English Football

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ABOVE: SAFC's Stadium of Light is alongside the River Wear, just outside the Sunderland town center. INSET BELOW: Nonviolent Sunderland fans chat outside the stadium before the match.

Practical advice and precautions

Getting a ticket

While attendance figures across England are generally very high for the biggest clubs, struggling teams or smaller ones might not fill their stadiums every game. The best bet then is to check their Web sites individually (see the links at the end of the article for more on that).

Unfortunately, getting a ticket to see any of the biggest teams will be very difficult without paying a scalper (called a tout in England). Alternatively, you can check with your local supporters’ club if one exists, as they sometimes have ticket structures designed to help non-season ticket holding fans. An example of this is Arsenal America, of which I’m a member.

Precautions and common sense

Football-related violence is often exaggerated in films and the media at large, but it does still exist, particularly when alcohol is involved. If you are attending a match, play it safe and stick to main routes to and from the stadium. The odds of anything happening to you are usually quite low, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. If supporting the visiting team, it’s best to keep scarves, shirts, etc. away from plain view until within the stadium itself (and preferably with likeminded fans). Finally, buying a ticket from a tout is both expensive and illegal. Do so at your own risk.

Useful links

SAFC.com
The official site of Sunderland AFC has news, ticket and travel information, a "fanzone," and more.

Top Tier English and Scottish Football Stadiums
An interactive map displaying all of England and Scotland’s main clubs and stadiums, and some smaller ones too. Extremely useful for planning who to see and where to find them.

The Football Association
A gateway to all things football-related. The FA is English football’s governing body.

English Premier League
The home of England’s top league, including such clubs as Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool. Includes links to all clubs’ websites and ticket offices.

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Text and photos copyright © Anders Imboden. All rights reserved.