Plan a great football trip

Plan your autumn trip with the guys right now.

Would you like to go with your pals to see a football match in England? Watching a football match in England is a great entertainment experience, even for those who are not big fans. Football tours to England are very popular, so tickets to the major matches can be difficult to find.  If you plan your trip well and follow some good advice, it is certainly possible to plan a great football trip for you and your friends.

Avoid the black market

The first rule when looking for tickets is to never fall for the temptation of buying tickets on the black market. It costs a lot and you risk arriving at the grounds on match day, only to be turned away because you have a fake ticket.

It is wise to plan the entire trip from home in good time before departure. Then you find the right tickets and buy both the flight and the hotel. Below you will find everything you need to buy tickets to the games, where you can buy fan gear, not to mention how you can make yourself comfortable before and after the game.

How to get hold of football tickets

The first thing to decide when planning your football trip, is whether or not it is important to watch the match at the home stadium. Many travel to London to see games, for example at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge or Arsenal's Emirates, but to cheer for the visitors.

If you have the time and inclination, it may be easier to get tickets by travelling to stadiums that are owned by smaller clubs. Whichever you decide, the easiest way to buy tickets is to join a supporters' club for one of the larger Premier League teams. The clubs receive a fixed number of tickets for the games, which greatly increases the chances of obtaining a ticket.

Sales from agencies

There are also a number of agencies that sell tickets to football matches abroad. Before you snap up a great deal, it is important to check whether they are authorized sellers of Premier League tickets.

Home or away

Something you should also think about when buying tickets is whether you will see the match at home or away. It is especially important to check carefully where you are positioned at the stadium.

If you are a home supporter, but you're sitting among away supporters, you are denied access to the purchase of supporter merchandise. Moreover, you will feel out of place if you celebrate your favourite team scoring a goal.

Supporter merchandise

Going to a football match in England also means standing in long queues. It is easy to be tempted by the scarf sellers along the way in order to skip the line at the supporters' shop. If you are unlucky, you may end up with unofficial merchandise of lower quality.

Another advantage of the supporters' shop at the stadium is that they often have exclusive products and collections. Some of the larger clubs also have several shops.

You will find an overview of the shops on the official Premier League website.

Football pubs in London

Whether you intend to watch the match in the pub or just warm up for the big game, there is an enormous range of football pubs in England. Many pubs have their own unique football atmosphere. Here are some of the best pubs:

The historic pub: The George on The Strand was established in 1723 and has shown football ever since, or at least as long as people can remember. This classic Tudor pub provides an authentic English atmosphere.

For Arsenal supporters: The Worlds End pub is located not far from the Emirates Stadium and provides plenty of screen options and even has table football if you want to play. You don't have to be an Arsenal supporter to go here. This pub shows most of the Premier League and top European matches and they serve very good pub food. 

For the trendy: Trendy Shoreditch is home to Bar Kick. This cool bar shows football on several floors and the basement even shows matches in 3D. This is a magnet for table football players, and there is a great atmosphere and wonderful food. Useful tips: Leave your supporter's scarf at the hotel.

The safe option: Rileys Sports Bar in Haymarket is a huge sports club. It is impossible to miss the shown on 34 different TV screens, multiple projectors and a giant screen. You can also play table tennis and pool between matches.