London is top choice for top football

The English professional football season is in full flow between August and April and many visitors to London during that period take the opportunity to see one of the capital’s top teams in action at some point during their stay.

London is particularly well represented in the Premier League, with a quarter of the division’s 20 teams based in the capital. Arsenal and Tottenham, both based in the north of London have fans that contest a fierce local rivalry but a more friendly competition exists between Fulham and Chelsea; both based in trendy West London. West Ham are the east of London’s sole contenders in the top flight and their big local rivals Millwall currently play in League One of the Football League.

On rare weekends during the season when there is no Premier League football played in the capital there is an alternative in The Football League Championship offers a choice of three teams. The next tier down in the football pyramid, The Championship boasts Charlton Athletic, Queens Park Rangers and Crystal Palace, all of whom are vying to win a place in the Premier League. So, with a total of eight teams from which to choose in the top two leagues it is very rare that there is not a top quality professional game being played in London on any given weekend during the football season.

The ease of buying a ticket to watch a particular game varies depending upon the teams and their opposition on the day. For example, getting a ticket to Chelsea versus Manchester United would be extremely difficult as they are both contenders for the League title. Whereas a ticket for the game between Chelsea and Hull City would be much easier to obtain from the box office as the latter are newly promoted and not yet considered a big draw. Hotels in London are often host to football fans on any given match day so getting a room close to the ground should not be a problem and will allow you to build your own capital football break.

However, one thing to bear in mind before you book any accommodation is that most top teams operate ticket membership schemes that any potential purchaser is required to join before being allowed to buy tickets. Although rare, there is sometimes also a qualifying period before you can purchase tickets so if you intend on taking in a game on a visit to the capital make sure you plan well in advance. As football in the UK is extremely partisan tickets in the away sections of the crowd are only available from the box office of the visiting team.

If you intend on lending your support to the away team at a particular game you would be well advised to not buy a ticket from the home team. Such supporters finding themselves in the heart of opposing fans may well be ejected from the ground without refund in the interests of their own safety. However, there is rarely trouble at football games in England as fan safety is a primary consideration, so precautions such as separating opposing fans ensures that it stays trouble free.

Paul McIndoe writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.