EPL gameday experience

[likewhoa123]

So here's the deal. I am traveling to England in Late December, and will remain there through early January. I am from America, but am completely obsessed with English football (notice my efforts to call it football, that should win points). I want to go to one, possibly two EPL matches during my stay. I don't have a favorite team, and am way to poor to be selective with the matchups I see. The two requirements are:
1) Cheap tickets, either buy ahead or scalp. The maximum I would spend on one match would be 30-40 American dollars.
2) Easy to get to by public bus or train

So, taking into account the above, here is my question: What home stadium provides the best atmosphere both inside and out? I want the English football experience, so I want to see rabid fans and I want to pre and post game in surrounding bars with the diehards. Right now, for example, a team that seems like a good match would be Fulham (all the great yankee footballers being a plus!)

I'm not trying to cram this board with information that only helps me, so I thought this could turn into a discussion (analysis) of the EPL's greatest gameday experiences.

Thanks so much, and I appreciate any and all suggestions

[act smiley]

I don't think you could get tickets to pretty much any premiership match for $40 - what with exchange rates, thats only £20, which wouldn't even get you a ticket for half the championship. Fulham charge about £30 ($60), I think.

You might get lucky with discounted FA Cup third round tickets in early January though, but obviously that depends on the draw.

What part of the country will you be in? I mean, it's no good saying "forget them, its £40 a ticket, go here where its £20", if its a £40 train ticket to get there! At a guess of it being London, from the Fulham bit - QPR and Crystal Palace would probably be nearer your budget.

[likewhoa123]

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, I will be in London. I went to the Fulham website, and looked at ticket prices for the Bolton game. I am 19 years old, so I qualify as a "young person." Here were the results: http://tickets.fulhamfc.com/EventSeatBlockPrices.aspx
One ticket would be 13 pounds, the other 16. That turns into 26$ or 32$, both within my budget. Are you overestimating the costs, or am I missing something?

Thanks a lot for your help!

[act smiley]

No, I just didn't know you qualified for a concession ticket :p
Even so, Fulham are probably your only Premiership option in London that would be affordable - Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham charge quite a bit and I'm not sure whether their young-person discounts are anywhere near as substantial. West Ham charge $45 odd with Young Persons discount, which is probably the only other London option in your price range.

You could try Reading who charge about $45 for Under-21s, which is a short train journey away (though I dunno how to get to the stadium from the station), but the Madejski was usually pretty full last season so I dunno how easy tickets would be, you'd probably need the advice of some of the Reading fans round here for that. Other than that, your options are championship ones. Of course, the trains are always a rip off.

[chrizzah]

You could try Reading who charge about $45 for Under-21s, which is a short train journey away (though I dunno how to get to the stadium from the station), but the Madejski was usually pretty full last season so I dunno how easy tickets would be, you'd probably need the advice of some of the Reading fans round here for that. Other than that, your options are championship ones. Of course, the trains are always a rip off.

On gameday, there are buses right outside the station that take you to the Madejski. The train ride from Paddington (a station in London) to Reading is about 25 minutes.

[leg_breaker]

All I can say to this is: not Bolton, in any category at all. Horrible 'gameday' experience, shit transport, rip-off prices, crap football, no atmosphere, no pubs etc.

[RichardL]

All I can say to this is: not Bolton, in any category at all. Horrible 'gameday' experience, shit transport, rip-off prices, crap football, no atmosphere, no pubs etc.

"Modern Football? ..... Don't talk to me about modern football."

http://www.podster.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/fotos/marvin.jpg

[Toon³]

So here's the deal. I am traveling to England in Late December, and will remain there through early January. I am from America, but am completely obsessed with English football (notice my efforts to call it football, that should win points). I want to go to one, possibly two EPL matches during my stay. I don't have a favorite team, and am way to poor to be selective with the matchups I see. The two requirements are:
1) Cheap tickets, either buy ahead or scalp. The maximum I would spend on one match would be 30-40 American dollars.
2) Easy to get to by public bus or train

So, taking into account the above, here is my question: What home stadium provides the best atmosphere both inside and out? I want the English football experience, so I want to see rabid fans and I want to pre and post game in surrounding bars with the diehards. Right now, for example, a team that seems like a good match would be Fulham (all the great yankee footballers being a plus!)

