Sport in London - Introduction
As an indicator of just how seriously Londoners take
their sport, take a look at the London Evening Standard or the sports section any of national daily
newspaper. With thousands of column inches devoted to football, cricket and rugby every day, it's
no wonder that attendance figures at stadiums around the capital are so high for major domestic and
international fixtures. Football (soccer) is undoubtedly London's biggest draw, with a number of
the country's top Premiership teams based in the city. Although expensive, the thrill of attending
a game watched by over 30,000 other football fans is hard to beat. However, as well as traditional
favourites, other sports such as basketball, golf, horse racing and athletics all enjoy a healthy
following.
London Football (Soccer)
By far the most popular spectator sport in London, the capital is home to many
of the country's most popular (and glamorous) Premiership teams. Nowadays, a visit to a top London
ground throws up the mouth-watering prospect of seeing world-class players including
Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Cesc Fabregas and Dimitar Berbatov. What's more, as London fans take
their football very seriously, the intense rivalry between clubs produces an exhilarating
atmosphere at matches. Indeed, it's fair to say that, unless you're visiting from Italy or Spain,
it's unlikely you'll have experienced anything like the noise and passion of a real London derby
before!
Although English football has a reputation for violence and hooliganism
(particularly with supporters of the national team) serious trouble is rare. And, whilst
minor skirmishes do occur (mainly at derby games) it's fairly easy to spot trouble brewing.
Certainly the situation has improved dramatically in recent years, largely due to better policing
and the use of stewards/CCTV to deal with potential troublemakers. Of all the London clubs, only
Millwall continues to have a recognized hooligan element in their ranks, although even here, the club
is making real efforts to tackle the problem. A testimony to the fact that, nowadays, football has
become a much safer spectator sport, are the increasing number of women and children who attend on
match days.
Football fixtures are published in newspapers and are traditionally played on Saturdays with a kick
off time of 3pm. There are, however, a growing number of midweek games (which tend to be on a
Tuesday or Wednesday) that kick off at 7.30pm. As many fans are season ticket holders, casual
supporters may find that their chances of getting a ticket for such fixtures are limited. Midweek
or cup games probably give you the best chance of watching a game, as crowd numbers tend to drop
(especially if the match is being televised). For matches advertised as 'all ticket', you need to
book ahead as tickets will not be sold at the gate on match day.
Remember to set off in good time before the match as Tube, railway stations and roads tend to clog
with fans causing heavy delays.
One final point to note is that Premier league stadiums are all-seater, so expect to pay at least £25 for a ticket. Standing room (or
terracing) is available at many of the lower league teams and prices are cheaper. However the
quality of football will not be as high.
On the whole, facilities for fans (particularly toilets) have improved considerably in recent
years. Whether you decide to sample the traditional half-time pie or hot dog though is entirely up
to you! London's Premiership teams are as follows:
Arsenal
Emirates Stadium, Highbury House, 75 Drayton Park, London, N5 1BU, Tel: 020 7704 4040, Website: www.arsenal.co.uk, Tube: Arsenal,
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Arsenal left their famous home at Highbury Stadium (after 93 years) for the start of the 2006/2007
season. The club's stunning new venue - the Emirates Stadium - at
Ashburton Grove is just "down the road" and offers probably the best spectator facilities and comfort levels of any venue in the Premiership today. Nicknamed the "Gunners", Arsenal have (in recent years) been one of London's most successful clubs,
and on their day are capable of beating anyone. Under the astute management of Arsene
Wenger, the team plays breathtakingly fast and attractive passing football, with a talented
squad that includes Cesc Fabregas, William Gallas, Tomas Rosicky, Robin Van Persie and
Alex Hleb. As a blend of youth and experience, Arsenal have just missed out again on
winning the Premiership (also being knocked out of the latter stages of the European Champions League
by Liverpool). However, they do have the ability to win both competitions in the
2008/2009 season, providing the squad is strengthened over the summer.
Charlton Athletic
The Valley, Floyd Road, SE7 8BL, Club ticketline: 020 8333 4010, Website: www.charlton-athletic.co.uk, Nearest
railway station: Charlton from Charing Cross,
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After successive seasons in the top flight, Charlton lost their Premiership status at the
end of the 2006/2007 season. Alan Pardew, who was appointed on Christmas Eve 2006, retains
charge of the squad, though Charlton's push for a play-off spot in the Championship may
prove too little too late (owing to their poor home at The Valley). Whether Pardew can
motivate the team sufficiently remains to be seen, though with professionals such as Ben
Thatcher and Matt Holland in the squad, they should be promotion hopefuls.
Chelsea
Stamford Bridge, Fulham Rd, SW6
1HS, Club ticketline: 020 7386 7799, Website: www.chelseafc.co.uk, Tube: Fulham Broadway,
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Russian owner Roman Abramovich's millions continue to bankroll the club, though the
departure of Jose Mourinho in September 2007 (replaced by the largely unknown Avram Grant)
mystified fans and neutral observers alike. Since then, stars such as Joe Cole, Frank
Lampard, Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack, Andriy Shevchenko and Ashley Cole have managed to
grind out results over the season to challenge for the Premiership title. In addition,
they have successfully secured a place in the Champions League semi-final, while just
missing out on FA Cup success with a loss to Barnsley in a tight 6th round tie. Chelsea's ground, Stamford Bridge, is
one of the best club grounds in London, with millions spent upgrading
it in recent years.
