Anyone gone to see a premier league game recently ? Where do you get tickets ?
 

Thinking of a birthday gift for one of my kids. Trip to London to see a Arsenal game. Either Dec or Feb. There and back 4-5 days incl travel with one day to visit family/friends. Anyone gone to see a premier league game recently ? Where do you get tickets ? Any other suggestions incl PCR testing for the return ? Have not been to the UK for 10 years though I did live in London for a few years a long time back. We will be traveling from Canada.

The most cost effective way (without being ripped off by online ticket merchants) is to either know or make friends with a season ticket holder or buy a membership to Arsenal which gives you access to their own ticket exchange.

Travelzoo offer Premier Leagues premium packages.

Travelzoo premier league

Just did this for my son - purchased Man City tickets in February. Had to join the Man City Club for he and I and was able to get "early access" to tickets. Will hopefully be able to catch another game the same weekend in London. Waiting for specific day/time schedule to settle out in the next month or so. Now to figuring out if it's possible to use the same covid test for UK 2-day requirement plus the US required test to get back into the US since we'll only be in UK for about 4 days. I haven't seen that answer anywhere...

I have signed up with various clubs to get access to tickets. For home games you often have to wait so long before tickets are available that you can only get the "hospitality" packages. I signed up with smaller clubs to try to get tickets for games at their home site with bigger teams. Also, the smaller clubs will have away packages to go to games with bigger teams. In the end I never took advantage of this, being able to score tickets to Everton games without jumping through hoops. We did get Arsenal home tickets by "knowing someone" as mentioned above.

Finally, we had a very pleasant day just showing up at Fulham and buying tickets on game day. This was several years ago prior to their relegation. Good luck!

Live in Florida and see Premier League and Championship games when I travel to England. I bought two Arsenal tickets for a Premier league game on Stubhub.com 2 years ago and had no problems. I have also bought tickets to Liverpool and Chelsea through their Hospitality programs. And, literally today!, I bought a ticket to a West Ham game at Olympic Stadium off the West Ham website, and a ticket to a Tottenham game at their new stadium from the Tottenham website. However I did have to buy a Tottenham membership first for 50 pounds.

There is no easy answer. Just be aware, tickets for games do not go on sale until about a o th before the game. Good luck. Arsenal has a big stadium to fill and not been a top team lately - so a bit easier than usual.

When you’ve got your tickets sorted, and especially if it’s not a Saturday game, do think about coming back to this forum and asking for advice on a lower level game to go to on the Saturday for a different (but more authentic) experience!

A couple of years ago we collectively advised a guy in just that situation to go to a Brentford game - at the time they were a decent Championship team, playing at their very old-school stadium, Griffin Park. He seemed to have a great time.

I believe the US reentry test has to be proctored, whether in person or on video. The UK Day 2 tests are not all proctored, but you can probably look for one that is.

We are heading to England in a week and have five matches lined up, three Premier League and two Champions League. :tu::cool:

If you’re a tourist, going to watch Arsenal is possibly the biggest waste of money you can imagine. They’re not even a good team, there is no atmosphere at all, it’s just very sterile. Fly to the UK on Emirates and visit their lounges on the way and you’ll enjoy a similar experience.

In London, Crystal Palace or Fulham are much better days out. In fact, go and watch any Championship match and it’ll be a much better afternoon. Most games are end to end and any team can beat anyone. You’re unlikely to have to sign up to these rip off memberships and it’ll cost you about £30 a ticket. You won’t be 1,000 feet in the air either.

Well, you put it more bluntly than me, but I doubt you’ll find many football fans disagreeing.

To be fair, there are worst experiences than the Emirates which can be noisy, but certainly the influx of “camera” fans is an issue that’s affecting atmosphere across the league - when the UK had its incoming travel restrictions but grounds were still fully open, I’m told the noise levels at Stamford Bridge increased markedly, as people that only ever went to away games found they could get tickets.

There are still grounds that are noisy, but they are generally outside what people regard as the big name clubs - Selhurst Park, for all its faults, is one. Norwich is another, Leicester is generally decent, and at Burnley if you go in a pub you’ll find knowledgeable fans who are steeped in the history of their own team and not interested in the “glamour” options in the North West. You’ll also find them as friendly and welcoming as anywhere if you happen to be there supporting another team in a similar position - there are many of us who watch PL teams that don’t particularly like all the hype that goes around it.

