I'm headed to England in a couple weeks and I'd love to catch a game. Arsenal and West Ham are playing at home. Is there a way to get tix from here without getting robbed? I'd appreciate any info.
it would probably be best to goto each clubs website and get their ticket office number. give that a call and tell them what tickets you want. If they are on sale you can buy them right there over the phone. (to be picked up with creditcard before match.)
Ticket brokers in London who can get you tickets to almost anything. Though with Arsenal's current form, you will likely pay through the nose at any rate. Conversely, given West Ham's form of late, you should be able to pick up good seats from the touts at Upton Park for face value -- depending on who they are playing.
i would recommend definitely going through the clubs first before you turn to any UK ticket broker. i would think that it might be possible to get them for West Ham. for Arsenal, since they are playing so well, you may have to pay a lot through a broker. i think it depends a lot on their opponents as well.
Just to throw in my .02... I went to matches at both Upton Park and Highbury last year and IMO Upton Park has a far better and more exciting atmosphere, even when the Hammers are crap. Highbury was very quiet and kind of sterile, and this was when they were playing Liverpool! Also there are some crap seats at Highbury under an overhang where you can't see parts of the pitch, or anything else for that matter. Wouldn't trade either experience, but for my $$ UP is the place to go.
I have also visited Upton Park in 2000, and it was an unbelievable atmosphere. I called them - gave them my credit card number (in those days they requested a written request via fax, I don't know if they still do it today) and asked for will-call pick up. The whole process was not difficult. Picked them up day before the match w/o a problem. Upton Park gets my vote for an exciting experience. Conversely, I've gone to QPR on another occasion and that was crap.