Let’s get one thing straight. The fable that Premier League football tickets are extremely rare because most stadium crowds are sell-outs is completely false. In fact, football tickets are easy to get a hold of if you look at different ways of doing such a task.
For lesser-profile matches, the general public will have football tickets available to them in a variation of ways, however, the truth is that for the games everyone wants to be at there has to be more digging involved if you are to secure your seat.
Football tickets are still out there for the big matches of the season, for example the Manchester derby or Manchester United vs Liverpool, but research into the different methods of finding them is required.
Stadium Ticket Office
The first option that rightly comes to mind when you fancy football tickets for a certain match is purchasing them through one of the clubs, either in the home or away end.
Most clubs will put football tickets on sale as close as up to two weeks before matchday, unless you’re a member, and you will have the choice of claiming your football tickets either online or on the telephone, or at the stadium ticket office.
If you’re simply looking to get cheap football tickets for a certain game, keep tabs on when the club is releasing football tickets and be prepared to secure them as early as possible – this can’t be stressed enough.
With technology developing by the year, the majority of football clubs will now let you either print your tickets out or receive them through the post a week or so before the game, or put them on your phone as an E-ticket which is a large pull factor in getting football tickets through clubs.
Official Membership
Buying Chelsea tickets on the day or weeks before might be alright if you’re fine with going to just a few games every season, but if you’re eager for a more substantial amount of action a membership might be your best bet.
By paying a fee ahead of the start of every campaign, you’ll receive a nice package from the club of your choice along with a membership card, which you can use to gain first access to football tickets throughout the season with varied prices depending on where you are sat.
Clubs offer different football ticket memberships; some are only valid for domestic competition (Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup) while some of the top clubs offer an ‘International Membership’ which gives the supporter priority for European matches, even if they don’t attend all the other games like season ticket holders do.
Season Ticket
Probably not the most sensible of options if you’re not wanting to be at every home game of the team you’re wanting to watch, but if you want to fully commit to your team then buying a season ticket at the start of the season could turn out to be the cheapest option.
A season ticket covers the cost of every single home fixture across all competitions in a certain season but obviously can be quite pricey, especially if you’re wanting one at one of the biggest Premier League sides – Arsenal’s highest price is over £1,000!
Despite the price, a season ticket could be the only way to secure football tickets for the biggest games of each campaign, unless you follow a loyalty points scheme that some clubs have in place, so every fan has a fair chance to watch the biggest games from the stands.
Supporters can accumulate loyalty points over the course of the season which gives them priority on spare football tickets for top matches. For example, Chelsea are a club who offer this scheme and would offer football tickets for Chelsea vs Arsenal to those with the most points by attending past fixtures.
Online Ticket Exchanges
Online ticket exchange websites are often used as a last resort when buying football tickets, but it is this reason why you can actually snatch football tickets lower than normal price while still getting around the law regarding the re-selling of football tickets.
There are a number of official ticket exchanges that are actually sanctioned by football clubs in the Premier League, however, club-specified ticket exchanges amongst fans who give up their season ticket for the odd game here and there seem to be the most popular form.
So, if you’re looking to bag a deal or make a last-minute decision to buy football tickets, this method could be the one for you. However, there is always the risk of dodgy touters giving you fake football tickets which could result in serious punishment.
Secondary Ticketing Websites
And finally, last but most certainly not least, purchasing football tickets through secondary ticketing websites has become increasingly popular by the season amongst football supporters in England.
These websites offer affordable football ticket packages, hospitality packages and excellent deals which help you secure your place at the country’s greatest stadiums to watch the country’s greatest teams whenever you want.
Many secondary ticketing websites also cover international football and save you from going through the effort of signing up to buy England football tickets.
All it consists of is selecting your tickets, choosing what package you want which includes accommodation near the stadium of choice, then having the choice of either having your tickets delivered or picking them up on the day before enjoying the matchday experience.