The problem you have with trying to get into lots of the grounds with decent atmosphere is that they are chock full with season ticket holders and some members - which is exactly why they’re noisy in the first place!

Agree 100%. I'd have added Brentford but I haven't been to a game there in the new stadium yet so can't say for sure.

Before Covid I went to see Chelsea, Arsenal and - unrelated but still a game - England play Ireland at the Six Nations. The latter game was a much better experience as an all-rounder. Stamford Bridge was swarmed with Middle Eastern tourists taking selfies, Arsenal was quiet as a library. I won the tickets through a raffle at work, but they were extremely dear in terms of cost... And it was boring. If the spectacle is what one is after, I agree - go see a Championship game. Or go to Germany and go see Dynamo Dresden... or if you really want to go deaf, any Aris Thessaloniki basket game. Local friends I met in Erasmus maaaany years ago took me to one and I think I blew an eardrum.

No, the USA test doesn't have to be proctored. I am back about two weeks. My "day 2" test showed up too late to use, so I just saved it for my pre-departure test before returning and had no problems. If you are just there for 4 days total and take the day 2 test on day 2, it'll also work just fine for your USA return.

Are you sure about that? See below. Still, the airline agent won't necessarily enforce that rule if you present a certificate.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019...travelers.html

Interesting. After administration, I did have to take a photo of the test stick and send it to the service offering the test. The service I used is certified by the UK government. After I did that, the service sent me an official result certificate. That satisfied the airline, which was BA.

Right. I think it's likely that the test wasn't in keeping with the U.S. rules since there was not real-time A/V supervision, but the airline didn't know enough and/or bother to enforce the rule. Which is probably not uncommon for flights leaving the U.K., I suspect, given the difference in rules as compared to the Day 2 testing. By contrast, for example, the eMed/Navica test, if you've tried it, involves someone watching you through a video connection as you take the Abbott BinaxNow LFT.

But on topic: Three days until we leave for England to watch 5 matches....woo hoo.

Hey now, the Gunners are No 5 for now, so better than most.
I have not been to a Premier League game for about 30 years when I used to study/live in London, lived in Finsbury Park and walked to Highbury, paid five pounds and stood for the entire game. Went to quite a few games and danced in the streets when they won the League back to back. Used to be a great atmosphere then apart from the hooligan fights. Obviously this was before soccer became WW entertainment and changed from a working class followers to big money and corp. I am now part of the above mentioned corp class :-) and would pay 200 pounds to see a game. And if Canada makes it to the World Cup which is looking likely, I might trek on over to Qatar to support them - not that they have a hope but they deserve the support for making it there.
Will keep checking Travelzoo and Stubhub. Still have to settle on dates.

Wow - congratulations on still being able to travel at your age!

The last time Arsenal won back-to-back league titles was 1933-34 and 34-35 :D

Well, if FA cup counts, Arsenal won in 2014-15.

Well, I was at King Power yesterday and the Leicester fans were awfully quiet. Almost forgot they were there. Meanwhile, our Chelsea away section had chants going nonstop. :D

If it helps, our League Cup Quarter Final against Sunderland, taking place on Tuesday 21st December @ 7:45pm, is now on General Sale. £21.65 for an adult, £11.65 for any child under 13 as far as I can tell. The club do ask you to come with evidence of vaccination or a negative lateral flow test, and I did see someone with a high viz with "Covid certifcation" on the back at the last game I went to against Leeds, but in reality, it's a free for all.

I'm going to the game at the weekend against Newcastle on Saturday lunchtime, so can provide a more recent update after if needed. I'm a Silver Member at Arsenal, and before Covid, I did 7-10 home games a season, as well as the odd away day in Europe or in the cup.

Cheers,
Alex

No problem with the vaccination part. All of us are double dose vaccinated as are 89% of adult Canadians. We have to be vaccinated to see any sporting event in person, also all bars, restaurants and gyms. And all air travel, rail and cruises.
Appreciate your feedback and hope the Gunners do better at Newcastle than their game at Liverpool.