Fulham
Craven Cottage, Stevenage Road,
SW6 6HH, Ticket information hot line: 020 8336 7451, Website: www.fulhamfc.co.uk, Tube for Loftus Road: White City, Club
Shop Tube: Putney Bridge,
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The last few seasons at Craven Cottage have seen upheaval and disappointment for Fulham
fans, first with the departure of manager Chris Coleman, followed by the disastrous reign
of successor Lawrie Sanchez. Injuries to key players such as Brian McBride and Jimmy
Bullard have not helped Fulham's cause during 2007/2008, with the club teetering on the
brink of relegation. Fulham's slim hopes of retaining a place in the top flight rely upon
wins in their remaining fixtures against Liverpool, Man City, Birmingham and Portsmouth.
Tottenham Hotspur
White Hart Lane Stadium, High
Street, N17 OAP, Club ticketline: 020 8365 5000, Website: www.spurs.co.uk, Nearest railway station: White Hart Lane from Liverpool
Street,
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As North London rivals to Arsenal, it's fair to say that both sets of fans loathe each other with
equal passion (though thankfully violence between them is very rare). If you want to experience a
real London derby atmosphere though, then go to a match between these two clubs.
"Spurs" have been real underachievers over the last decade, owing (in no small part) to
difficulties appointing a decent manager. Having
sacked Glenn "I never said them things" Hoddle in 2003, David Pleat took over temporary
stewardship of the club until May 2004, before Jacques Santini was appointed for the start
of the new 2004/2005 season. However, following Santini's departure, the newly installed Martin Jol
set about assembling a talented squad capable of challenging for silverware. Bulgarian international Dimitar Berbatov
has proved a revelation, perfectly complementing Spurs' established team of Robbie Keane and
Steed Malbranque. Jol's departure in 2007, following a poor start to this season's
campaign, was met with consternation by fans. However, new manager Juande Ramos' reign
(partnered with former player Gus Poyet) looks promising, with the club achieving a
respectable mid-table finish for the 2007/2008 season.
West Ham United
Upton Park, Green St. E13 9AZ, Club ticketline: 020 8548 2748, Website: www.whufc.co.uk, Tube: Upton Park,
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West Ham, known affectionately as "the Hammers" are an East End club who play at the Boleyn Ground
(often wrongly referred to as Upton Park). As a team that have always played attractive football
(even during the grim "long ball game" period that so blighted English football) their talented
squad are nonetheless habitual underachievers.
With Alan Curbishley back in in charge, West Ham's season has been
one of mixed fortunes. Inconsistency of late, coupled with consecutive 4-0 drubbings at
the hands of Liverpool and Tottenham have seen the side maintain a disappointing 10th
position in the league. This season at least, however, their status in the Barclays
Premiership is assured, with Curbishley no doubt hoping to further strengthen the squad in
the summer.
Cricket in London
Although to many tourists cricket is a somewhat bewildering and pedestrian
looking sport, the English like nothing better than quaffing a few glasses of Port (or other
beverage of choice) to the relaxing sound of leather on willow. While the foundations of the modern
game are firmly rooted to the expansion of the British Empire, references to a primitive form of
cricket date back as far as 1300 (with the first recorded match between two counties taking place
in 1709). By 1850, an early equivalent of today's modern bat was being produced (with the now
familiar V shaped handle insert, willow body and twine/rubber grips covering the handle). Following
the simultaneous introduction of cork balls (covered by four quarters of hand-stitched leather) the
modern game of cricket was subsequently bestowed upon the lucky colonies as a way to instill
gentlemanly 'English' values. Unfortunately, nowadays, the former colonies have a habit of exacting
their revenge (with great relish it has to be said) by frequently stuffing the English team both
here and abroad.
County Championship matches are invariably the cheapest (and easiest) to
attend, with the action taking place over four days. If you've less time, try to catch a one-day
CricInfo, B & H Cup or Norwich Union League match (although you may need to book in advance to
see the most popular county teams). Tickets cost £10-£15 depending on the fixture,
often with concessions and free entry for under 16s (for certain matches at the Oval).
For full-blown Test matches (which take place over five days) tickets can be
hard to obtain, especially if England are playing Australia, India or the West Indies. Usually,
you'll have more chance of getting into the Oval or Lord's (the grounds where such matches are
played) when the weather is poor or when England perform badly during the first few days.
Lord's
St. John's Wood Road, St John's Wood, NW8 8QN, Tel: 020 7289 1300 or 020 7432
1066 (tickets), Website: www.lords.org,
Tube: St John's
Wood,
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Home to Middlesex Cricket Club and traditional seat of the English game.
The AMP Oval
Kennington Oval, Kennington SE11 5SS, Tel: 020 7582 7764, Website: www.surreyccc.co.uk, Tube:
Oval,
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Test match venue and home to Surrey County Cricket Club. Tickets cost £10-£15 depending
on the fixture, with concessions and free entry for under 16s (certain matches only).
