Profuse apologies if this thread/plea is in the wrong forum. I couldn't think of a better one. This Yank has a roundtrip ticket to Heathrow, and a two week window between the end of school in early Dec. and holiday observances with which to travel. Not having as real purpose for the trip, and never having been to a European soccer match, I thought I'd make a pilgrimage of sorts to watch as many YA matches as I could. The four I've selected are: Norwich-Fulham on 12/4, Arsenal/Rosenborg on 12/7, Hannover96-Hertha on 12/11, and Standard Liege -- Bilbao on 12/16, before hightailing it back to Brussels that night to catch an early morning train to London so I don't miss my flight . Couple of questions: First, how does one get tickets from over there to over here? I'd like to have them in hand before leaving to prevent surprises. Second, for the two matches in England, I'll naturally be rooting for the away squad. Is it possible to get seats in the visiting fans' section, and if so, again, how? Third, two of the matches are continental cup matches. Am I dreaming (especially for Highbury) to think that I'll be able to get a seat at this late date? Oh, and for the 96ers: Stevie C comes from my old hometown of San Diego, and I'd love to bring a California flag to wave in the crowd for him. Some stadia here have rules against such behavior. Does yours? PMs are welcome, but this kind of information might be useful generally. Thanks
Go to this link for all the Fulham ticket info. One way you can get tickets for Fulham matches is to fax the form on the linked page. BTW, I'm going to the Fulham v/ ManUtd. match on 12/13. I became a Fulham member so that I could get priority ticketing but the tix haven't gone on sell yet to members. If I don't get tix this way, I plan on shelling out the $$$ to a broker. Not the ideal method (certainly not for 4 matches like you're planning on) but I'm going to the match some damn way.
Fulham just announced the method for securing away tix to see the Norwich match you want to see. Here's the link.
For tickets in the Rosenborg section it is best to get them from someone in Norway. Bigsoccer poster Speedcake might be able to help you with that, or point you in the direction of a message board where you can post and ask Rosenborg fans about getting tickets. Arsenal don't sell the tickets in the away section, Rosenborg do. https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/member.php?u=6341
I still think your best bet is to just find a Rosenborg message board and post there and ask a noggie to get you a ticket. Just explain why, and they will be happy to help. Most Noggies have pretty good english, so that shouldn't be a problem at all.
OK. I am going to London in late April and hope to see Man U at Charlton 04/30 and Fulham at Chelsea 04/23 and West Brom at Fulham 04/20. I'm also looking at Millwall hosting PNE. I'm finding that match tickets don't go on sale until about 4 months in advance. I guess the matches can be re-scheduled for various cup ties. The Chelsea ticketing is bizarre. You have to file an application to get tickets, and there are all sorts of priorities for different season-ticket holders and 'members', etc. Does anyone know which end of Stamford Bridge is the away section? How about at The Valley? Like FC Tallavana, I'll just go to a broker if I have to (the mark-up is outrageous!). How much is it to become a Fulham member? Also, anyone know a good broker?
I actually think a CA flag would be better in germany than an American flag, you won't be in troble but may hear some coments on tha last election (a shame this does is brought into sports!) But therefore, no german would now what you mean, only 'dolo and mathis would propably ;-) Try to get a seat in the N-area, that's the closest to the stands and therefore the best atmosphere as well as the least expensive one. Bringing flags is no problem at all, even with a stick, but you propably will not be allowed to hang them at the fence (F.ck UEFA 4 that!). ticketing for 96: http://www.sportfivetixx.com/shop/11 the FAQ says that: (...) Orders from non-European countries (for example japan or USA) won't be mailed but reserved at the counters at the stadium. The tickets can be picked up from 2 hours before the game starts on, all you need is the ordering number and an ID (Drivers license, ID card or passport) at the 96-Ticketline (Entering area, Schützenplatz [that's a big parking lot near the stadium... well, more a multi-functional area, but a parking lot for the game], red Pavillon). Hope that helps. Well, I guess if it is really that important for you to get those tickets I could buy some for you and the mail them... pm me if you really want that (air mail takes a week, UPS 3 days), is expensive though.
