Even if you’re British and understand the system of buying Premier League tickets, it’s really hard to do. If you’re not local and don’t understand the system, then it’s even harder! So here’s what we know about why it’s so hard to buy Premier League tickets — and some advice for how to do it.

This post was updated July 2023

We get a lot of emails that basically go like this: “I am going to be in England in a few weeks and want to buy Premier League tickets. Can you help?”

The answer is basically in three parts:

1. In most cases, we can’t sell you regular tickets.
2. We can sell you hospitality packages (what are those?) and sometimes regular tickets.
3. We can definitely help you to understand the process better. So let’s work on that.

They won’t be able to tell you, either.

Why Is Buying Premier League Tickets So Hard?

All clubs, from Manchester City to Dulwich Hamlet, distribute tickets in three basic stages:

1. To season ticket holders
2. To club members. You can become a member (and it may help), but often this stage of the sale is ranked by loyalty points, which you won’t have because you haven’t bought tickets before. Even if it does, you can usually only buy one ticket per membership to each game.
3. To the public via “General Sale”  — if there’s anything left over after 1 and 2, which at most Premier League clubs, there won’t be. There’s a lot of demand, and a lot of those tickets wind up on third-party websites, which are illegal. (Here’s more on all of that.)

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So, in summary:

• Home tickets to Premier League games are almost impossible to get from the clubs because of high demand.
• Away tickets really are impossible, also because of demand.
• If you are trying to see one of the big clubs play another one, that makes it about 10 times harder.
• Many people are only approaching this a few weeks ahead of the game, when tickets are long gone.
• They often want three or four seats together, which is almost always impossible for these big clubs for any game.
• They are limited in time – only one weekend in the country, for example – or by location, i.e. they will be in London and aren’t up for a two-hour train ride.

We have a detailed post about how to buy Premier League tickets.
And here is a video that explains more about it:

So What’s the Solution to Buying Premier League Tickets?

• Get a membership and hope for the best — plus keep an eye on their members’ resale area if they have one.
• Buy a hospitality package from the club, an authorized reseller, or one of their registered agents — like Groundhopper Soccer Guides. We are such a registered agent, offering 100% legit Premier League tickets and hospitality. We have them for the Championship, Celtic, and Europe, as well!
• Plan farther ahead. The schedule comes out in mid-June for the August-to-May season, and tickets go on public sale (if at all) just a few weeks before the game.
• See if you can be flexible and pick a really good time to go for soccer specifically.
• Recognize that the Premier League has 20 teams in it, and shoot for a lesser-known club. (We know, “Tell that to my 16-year-old.”)
• If you have to see a big club, and you’re flexible on timing, shoot for an FA Cup or League Cup game. (Here’s a guide to all the leagues and cups.)
• Even if there are four of you, accept that maybe only two are going to the game.
• Be willing to not sit together.
• Be willing to throw down the cash on a hospitality package, going on the theory of “It’s once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Get beyond the Premier League and check out a Championship club like Queens Park Rangers in West London.

Finally, consider going to a lower league game instead of a Premier League Game

If you pick a good one to see, it can be every bit as fun. Here are some clubs to check out:

• In London: Queens Park Rangers, Charlton, Millwall, Wimbledon
• Near London: Cambridge United, Oxford United, Reading, Wycombe Wanderers, Swindon Town.
• Around Manchester/Liverpool: Blackburn Rovers, Barnsley, Bradford City, Wigan, Preston North End

Looking to see a Premier League game? Fill out this form, and we’ll get back to you shortly.