The Cost of Loving the Beautiful Game

Watching football live in a stadium is always the option picked by football fans, but it isn’t always cheap. In fact, clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal are known for charging around £50 for a day ticket. And if you’re expecting a pie and a cup of tea with that, you could fork out £3 and £2.50 respectively.

Given the high prices – which are looking to only keep rising – many fans have considered choosing other, cheaper clubs for football. What about watching a top European team on their home turf? Ajax Amsterdam is a good example to compare with.

Arsenal

The cheapest day ticket you can get at Emirates Stadium – and that’s without a pie, tea or travel – is £21. The most expensive day ticket costs an eye-watering £126. According to a survey by the BBC, with a pie, tea and program, the cheapest possible day watching Arsenal is £34.30.

So if you’re going to watch Arsenal play, to spend the least money you will need to bring:

• £3 for the match day programme
• £2 if you’re going to want a brew
• £3.30 for a pie
• Around £100 for a train ticket if you’re traveling from afar. Those coming from central London can get there for about £5 with an Oyster card.

After all this, you’ll be lucky to snag the cheapest match day ticket given the popularity of the club. And if you’re planning on taking your kids or paying for your family, you might need to apply for a loan.

Ajax

Ajax is one of Europe’s most famous clubs, thanks to their reputation as a club consisting of some of the best new talents. While the league doesn’t have Premier League quality, they’re well worth a look. Competitive and exciting, they’re much cheaper to watch too!

Eredivisie charges just over £50 for a stadium tour, snacks and the game. And if you’re worried about the cost of a flight to Amsterdam, you can get some incredibly cheap airline tickets from around only £76, so it’s perfect for a short break.