Man U at the Bridge

February 21, 2008 12:44 PM

What is the best relatively inexpensive way to get one or two tickets to one of the three Premier League matches in London on 26 April, preferably Chelsea - Man U?

It appears that my choices are Chelsea/Man U at Stamford Bridge, West Ham/Newcastle at Upton Park or Spurs/Bolton at White Hart Lane.

Obviously, I want to go to the first. (I'm a long time Man U fan and this seems like it might decide, or play a part in deciding, the league.) A few reputable-looking places have a single ticket for about 400 pounds. Do I have any hope of finding one any other way for cheaper? While this would be an amazing match to see, at that price point I might just go see Spurs for less than half of that. Is this the kind of thing a concierge at my hotel could help me with? Are there any tricks to finding cheaper single tickets? Are their any reputable sites where I might buy directly from a fan? Given the proximity to the Champions League semifinal dates, how much do I have to worry about the match date changing, and is there anything I can do if it does? Is there any possibility of conflict with the FA Cup semifinals?

Bonus: how worried should I be about where I am sitting (or standing) and my personal safety? I am not stupid, and not going to wear anything which distinguishes me or act stupid. However, I went to a match at Stamford Bridge in 1997 or so, and I was honestly a little scared at times. How are things these days? What is my preferred approach to avoiding confrontation.

posted by iknowizbirfmark to sports, hobbies, & recreation (7 comments total)

Thanks for asking this question (I'm trying to watch a London match 2 weeks later... the last day of the season).. no one is giving me much of a chance. Someone stated that looking for tix the day before.. you can find scalpers.. Craigslist is another option.
posted by sandmanwv at 12:48 PM on February 21

Here's a link to craigslist. Prices are a little more reasonable (i.e. 100 pounds) for those games than I thought.
posted by sandmanwv at 1:07 PM on February 21

Craigslist is prohibited by my work firewall, so I'll have to look at it when I'm at home. How could I make sure that those tickets are legitimate?
posted by iknowizbirfmark at 1:16 PM on February 21

Bonus: how worried should I be about where I am sitting (or standing) and my personal safety?

You shouldn't be. Not at Stamford Bridge. Football's changed since you last went to a game. There's no standing any more (hasn't been since 1995) and stewarding at grounds is much better than it was 10 years ago. You'll hear a lot of noise, but it's not like there's fights breaking out in the ground or anything. The Premiership is big, big business, and they'll protect their "brand" as much as possible.

Obviously, I want to go to the first. (I'm a long time Man U fan and this seems like it might decide, or play a part in deciding, the league.)

Is that the same league where my Arsenal boys are 5 points clear with 12 games to go? Because if that stays true all that'll be decided at CFC/MU is who finishes second.

A few reputable-looking places have a single ticket for about 400 pounds.

For a game of that magnitude, you're probably not going to find anything much cheaper - and touts at the ground on game day won't be any cheaper either.

If you're not really looking to spend that kind of money ($800, for a league game with pretty much nothing at stake? Damn. Those are Cup final prices...), I'd opt for West Ham/Newcastle - tickets are probably going to be both available and cheap, due to the relative quality of the match. I cannot in good conscience recommend you go to White Hart Lane, but as a practical matter it's also the hardest ground to get to if you're using public transport, so there's that.

Given the proximity to the Champions League semifinal dates, how much do I have to worry about the match date changing, and is there anything I can do if it does?

How much you worry depends on the proximity of the semifinal to the weekend. usually, Tuesday semifinals don't result in a Saturday-match postponement, but Wednesday semis have been known to; the decision to postpone is typically made jointly by the affected Premiership teams, so if Chelsea or Man U's opponent the following weekend do not agree, the match won't move. If the match does move, though, there's pretty much nothing you can do about it - you're entitled to a ticket to the moved match, but if you can't make it that's your problem, not theirs.
posted by pdb at 1:41 PM on February 21

Is that the same league where my Arsenal boys are 5 points clear with 12 games to go? Because if that stays true all that'll be decided at CFC/MU is who finishes second.

I'm not sure that I would consider this one all tied up yet, with a meeting still to come. Your lot do have a nice lead right now, we'll have to see how things go. It's still only five points with 36 yet to be had.

Thanks for all the great advice. Any thoughts on verifying authenticity of tickets I buy over the web?

(Looks like the FA Cup semis are the first weekend of April, so no issue there.)
posted by iknowizbirfmark at 2:15 PM on February 21

Don't forget about Gumtree and eBay as alternatives to Craigslist (perhaps closer to the matches). I've bought and sold concert tickets on eBay without a problem.
posted by reflexed at 4:07 PM on February 22

er, Gumtree.
posted by reflexed at 4:11 PM on February 22