Sorry, you are right it was not back to back. There was a gap year between 88-89 and 90-91. Still good times. I think my liver is still in England.

Cost me a fortune the 1989 win... I was on a stag do and promised to buy the drinks for the rest of the night if Arsenal scored a 2nd goal. Worth every penny :D

Funnily enough, my Chelsea-supporting work colleague said exactly the same thing, but before the game. I conclude the relative difference in atmosphere may have some vague connection to the more favourable results obtained against Norwich compared to Chelsea ...

Try joining Arsenal America; at least in the old days you could buy genuine match tickets through them.

When I was in England a few years ago I asked the concierge at my hotel and she happened to have a friend who was a member. I went to see Arsenal-Wolves at Emirates as a neutral American and really enjoyed it. I had a few meat pies, a few drinks and took the tube both ways. The atmosphere was fairly dull, but I eventually moved down into the Arsenal supporters section and they scored in the last minute and the atmosphere was great.

It was cool, but I'd want my next game to not be at Emirates.

AFC Wimbledon :tu::tu:

That's my team! I'm a debenture holder at New Plough Lane - which is a fantastic little ground.

Unfortunately distance means I don't get there as often as I'd like, though, these days.

And being fan-owned, it is a real antidote to the excesses of corporate America / Saudi princes that dominate the Premiershit.

The football is of variable quality to be fair!

A couple of promotions required for them to be in the premier league yet.

Next season Fulham FC might be a good shout for a Premier League game. Don't want to jinx anything, but present form looks like they are a decent shot to get promoted this year. Craven Cottage is easily accessible from LHR on the Piccadilly line, the new Riverside stand will be open so lots of additional seating, they usually have some tickets on sale to the general public for most matches, the neutral fan area is a nice relaxed place to see the game... And, if you wind up seeing a dull match, as a Flyertalker, you can do some plane spotting as the flight path into Heathrow passes over the stadium.

I really hope we never end up there again!

Exactly. Milton Keynes doesn't have the space to host another team! 😜

There are some lines you don't cross...!!

I am dating myself but all I remember of Wimbledon was it was owned by Sam Hamman and had players like Vinny Jones the hatchet. Their style of play was boot the ball up and chase it like Sunday league. Apologies to anyone I offended. Sure its much better now.

This is killing me.

I’ve been a One Hotspur+ member since they switched to the new format (was a bronze member before that), and have a ticket to Liverpool-Spurs on Dec 19th.

Was planning on doing a quick in and out (arriving 18th at 8pm from the states on the daytime TATL on VS, and leaving Monday AM), but the new restrictions are putting a massive wrench into my plans. I don’t want to shell out £399 to guarantee a PCR result on Sunday AM, so I may end up having to cancel and rebook for next season…..

it’s absolutely killing me

Haha, the style of play may not have been the sorts of tippy-tappy nonsense that prevails these days, but it was hugely effective - Wimbledon were more often than not a top 10 team in the top flight years from 86-00, including a couple of top 6 finishes, an FA Cup win and a couple of cup semifinals. I loved the physicality of it all, and personally think that modern football has lost a huge amount of its appeal now that you can no longer tackle or even touch an opponent without them rolling around grabbing their heads and screaming like children.

But you're right, it has changed and Wimbledon currently have a very 'progressive' coach, the youngest squad in the entire league, and generally play a very exciting brand of passing, attacking football (interspersed, of course, with the inconsistency/crap performances you get with a very young team).

Get down to Plough Lane! Thankfully Hammam is nowhere to be seen.

Can you not get a kit where they watch you take the test on your camera phone and then certify it and send you a email and QR code ? No need to leave your hotel room and you book the time slot you want. In Canada, Switch Health provides it for CAD $150. There has to be the same in the US.

Needs to be a PCR- no more lateral flow. Only in country for 36 hours. Rules changed this week

I saw a clip from a Norwegian game where a defender pushed his own goalie in the chest (after a bit of a shouting match)… the goalie went down screaming and the defender got sent off :D

At least Roy Keane and Peter Schmeical waited until they got to the dressing room before exchanging blows!

Ha! Yes I saw that this week - you'd be bloody furious if that was your team!

Are you giving up your ticket if you do cancel? :D I’m sure there are takers!