London Rugby
While the stuff of legend is that rugby was born in 1823, when a
pupil at Rugby School, Warwickshire (William Webb Ellis) decided to picked up the ball during a game of
football and run with it, this fanciful story is now widely recognised as myth and a distortion of
historical fact. In truth, an early version of football, which was being played at public
schools in England, moved ahead when six of the seven leading academic establishments
refined their rules into what eventually became known as "association football". Until
then, the rules for a match were simply drawn up on the day between opposing captains.
The game at Rugby School (which relied more upon handling the ball)
developed differently, however, and, over the years, gained in popularity. This culminated in
1871 with the formation of Rugby Union Football, when English rugby clubs from across the country met to draw up
a common set of laws. It was the northern English counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire and
South Wales in particular, where the sport blossomed (being preferred here to association football)
although eventually, divisions between northern based clubs and the
RFU (who were based in London) lead to a split, resulting in the birth of two
separate branches of rugby - rugby league and rugby union.
Of course, unlike today's US equivalent, modern rugby does away with the need
for Joan Collins style shoulder pads and big girlie helmets (just kidding of course). At its best,
rugby is a skillful, flowing game that just happens to include lots of crunching tackles, mauling,
punch-ups and other nasty injuries.
As mentioned, in Great Britain, two different types of rugby are played.
Rugby
League, which is the thirteen-a-side variant of Rugby Union, has an elite league (Super
League) made up of twelve teams. Only one, however - the London Broncos - are London
based, with the remainder comprising of teams from cities such as Hull, Leeds and
Bradford. Within Rugby Union's Guinness Premiership, London Irish and London Wasps are two
famous old names, although nowadays, neither are London based (respectively playing
fixtures at Reading's Madjeski Stadium and Wycombe's Causeway Stadium).
England Internationals are played at Twickenham's impressive 70,000 all seater stadium.
However, for the casual fan, tickets for such spectacles are nigh on impossible to obtain (unless
of, course, you're affiliated to a rugby club or have a very deep wallet). That said, it's fairly
easy to see a league game in London (or surrounding areas) details of which are given below.
Twickenham Stadium
Whitton Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW1 1DZ, Tel: 020 8892 2000, 020 8831
6666 (tickets), Website: www.rfu.com, Nearest
railway station: Twickenham (from Waterloo Station),
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Harlequins
Stoop Memorial Ground, Langhorn Drive, Twickenham, Middlessex, TW2 2SX, Tel:
020 8410 6000, 0870 887 0230 (tickets), Website: www.quins.co.uk, Nearest railway station: Twickenham,
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London Irish
Contact address: The Avenue, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex, TW16 5EQ,
Tel: 01932 783 034, Website: www.london-irish.com,
Note: Club plays all home matches at the Madejski Stadium in Reading.
London Wasps
Note: Club no longer London based, Address: Causeway Stadium, Hillbottom Road, Sands, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP12 4HJ,
Tel: 0870 414 15 15, Website: www.wasps.co.uk, Train: High Wycombe,
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Saracens
Note: Club no longer London based, Vicarage Road Stadium, Watford,
Herts, WD18 0ER, Tel: 01923 496200, Website:
www.saracens.com, Nearest railway station:
Watford High Street,
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Wimbledon Tennis
Every June, the quiet leafy area around Wimbledon Hill is transformed into a
crowded tourist/tennis fan haunt for the world's only grass Grand Slam tennis tournament. The All
England Championship (better known as Wimbledon or the Wimbledon fortnight) traditionally begins in
the last week of the month. Arguably the most famous tennis event in the world, the statistics for
Wimbledon are impressive; with 20 grass courts covering over 42 acres, the Club has a capacity of
just under 34,000.
Although the vast majority of Centre and No. 1 court tickets are sold in
advance by ballot, limited numbers are made available for each day of the tournament. Don't expect
to get in on a whim though, as hardcore fans usually begin queuing from dawn onwards. Arrive after
9am and you'll almost certainly be restricted to tickets on the outside courts (although this in
itself is no bad thing, as you may still be lucky enough to catch a big name in action).
As car parking at The Championships is limited (temporary parking restrictions
are put in place all over Wimbledon Common), visitors are should use public transport wherever
possible. Some car parking is available on Church Road and Wimbledon Park Road (in specially
designated car parks) although it's far easier to take the shuttle bus service from Wimbledon or
Southfields Underground station.
Alternatively, regular train services run from London (Waterloo) to Wimbledon
Station, with some longer distance trains (including those from Bournemouth, Exeter, Havant,
Portsmouth, Southampton and Winchester) making special stops during The Championships.
Licensed taxi services also operate throughout The Championships from both
Southfields and Wimbledon station. Upon leaving, you may find it easier to share a taxi as demand
frequently outstrips supply. Don't be tempted to use unlicensed mini-cabs though, as you'll almost
certainly be ripped off.
All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
Church Rd, Wimbledon, SW19 5AE, Tel: 020 8946 2244, Website: www.wimbledon.org, Tube: Wimbledon/Southfields,
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