Everything You Need to Know About Attending London Soccer Matches as a Family
With 13 professional soccer clubs, London offers more options for watching live professional soccer than any other city in the world. And the city is also home to three global fan favorites: Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham. But can you take your kids? And which stadiums are the best for families? How do you get tickets?
English Soccer (Ok, Football...) Basics
For the uninitiated, there are several leagues that make up English soccer: The Premier League, which has the 20 best teams across the country; the English Football League (EFL), which has three levels (Championship, Level One and Level Two), each with 24 teams per level. The bottom teams in each league are relegated, and the top ones promoted, at the end of the season.
What’s great about having all these leagues and teams? More opportunity to watch live matches in a range of settings — from the massive 62,000 seats at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to around 26,000 seats at Selhurst Park, or the relatively intimate 18,000-seat capacity at Queens Park Rangers’ Loftus Road.
When Are the Best Times to Watch a Match in London?
The Premier League runs August through May. Each club plays twice: once at home and once away, making for 38 season games per team. The EFL has a similar calendar, with the first match planned for 3 August, finishing with various promotion play-offs. You can find a good selection of pre-season games and friendly matches during the summer months, though the bigger teams tend to travel abroad for showcase matches.
For an up-to-date weekly roundup of London matches, check The London Football Guide, an information-packed blog run by James Doe, a former BBC Sports journalist. Doe says, “The best time of year to watch football in London is around Christmas and New Year, which is crammed full of games. Easter weekend is also good”.
Key dates: Premier League announces season fixtures on Thursday, 13 June, and EFL announces on Thursday, 20 June.
Can I Bring My Kids?
Yes. Teams at all levels have worked hard over the past decade to banish the "football hooligan" image and make games more inclusive for families. Family Zones for viewing matches, early entry to the stadium on game days with children's' play areas, entertainers and face painters, plus "meet and greet" with club mascots and players all make for a more family-friendly experience. However, matches get rowdy and you should expect adult language with fans singing and shouting. It's worth noting that most stadiums don't have facilities for storing baby buggies.
Which London stadiums are the best for families? According to Doe, “For the Premier League, Selhurst Park is probably the best with Crystal Palace fans generating a lively atmosphere. Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium is impressive, but not legendary for atmosphere and neither is West Ham’s new home at the London Stadium (the former Olympic stadium)”.
Doe suggests trying the smaller and older stadiums for a more authentic experience. “In the EFL, Fulham’s Craven Cottage next to the Thames and Brentford’s Griffin Park are both popular, whilst Queen’s Park Rangers’ Loftus Road stadium gets you so close, with seats on the edge of the pitch, you’re practically in touching the players”. EFL games are great for families and some even allow children under 8 to go free. For a good-value family trip to watch soccer, an EFL game is the way to go.
“Avoid going to some of the more bitter derby games: Arsenal vs. Tottenham, Tottenham vs. West Ham, Chelsea vs. any of the above — all of these could be a bit spikey!” said Doe. “Try to sit in the family sections. Do not sit in an area which is reserved for fans of the opposition wearing the home team’s colours or jersey. Finally, whatever you do, avoid buying ‘half and half’ scarves and wearing them in public”.
How Do I Buy Tickets?
Annoyingly, the only way to access tickets directly for Premier League clubs is to become a member of a specific club, which can be done online and generally costs around £30-£50 (~$37-$63). “If you are only planning to see just one or two games, membership is probably not worth the expense, as there are no guarantees for tickets especially for teams such as Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham, which practically sell out as soon as they go on sale”, says Doe. “For the EFL, apart from really big games, membership is not required and tickets are usually available up until kickoff. Tickets are also pretty easy to score for England games at Wembley”, i.e. when the national team plays against other nations, which occurs a few times per year.
All clubs sell Premium packages, but depending on the team, tickets start around £180 (~$225) and can go well into the thousands. This can add up quickly for a family, but you will get a VIP experience, usually including food and beverage.
For some, buying a game package with accommodation included is a way to save. Thomas Cook sells packages for Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham. Millennium is the official hotel partner of Chelsea, and the chain also offers room packages.
If those options don’t work, tread carefully with ticket re-sellers, as there are millions of dollars lost every year to ticket scams. The Premier League advises not to buy from unofficial sites. Instead, try your hotel concierge for tickets. Frank Mzobonimana, a concierge at St. Ermin’s Hotel, which belongs to the Marriott portfolio, says it regularly sources tickets for guests, though “it’s best for guests to check the club websites up to a year in advance about games and tickets”.
Ticket Compare is a review site that compares available tickets for Premier League teams from Stubhub, Footballticketpad, Livefootballtickets and others. Liran Froind, co-founder and CEO of Ticket Compare, says “Our site is useful in that we not only list pricing in the secondary marketplace, but we vet the sites that offer tickets for resale”. Ticket Compare uses a combination of algorithms and user experience to develop data for recommendations.
Can I Use Points for Tickets?
Emirates Skywards members can use miles to redeem for tickets to Arsenal and Chelsea, check here for possibilities. Marriott Bonvoy's Moments program partners with Manchester United and offers packages such as being a stadium announcer, an on-field experience and being a kit manager. So far, there are no London stadiums participating in this. If you are willing to travel to Manchester, check here.
If you can’t score tickets to a game, try a stadium tour. At the moment, the most exciting is the new Tottenham stadium, which is starting tours on Monday, July 15. Early dates have sold out but you can register with interest here.
Stay tuned for the new Spurs Museum and Sky Walk. And for adrenaline junkies, you can 'scale' the building to a glass walkway 40 metres above the pitch, then abseil from the stadium roof to ground level. Other great stadiums for tours include Chelsea, which has the largest football museum in London, Arsenal, and Wembley. Some stadiums offer VIP tours with former players.
Bottom Line
Watching a live soccer game is a great family day out in London. There’s plenty of choice depending on the time of year you visit, your budget and which team you support. Make an effort to sit in the family sections, and even then, be prepared for some foul language and shouting — that's just part of the atmosphere.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
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- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.