The game of football is truly a worldwide phenomena being played in some form in almost every country on the planet. Most professional matches are played by club teams in various leagues such Spain's La Liga, Germany's Bundesliga and Argentina's Primera División.
It's probably fair to say, however, that the world's best club soccer is played in England's Barclays Premier League (the EPL), a league that features such legendary teams as Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea (the current reigning European club champions). Due to the international nature of the game the clubs comprise not just home-grown talent but also some of the best players from around the globe.
If you're a football fan and you happen to be visiting in London at any time from August through to May then you're in luck. Twenty clubs around England play in the Premier League, and six of them are located in the greater London area: Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Queens Park Rangers, Tottenham and West Ham.
Chelsea's stadium (Stamford Bridge on the Fulham Road) is the most centrally located and can be quickly reached by taking the District Line to Fulham Broadway. Arsenal's Emirates Stadium is also easily accessed and is just a few minutes on the Tube north of central London (Arsenal station on the Piccadilly Line). If your hotel is closer to the Tower of London then perhaps a short trip to the east of central London to West Ham (Upton Park Station on the District Line) would be fun. (Factoids: West Ham football ground is about a mile or so away from London's Olympic Stadium, and discussions are currently afoot to possibly permanently relocate the club's home to the former Olympic Stadium. There's also a massive new Westfield Mall right there a Strafford Station!).
Each Premier League team plays 38 games. As with almost everything in London ticket prices are not cheap; obviously they vary but perhaps an average price is around $100. It's worth noting that many of these clubs don't just play Premier League games but also FA Cup matches and European club games as well - it seems as though tickets to some of these other events are somewhat less expensive. If you do decide to take-in a football game while in England it is, of course, strongly recommended that you purchase your tickets well in advance of game day. And a final note for Man U and Liverpool fans: as England is such a compact country it's absolutely do-able to leave London early in the morning and take National Rail to see either of these northern England clubs play a home game and still be back in London that same night. This blogger has done it!
GOOOOOAAAAL....
(1966 World Cup Final - England's captain Bobby Moore celebtrating the victory with teammates)
