Is it possible to buy tickets the day of the game? Can you buy on the street? Is selling on the street legal?
I'm looking at Portsmouth at Arsenal on 8/22 and Chelsea at Fulham on 8/23?
What web sites are reputable for buying tickets in advance? How about http://www.ticket4football.com/?
This is a once in a life time chance for me and I really want to get good tickets.
Thanks for any advice.
John,
Have you tried contacting the teams directly? Are they already sold out? If so, I wonder if the teams might suggest any particular sites.
It's possible to buy tickets from the box office (not the turnstiles) on the day assuming the match isn't sold out. I'd definitely try to pre-book tickets.
Usually Fulham are a good bet for tourists as they don't often sell out but the Chelsea match is a local derby against "glamorous" opposition so you may be out of luck. The best sites for buying tickets are the websites of the teams involved.
Reselling football tickets (touting) is illegal, in fact football tickets are the only type the law prohibits the street re-selling of. That being said, it is very common - a walk around the street adjacent to the ground will show you many transactions. It's worth noting that buying touted tickets is a crime (not just selling,) obviously you have no legal comeback if your touted ticket doesn't work and even though you might see some police turning a blind eye there's no guarantee they all will.
I've purchased lots of tickets from scalpers outside the old Highbury, and Stamford bridge. I'm sure scalping is a crime, but the police seem to tolerate it and it's done quite openly. The downside to using ticket agencies (other than the high prices), is that they typically can't deliver the tickets until the day of the match. So you may have to wait in your hotel all day until they are delivered.
http://secure.thomascooksport.com/matchbreaks_vb.php
This website sells tickets with hotel packages, which is likely the easiest, if not cheapest, option. You could try calling the Clubs direct now, but you will never get tickets to a "glamourous" match this way. They have all these ticket schemes for registered supporters clubs, holders of fan cards and the like which make tickets hard to come by for the average one-timer.
Some hotels can get tickets for you.
Thanks for all the advice. I think I'll take my chances on the street. Whilst I keep an eye out for old Bobby.
