What professional sports are played in/near London in the summer?
 

We're taking my 14 & 15 year old nephews to London in the beginning of July 2011 for 5 days before heading down to do a safari in Botswana. I've told them they each need to come up with 5 things that they want to see/do in London while we are there. They are both sports nuts, so I was thinking it may be fun for them to see a European football game or a cricket match - but I have no idea what is played (if anything!) in the summer; and I don't know anything about teams.

Can anyone offer some suggestions, and some websites so I can educate myself (and them :-))?

Thanks!

Cricket.
http://www.britoval.com/home/surrey-cricket
http://www.middlesexccc.com/

There will be no football matches as it it between seasons (there may be the odd friendly game, but beginning of July is normally too early)

In terms of cricket, probably best if you can find a 20/20 game. These are short (maybe 3 hours tops), lots of big hitting, and can be very exciting.

No professional football, but loads will be played in the parks, boys with jumpers for goal posts and all that.

Though not much professional sport happens in summer, rugby (at Twickenham), tennis (at Wimbledon) football (at Wembley) and cricket (at Lord's) can all claim to have their worldwide spiritual home in London (or rather: London DOES claim to be their spiritual home) - so naturally all these grounds have museums of the sport concerned.

Driving through East London, the Olympic site is already looking very impressive. Don't know what will be visible in 8 months, or how, but well worth investigating closer to the date (www.london2012.com). A number of conventional visitor attractions will be holding some of the Olympics events, and the boys might be interested in seeing the odder places the Games are going to be held.

Great info - thanks so much! I hadn't even thought of rugby! How about lacrosse - is that played?

"How about lacrosse - is that played?"

Not professionally, and not ar all, I think, in the summer (it's mostly played in girls' schools). Just about the only professional sport, apart from cricket and tennis, played outside in summer is horse racing, which for some reason Americans just seem unable to relate to as a mass-interest spectacle.

The other team sport nearby in early July is the Henley Rowing Regatta, which is supposed to be amateur.

>>How about lacrosse - is that played?<<

Only by a limited number of schools, and (in reputation at least) by some terrifying <i>girls</i>.

you may be too late for tickets for Centre court or court one, but wimbledon takes place in the last week of june and the first week of July.

in fact, i just looked, and you have until 15th Dec to apply for tickets in the public ballot:

http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/about...s/tickets.html

however, it will finish next year on July 3rd so that may be too early for you.

if it can't be tennis, i agree that a 20/20 cricket match would be a good choice.

The opening rounds of the Europa League start at the beginning of July.

Of course the question is will any London clubs be starting the competition that early

From 14 July through 17 July the British Open will be played in Sandwich, Kent, at the Royal St. George's GC, a classic links course in a very nice beach-side location.
While admittedly not in London, Sandwich is easily do-able as a daytrip - and it's a chance to see an Open close to London, that otherwise often gets played much further North.
http://www.opengolf.com/en.aspx