Ticket Advice Wanted

Discussion in 'Premier League' started by Kenp, Dec 31, 2004.

  1. Danielito1

    Danielito1 Member

    Real Madrid
    Jan 16, 2012
    Miami, United States
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Poland
    Any Arsenal fans here? I want to purchase tickets to Arsenal vs Crystal palace on October 27 and would like to know if anyone here has membership with the club (RED or higher). We never went to Premier League match before and are coming from USA.
     
  2. Excape Goat

    Excape Goat Member+

    Mar 18, 1999
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Are the Premiership tickets are a physical paper ticket or just QR code?
     
  3. vthokies1996

    vthokies1996 Member

    Aug 7, 2004
    Leesburg
    It's been a while since I've logged onto BigSoccer. Our family will be visiting London in October and I am looking to take my 2 boys to a match. Based on who's home on Oct 7, it looks like the possible matches are: Fulham-Sheffield United, Crystal Palace-Nottingham Forest, QPR-Blackburn, Charloton-Blackpool, and Leyton Orient-Reading. Which of these would be the easiest to get tickets? If I am unable to buy them directly from the club, are there any reputable secondary market sites (ie. Stubhub). I've heard reports that some clubs blacklist resale sites so I don't want to buy tickets from a site if they will not be accepted at the stadium.

    I went to matches at Selhurst Park, White Hart Lane, and Anfield in the 2005/2006 but my friend who lived in London was able to purchase the Palace and Spurs tickets. For the Liverpool match we bought Hospitality tickets thru the club. I'd like to avoid the cost of Hospitality tickets.

    One final question, my brother in law and his daughter are also going with us, he is interested in trying to go to the Wrexham @ Crawley Town match. How hard of a ticket would that be?

    Thanks for any info you are able to provide.
     
  4. pookspur

    pookspur Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 3, 2001
    Indiana
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Quite a bit in there. First off, I've not been to Crawley Town, but I can't imagine that'd be a difficult (3) ticket(s).

    I've been to all the other grounds in question, most multiple times. And they're all good. Of all of them, based on my experiences, Palace/Forest will probably have the best atmosphere. Selhurst Park is quite good. Obviously, Fulham is the only other first division match on the list, and your boys (and yourself?) may prefer the 'festivity' (let's say) of the Premier League over lower divisions. And they'll likely see more familiar names/faces in the Prem, assuming they're into footy. Nothing wrong with that, and so all that goes on the scales.

    Personally, I do not prefer the Premier League. But I'm an old fart and like things the way they were back in my day. For me, I've always preferred the Football League to the 'circus' of the Prem - just proper football, with all the right atmosphere, yet without all the hype. Not that what I like matters a jot, but A) I can't recommend Loftus Road highly enough, and B) The Valley is quite good, too. But Charlton are currently in the third tier, so it won't be full. And Blackpool won't bring a ton. Now, I'm not saying it'll be dead, but it won't likely be as 'electric' as Loftus Road (or the Prem games, of course). I've only been to Brisbane Road twice, and I like it ... but of the three, it's definitely third.

    Anyway, when it comes to tickets, there will be an inverse correlation between ease of obtainability and price, as you'd suspect. The potential issue with the Prem games is getting three seats together. All clubs put their tickets onsale to members first (usually for about a week) before they go on sale to the general public. You'll want to check each club's website to monitor the onsale dates and what tickets remain available by the time they go on general sale. Getting three together may be no problem at either, but then, it might. I simply don't know. And of course, whilst at those websites, take a gander at prices. Ultimately, this (the confluence of availability and price) is where your decision will most likely be made. Looking at them individually ...

    Palace:
    I was last at Selhurst Park in 2019. Just getting a single was a hassle, but that was v Man City. Sheffield United won't have anywhere near the star-power, so tickets will be easier, but I don't know how much so. I don't recall prices being outrageous, but again, these are things you'll be able to monitor on Palace's official site. It's a good ground with good atmosphere, and worth attending if you can get the tickets you need at a price you'll tolerate. The other potential downside is that it's a real bitch to get to. Fulham, QPR, and Orient are all fairly close to underground stations, and couldn't be much simpler. Palace and Charlton will most likely require getting an overground train, which can be a little bit more of a pain, and in the case of Selhurst, will take far more time. Depending on what else you want to do with your Saturday in London, it's something to factor into your decision.