Thanks for both of those pieces of information, Squig (and, yes, that was part of my thought-process for bringing the Cali flag, unfortunately.). My German is quite solid, so for that match I'm relatively secure picking them up at the will-call, and I'll give them a call sometime in the middle of the night to get that done . Flemish and Norwegian on the other hand...
Well, when I called the listed hotline it said that it is just for questions and not for ordering. Don't know whether you'll find a ticket hotline at that side. First is a ticket agency and they sell 96 tickets too, they have a hotline: Telefon: +49 18 05 - 33 47 78 24 (12ct./min. from germany) and here#s their website:http://www.first-reisen.de/ about flaemish and norwegian: Scandinavians and beneluxers are supposed to have good english skills. in Belgish clubs accoring to a German living in brussels you can't order tickets without being member in a certain kind of club anyways as far as I understood it. Try to cantact some officials, if you are member you can take somebody in with you, maybe that will help. [Edit]and about that Flag: You know what, forget it, just take the American flag, if someone speaks to you just say it s about supporting Dolo and nothing else, they'll understand that. It will have been a month then, so...[/edit]
it just sux that germany is a US ally and americans have to worry about showing up with a US flag, ..in 2 1/2 years time there will be a lot of american wearing the star and stripes on their backs , its really a shame to know there would be a problem.
I plan on wearing my USA Soccer jacket to the Fulham v/ ManUtd match in support of the YAs. I don't anticipate any trouble.
When did I say it will cause trouble? if you meet hooligans you don't need anything to provoke them. And the Police and many ppl in germany will make DAMN sure that you won#t see any trouble pre WC here. If I'd go with an American flag I would not expect any trouble, but just some comments, but as I said, after thinking about it I would bring one. We germans don't honestly understand American patriotism, that does not mean we don't respect, especially when it comes to soccer. Take another example. pre Iraq war there was a Swiss girl in NY as a waitress and some ppl refused to be served by here because they thought that she was French... she got a nervous breakdown by that. My American host parents said that it might cause some trouble wearing a german flag at that same at River rat day (it's a local day for the town I was, almost as big as independance day there. I am talking about Athol, MA). They personally and most ppl would not have minded, but there are always some jerks around. If you can live with talking about politics in a soccer stadium and respect other ppl's point of view you won#t have any problems with US flags in germany. But at the other hand you need to understand that patriotism is rather something negative here, as it lead to WW I and WW II. You will hardly find a German private house where a german flag is hung, outside or inside... And when you buy a German flag here actually some ppl give you a weird look like you are a Nazi or so... Understand that, accept that, bring your flag, it won't cause any troubles, maybe just discussion. Somebody used to bring a US flag to hannover games, i did that at the Hertha game last January actually, no problems. On some pictures of the Mönchengladbach game you could see someone having an Us flag with him, I don't think that caused troubles. I didn't bring US my flag for the Dortmund game, because I am quite disappointed about the US because of the election, but If I'd go to the Hertha game that should be no problem. got my point? ;-) (gosh, i repeated myself like ta thousand times in my posting, o well...) cu Squig
Actually, knowing what I do about Germans (and more specifically, Niedersächsener), I think they'll get a kick out of the California flag, and that's another reason I'm going with that one. My experiences on the Sport1.de boards have also shown me, though, (und so was meine ich mit die ganze Freundlichkeit der Welt) that there are proportionally as many no-job-having, mullet-sporting, track-suit-wearing flat heads in your country as there are gun-totin', sister lovin', ferniner hatin' flat heads in mine . Can we leave this topic now? I spend enough time one the Politics board Put a message on the Rosenborg board about the Arsenal match. Doesn't look good, unless I can scalp something. Might just watch it in a local watering hole. We'll see, though. Anyone know about scalping a ticket in England? Is it legal? Illegal like speeding? Illegal like grand larceny?
You don't have to worry about the American Flag in a German Stadium. People have brought them before to my games without trouble and I play for a team that is known for "Communist Roots" As long as there is an American Player on the field, the fans will know that and think its cool there is somebody there to support him. Fans love their players (regardless of where they come from or their home countries politics) and Hannover fans love Dolo.
If you are willing to pay so much for the plane tickets, hotels, train tickets and high Euros, you might as well invest an extra $40 for a guidebook. The Rought Guide has a guidebook to attending football matches in Europe. But I do not think they cover Hannover or Norwich.