Can anyone tell me how to obtain tickets for English Premier League soccer matches ?

I'll be arriving London in early December and I am interested in attending the Chelsea vs Bolton match in London on 13 December. I found out from Chelsea's website (its their home match) that they sell tickets online, but initially only to season ticket holders and club members. Non-members can't buy the tickets yet, and only if there are any tickets left. The cost of the ticket is about 40 pounds.

Alternatively there are agents on the internet who can sell you the ticket, but they charge double the price (about 75 to 95 pounds), some bundle the ticket with hotel accommodation (which I don't need).

So what is the best way of obtaining the ticket without paying exorbitant price.

Unfortunately if you want to see Chelsea then you're a bit stuck for choice. Chelsea and Arsenal are the 2 London teams that have a HUGE fan base, and therefore tickets are hard to come by. Whilst it's true that buying directly from the club is the cheapest option for tickets, as you've already found out these tickets are generally restricted initially to season tickets holders and club members. This is also true for Manchester United. For normal Premiership matches for any other club, getting tickets via this route would not generally be a problem.

Chelsea is also a very expensive team to watch (the most expensive in the league) so although 75 - 95 pounds sounds expensive, I don't actually think it's too bad a deal. Going through an agent is probably your only realistic option for getting a ticket for Chelsea.

(Arsenal are also playing at home that weekend - on the 14th they play Blackburn Rovers. Same goes for the difficulty of getting tickets, but it may be worth comparing prices via an agent).

2 years ago I was able to walk up to the Chelsea ticket window before the game and purchase a ticket. But 2 years ago Chelsea was not as good as they are now. They will be scalpers selling tickets before the game, so that's another option.

Arsenal ticket is one of the hardest to get in the PL.

Good luck and enjoy the game.

I will be in Manchester on the 6 and 9 of Dec to catch a regular PL game vs Aston Villa and Champions League game against Stuttgart.

AAfrequentflyer, 2 years is certainly a long time in football, especially when a team like Chelsea acquires an owner prepared to splash around about 600million dollars to challenge the might of Arsenal and ManU

Kate,

I agree. I was just reporting.

Regardless, scalpers are available at any match.
Arsenal was/is the only team I have a hard time getting a ticket to. I did see a game, but it was expensive and too much trouble IMHO.

Chelsea grounds hold more fans, so that could be the main reason why getting a ticket is easier. Now, I have not been this season, so that could have all changed.
Chelsea Stamford Bridge = 43K seats
Arsenal Highbury =38.5K seats(It will be 60K when the new stadium gets build)
ManU Old Trafford = 67.5K seats

Yes its virtually impossible to get tickets to see Chelsea, Arsenal or Tottenham for under £100. Check the fixture list and see if Charlton or Fulham are playing at home that weekend as you may be able to go to their ground on the day and purchase at the ticket office as longas they are not playing one of the top teams...

It appears as though there are tickets available for the Chelsea-Sparta Prague Champions League match on Wed., Nov. 26. According to the club website, there are tickets available in most sections, with prices ranging from 29-46 pounds.

I will be in London around this time and would like to attend the match, especially since I have virtually no chance over getting Chelsea-ManU tickets the following weekend.

I am unfamiliar with the stadium and would welcome any comments about the facility and what section we might consider sitting in. Thanks in advance.

ticket offer for Fulham v Bolton on Dec 3

http://www.wayahead.com/fulham/price...p;filler3=dabs

Hooray, I got my tickets for the Chelsea - Bolton match on 13 Dec. I have been monitoring the Chelsea website for online booking since early October. At first, the booking was restricted to season ticket holders and members. I rang them to get some idea when it would be open to non-members. They said normally about a month before the match, but only if the match is not sold out before.

I was getting a bit anxious, and was trying to decide if I should get the tickets on the internet, even though it would cost a lot more (about 90-100 pounds). But about 10 days ago, I checked the website again, and noticed it was open to non-members. So I made an online booking, and a week later I received the tickets by post, and only cost me 34 pounds + an admin fee of 1.5 pounds. So I am happy.

Enjoy the game!!!

At the end it will still be ManU!!!!!