led up to and followed it. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who found themselves in the city. Even if not a soccer fan, I'd be hard pressed to imagine that one wouldn't enjoy the experience. I hope to be able to go back again someday.
 

Investor 11

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@Zomp I don't speak any German. I found most everyone spoke English and the couple phrases I learned got me through the ordering process. I've got a video to post as well once I can get some better reception.
 

PedroSpecialK

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I'm thinking of visiting my sister on a whim in London in May, and was going to try and get to the Liverpool / West Ham match on May 13.

I don't have any delusions of getting to sit in the away section (or sitting in a home / neutral section in Liverpool colors), but I've read mixed things on the atmosphere & safety at London Stadium this year... given West Ham's position in the table and the fact that it'll be the final match of the season at home, I'm anticipating an angst-ridden crowd at best. Anyone taken in a match there?

Given it's the final match of the season, is there any likelihood of ticket brokers even having availability? Am I nuts to even consider it?
 

Schnerres

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Nice writing :)
Sorry I didn´t tell about the returning deposit you have to pay for the cups. For many fans, it´s a souvenir and if the club uses the cheap cups (those you see in the coffee shops or sometimes in front of the stadium) which are for free, you have a ton of trash. Smoking in public, closed rooms is forbidden, but as the stadium is open (although the one which you´ve visited has a roof that´s removable), smoking is allowed everywhere without restrictions. It´s possible that there´s non-smoking areas, but i don´t know about this.
I guess it´s everywhere the same with peeing, as long as there are some trees or bushes around a football stadium in Germany. You have to imagine the police is very underrepresented at the matches (not that I feel unsafe, but there are more events with hooligans and violence happening and the police would like to be more present, but there´s not enough money) and there are so many idiots/drunken visiting guest fans. Those guys need police attention, so nobody cares about someone peeing anywhere because there are bigger trouble 500m farther down the road. And those guys are often a little push or whatever from escalating into throwing punches, stones, etc., so the police is often very careful with guest fans.
 

Tony the Pony

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I'm thinking of visiting my sister on a whim in London in May, and was going to try and get to the Liverpool / West Ham match on May 13
I'm not a fan of the stadium, but I wouldn't be too concerned about security at Hamsters - Liverpool.

However, it's going to be hard for you to get a ticket. Black market is always a good bet, but it would probably cost you 100-150 GBP easily. I assume you could get a hospitality ticket, but they cost around £240 there.

What you should do, though, is fly to London by way of Dublin. We'll go to the Dublin derby (Shamrock Rovers - Bohemians) together on the evening of May 12, and I'll put you on the plane to London the next morning. You can wear a Liverpool jersey, and I'll sport a Kyle McLaren Bruins one. :)

 

FanRoy

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Aug 14, 2008
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So I'm in London this week and find myself wanting to attend the Chelsea - Man City match... I realize it's last minute and unlikely, but is it at all possible to find tickets for ~£200 or less? Assuming no, does anyone have suggestions on where to watch? I've been to a game at Stamford Bridge once before and remember a bar/restaurant attached... would that be a good atmosphere?
 

BrotherMouzone

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Aug 2, 2010
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Bumping this for the new season. I'm going to be in Milan in early September, and Inter will be playing that weekend. Their opponent is SPAL, which isn't a marquee match to say the least. Has anyone been to San Siro? Doing some online searching, it looks like I can wait until I get to Milan and get tickets there at a reseller. Has anyone had success doing that?
 

PedroSpecialK

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I'm trying to secure a reliable ticket for WHUFC hosting Liverpool this coming Saturday. A colleague's husband's season ticket fell through, as it turns out today his nephew is going with that ticket. There are seats on Stubhub but I'm real wary of that. I'm trying to secure a ticket through the hotel concierge concurrently.

At this point, no delusions of being able to sit in the away end (especially as only LFC members with 7+ away matches in '16-'17 had tickets released to them), figure I'm going to sit with Hammers supporters and hide my Liverpool support. Anyone with connections to a WHUFC season ticket holder who doesn't want to go to one of their most sought-after matches of the season? :fonz:

Worst case would be going with a hospitality package, which could be amusing if someone like Papa Diop were to be the promised Hammers legend.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Gotta be a "Claret Member" to buy tickets, but yes it appears on their site it's sold out, absent hospitality:
upload_2017-11-2_13-6-29.png

edit: Ah shiet, no luck with the hotel.
 
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Spacemans Bong

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Reselling football tickets is illegal in England, so definitely be wary of StubHub.

I used to work with the ex-head of West Ham's media, who now works for the Premier League. I will give him a shout to see if he can help.

My price for this is you will have to attend the match in my Habs sweater. Naturellement.
 

eddiew112

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Nice. I can’t believe getting a Spurs ticket is that easy. Liverpool’s ticketing process is absurdly restrictive.
American fans should capitalize on Spurs playing at Wembley for a season. It was impossible to get tickets for league games at WHL as well.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Grabbed a £60 StubHub seat as kickoff approached, found a print shop in the Stratford Centre, and lo and behold it worked.

Added bonus: I’m next to the press gantry so there may be an Arlo creepshot incoming
 

Investor 11

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Shot in the dark here....... Does anyone here happen to be a Bayern Munich member? I'm looking for tickets for their CL match against Besiktas next week. They have tickets available on their ticket exchange but you can only view them by being a member. The membership fee is 90 Euros so I don't want to spend it to find that there's only 1 ticket available or that they are all at crazy exorbitant prices.
 
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Dollar

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I can't help you there, but this is the site I use for buying sport and concert tickets in Germany, so maybe this helps in some way. It looks like the cheapest pair on there is about 340 Euro. Good luck!
 

Investor 11

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Ended up grabbing a pair off EBay for 300 Euro. About 60 Euro over face value per ticket. For a one off game I can’t argue with that. I’ll be sure to update the Trip report thread after the game.
 

Investor 11

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Anyone here been to a match at Parc De Princes? Going to catch PSG v Bordeaux next month. Plenty of tickets available on their official ticket exchange. I'm leaning towards a pair in 304 row 1. But, would like to hear from anyone who has been before and any suggestions on where to sit.
 
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SoxFanInCali

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Anyone her been to a match at Parc De Princes? Going to catch PSG v Bordeaux next month. Plenty of tickets available on their official ticket exchange. I'm leaning towards a pair in 304 row 1. But, would like to hear from anyone who has been before and any suggestions on where to sit.
Only time that I ever went was pre-oil money, when the team sucked and most of the people that went were ultras looking for a fight, so my info is no doubt out of date.
 

dirtynine

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Was there last summer for the WWC. Ended up in the bottom corner (behind the flag) and from there, didn’t seem like there was a bad seat in the house. Very intimate (but modern) feel.