I'm not trying to cram this board with information that only helps me, so I thought this could turn into a discussion (analysis) of the EPL's greatest gameday experiences.

Thanks so much, and I appreciate any and all suggestions

If you want a proper match day experiance the best advice I can give you is get out of London. Go to Liverpool, Manchester or Newcastle.

[act smiley]

But if the guy doesn't have the money for pricey tickets, I doubt there's the money there for trains, considering how scamtastic they are with prices.

[Toon³]

But if the guy doesn't have the money for pricey tickets, I doubt there's the money there for trains, considering how scamtastic they are with prices.

Well maybe he shouldn't stay in London and save a small fortune that could be spent on trains (which aren't that expensive) and tickets

[act smiley]

Of course, but its his life not mine and as I've had the "pleasure" to pay about £50 for trips between Leicester and Cardiff a little while back so I wouldn't exactly call them that cheap, especially when the poster doesn't want to spend half that on tickets.

[Mahavishnu BBZ]

How about Millwall?

As a Man U fan, I always found a trip to south London an exhilarating experience, and still have the bike-chain scars on my back as souvenirs. :rolleyes:

Seriously, White Hart Lane is a good, close, atmospheric ground, and Spurs have the potential to play some entertaining football. I think cheapest tickets about £27 ($55) though.

[Matt Clark]

You want the authentic English football experience but you want to see a Premiership game.

Incompatible.

[paulefty]

You want the authentic English football experience but you want to see a Premiership game.

Incompatible.
Hmmm... :rolleyes: you're right in a sense, 'cos the Premiership is somewhat too commercialised...

[Wigdean]

Shame you probably won't be able to get to Wigan.

We play Newcastle on the 26th. Tickets will be no more than £20. Guaranteed big following from the Newcastle fans and there is ALWAYS a good atmosphere at the JJB on Boxing Day. A lot of our fans do the whole fancy dress thing too which is a laugh and then head back into town for the night. Whenever Newcastle come to Wigan their fans tend to hang around in town for the night too so it's always a good experience.

Tickets will be easy to get hold of and we aren't one of these "massive" premiership clubs who make you feel like a sheep and just one of the crowd. Plenty of pubs close to the ground and in town aswell that would welcome you.

[barroldinho]

It's only a short trek to Ipswich, and while Portman Road isn't a state of the art stadium, the Ipswich Town fans tend to generate a good atmosphere. Plus they have a bronze statue of Sir Bobby Robson (he won the league and UEFA Cup with them a while back).

Also, their cheapest junior tickets are about $13. I'd say it's a good, traditional footy experience, abeit not Premiership.

Unfortunately, I can't promise that the footy iself won't be utter crap as I haven't seen any Championship this season - any Championship club supporters got any idea?

[Slater]

Hmmm... :rolleyes: you're right in a sense, 'cos the Premiership is somewhat too commercialised...


Haha. We are Americans. We were born into commercialization.

[Gooner_for_Life]

So here's the deal. I am traveling to England in Late December, and will remain there through early January. I am from America, but am completely obsessed with English football (notice my efforts to call it football, that should win points). I want to go to one, possibly two EPL matches during my stay. I don't have a favorite team, and am way to poor to be selective with the matchups I see. The two requirements are:
1) Cheap tickets, either buy ahead or scalp. The maximum I would spend on one match would be 30-40 American dollars.
2) Easy to get to by public bus or train

So, taking into account the above, here is my question: What home stadium provides the best atmosphere both inside and out? I want the English football experience, so I want to see rabid fans and I want to pre and post game in surrounding bars with the diehards. Right now, for example, a team that seems like a good match would be Fulham (all the great yankee footballers being a plus!)

I'm not trying to cram this board with information that only helps me, so I thought this could turn into a discussion (analysis) of the EPL's greatest gameday experiences.

Thanks so much, and I appreciate any and all suggestions

Im not sure about any other clubs in London but if you want to go to a free match look at going to an Arsenal reserve game. Sure the crowd is small and there is no atmosphere but it is fun to stand on the terrace and everyone was really friendly. As well when i went i got to see Ade, Cuntly (aka Ashley Cole), Bendtner, Theo, etc. So depending on injuries and what not you might get to see a few first team players or some squad players. Like i said it was fun none the less and free.