    Fulham:
    Fulham have built a big new stand on the Riverside, and it wouldn't surprise me if it's the only stand with three seats together come general sale; and while you may be thinking 'no big deal', having been just last March, I can tell you, the prices in the new stand are absolutely outrageous. It's not a bad stand - and Craven Cottage is a great old ground - dropping 70-80 quid per ticket would drop it straight down my preference list. Sitting in the old Stevenage Road (er ... Johnny Haynes) Stand can be great ... but if you're not careful, you could end up with a slightly obstructed view from one (or more) of the roof supports. It's a great old ground, and it's easy to get to.

    QPR:
    Loftus Road is my favorite of these grounds. It's one of my favorites in all of England. It's super-easy to get to and from. It's packed tightly into the neighborhood and the walk-up (a big part of every match, imo) is brilliant. Footy as it's supposed to be. But it's a small ground. It's tight, and you're right on top of the action, but it can be a bit snug (particularly in the Ellerslie Road Stand). I love it, but if you're wanting a bit of shoulder- and/or leg-room, it may not be the most comfortable 90 minutes. The gound's limited capacity could also affect your ability to get three tickets together, though I wouldn't think it a problem so long as you're on top of your onsale date.

    Charlton:
    The Valley is a decent ground in a decent neighborhood (it's also got a great walk-up). It's a huge stadium for the third tier, and that means your ability to secure three tickets together in any of the three home stands is all but certain. It also means empty seats, which can hamper atmosphere a bit. But Charlton well-supported by League 1 standards, and it won't be dead. Prices also tend to get more reasonable the further down the divisions you go, as you'd expect. It's definitely easier/quicker to get to than Palace; but it's not as easy as any of the others. I was just there last March, and the atmosphere was quite good. It'll be more 'comfortable' than Loftus Road, and it'll likely be cheaper. But as much as I like the Valley, I'd have a hard time recommending it over QPR.

    Orient:
    It's been at least ten years since I've been to Brisbane Road. It's nice. It's dead easy to get to. Tickets will be readily available and reasonably-priced. The fact that they've just been promoted to League 1 might bring an extra bit of a buzz to ground, but perhaps less so in October than in August. I like it ... but if I liked it more, I probably would've been back more recently. That I've been to each of QPR, Charlton, and Fulham multiple times since I was last at Orient tells you where I'd rank it amongst these options.

    Back in the day, secondary markets were very much frowned upon, and I'd heard enough horror stories over the years that I've always avoided them and advised the same. But it's definitely not the same (at least not to the same extent) nowadays, and I know many folks who've used secondary sources without issue. Perhaps someone else can weigh in with more insight. But for me, again, I'd recommend going to each club's site, checking their prices, their onsale dates, and then watching availability in the days leading up to general sale. Then make the decision that works best for you. If you're dead set on, say, Forest at Palace, ok ... maybe you have to look at other options. But I always get them from the club.

    Hell, I've rambled on a bit, here. Sorry about that. I'm sure you'll enjoy your footy whatever you decide. They're all good grounds.
     
  5. glennaldo_sf

    glennaldo_sf Member+

    Houston Dynamo, Penang FC, Al Duhail
    United States
    Nov 25, 2004
    Doha, Qatar
    Club:
    FL Fart Vang Hedmark
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Sorry to bump this thread, but a quick question here - has anyone used or know of anyone having any problems using Stubhub (or a similar site like that) getting EPL tickets? Basically I have a weekend in London in April and am looking to attend a game on April 6. There's 3 games I'm looking at: Crystal Palace v Manchester City, Fulham v Newcastle, and QPR v Sheffield Wednesday. I'm kind of leaning towards Fulham v Newcastle due to Fulham's USA connection, and also can maybe to a stadium tour of Stamford Bridge on the way. Seems to be difficult to get tickets via the club's website, I've registered but missed the premium seats, and there don't seem to be any tix available for members without previous booking experience. Despite the price markup, any reasons not to use Stubhub? I mean, do they check IDs or anything like that at the gate (they do in Italy), or is it just scan and go? I've used Stubhub several times before for World Cup and for games in Portugal, Spain, etc. but wondering if anyone has experience in EPL recently?
     

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