Southampton supporters celebrate their team in Swansea, Wales.Rebecca Naden/Reuters
Despite being a life-long supporter of Queens Park Rangers – a heartbreakingly bad London team that last won a major trophy before I was born – I believe every true footie fan should make a pilgrimage to England, the game's spiritual home.
Taking your cleat-loving kid along can transform the visit into a memorable milestone – so long as you plan ahead, consider some side-attractions and resist the urge to acquire matching "I heart Wayne Rooney" chest tattoos.
British Columbia-based Lonely Planet author Brendan Sainsbury recently took his son Kieran across the pond for his first Premier League game. It's a moment the Southampton FC fan had been dreaming about since his eight-year-old started watching TV matches with him.
"I grew up in England and my father took me to games when I was a kid. They are some of my best and most vivid childhood memories," says Sainsbury.
But aside from the multigenerational nostalgia, attending English matches – complete with sweary songs and beered-up fans – is markedly different to watching in North America.
"Crowds are noisier and more passionate and it's also more tribal with plenty of colourful language," says Sainsbury, who adds that the games are now far calmer than those he attended as a child. "It can still be edgy, but nothing like the full-on hooliganism there used to be."
Once you've taught your child a few relatively clean chants, you'll need to snag some tickets. Admission to legendary stadiums such as Old Trafford (Manchester United) or Stamford Bridge (Chelsea) can be harder to score than England World Cup goals, but smaller teams such as Southampton and QPR afford easier access.
London alone has six Premiership sides to choose from, and there are also many additional options outside the capital – plus games in the lower-tier Football League (www.football-league.co.uk), where tickets are comparatively plentiful and prices don't reflect the bloated salaries of top players.
"I chose a Southampton game against a lesser team – West Bromwich Albion – so it wasn't too difficult to get tickets," says Sainsbury, who booked three weeks ahead via the club's website and paid around $58 for his admission, $22 for Kieran's.
Selecting the right spot in the club's 32,000-seat St. Mary's Stadium – 127 kilometres southwest of London – was also key. "I chose a family-friendly area because I knew the views would be better. English stadiums are all-seaters [with allocated seating], but fans in the general areas spend half the game standing up."
The 90-minute match, Sainsbury adds, is only part of the experience. "Be sure to make a day of it. Arrive early, soak up the atmosphere, buy a pie, visit the club shop and hang around for a glimpse of the team bus – and be sure to buy a souvenir program."
Depending on the age of your soccer-mad child and the duration of your visit, you could also add some extra plays to your soccer-themed trip.
Several London sides – including Chelsea and Arsenal – offer stadium and club-museum tours, while the national venue Wembley also hosts 75-minute behind-the-scenes experiences.
Beyond London, consider touring Liverpool's hallowed Anfield stadium (liverpoolfc.com/tour) or Manchester's pilgrimage-luring Old Trafford (manutd.com), where the city's immersive National Football Museum is also worth sinking your Luis Suarez teeth into.
But the bottom line, according to Sainsbury, is the game itself. "I've never forgotten my first professional match and I wanted my son to have the same experience – and to share it with him. Now he'll be a Southampton supporter for life!"
For Kieran, every detail of his first-ever Premier League game was viscerally memorable, from the toilets to the smoking outside the ground: "The stadium was very big and very loud. It was so different to how it looks on TV – and some of the songs were very funny!"
OUR READERS WRITE
- Catching a game at a local pub is a must-do. The smaller the pub the better during a big match. @YashYanthi
- Opt for a Brentford FC game. It’s London’s family-friendly club (Family Excellence Award). Plus the ground has a pub at each corner! @chibeba
- Check the EPL schedule for the time you will be there. Matches may be pre-empted for the FA Cup, or Euro 2016 qualifying. If you have favourite teams, schedule your trip for their home matches. Matches are often sold out, so tickets should be purchased asap. If you buy a club membership, you have priority over the general sale period. You can’t just show up at the match and expect to be able to buy tickets. Rod Leschasin
- The world’s oldest team (Sheffield FC) and the world’s oldest football ground (Hallam FC’s Sandygate Lane) are both in Sheffield. And if you want to see big teams, try getting tickets to away games against relegation-threatened small fry – such as QPR. @mrdavidwhitley
- Manchester is a definite stop to see Old Trafford and the National Football Museum. @LauraDFoodie
- Arrange tickets well in advance of your trip and contact the official supporters’ clubs of the teams you plan to see. @AlanJackson
- Being a passionate United fan I would recommend a visit to Old Trafford to take a tour of the grounds and museum. You would not likely be able to get tickets for a match there, though. Manchester airport is easy to navigate and prices for hotels cheaper than down south. Geoff Gibbons
- It’s got to include Liverpool, my favourite team. But Manchester’s National Football Museum is also a must – and the city’s new Hotel Football [hotelfootball.com] opens in December. @ValAustinVB
- Well, after living in Chelsea/Fulham for three years, I'm a bit biased! But starting there is good! It’s a beautiful area with museums etc. @drjrcorns
- Come to Glasgow: pub, football, pub. @Bairdtravels
- The first tip is they call it football here! @CarolineClapham
- Call it football or the locals will become angry. @nikkibayley
- Avoid Tottenham. @MrStuartLodge
Send your travel questions to concierge@globeandmail.com.
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