Liverpool is home to two of the UK’s best football teams, Liverpool and Everton.
You may have been following football for years and be an old hand when it comes to attending the football grounds on match days, but if you’re new to the city and keen to support one of the local teams, then here are a few tips to help you find your way around.
1. Booking Tickets
Find out when tickets go on sale. The clubs put batches of tickets up for sale at different times, this eases congestion on the booking website and on phone lines. Keep an eye on the club websites – liverpoolfc.com and evertonfc.com – for ticket sale announcements, the atest ticket prices, and availability.
Given the large number of season ticket holders at each club, matches will sell out fast, so snap up your tickets as soon as they become available to avoid disappointment.
If you have missed out on the official channels for buying tickets then you can purchase tickets via a reseller such as seatwave.com or viagogo.co.uk. You’ll have to pay significantly more than the face value of the tickets but if you really want to see a game then it’s one way to ensure that you can definitely be in attendance.
2. Travel Advice
On match days, you can expect traffic to be heavy. Make use of online traffic apps so that you choose the best routes and avoid any bottlenecks to stand the best chance of getting to your game on time.
Finding parking close to the ground can often be a time consuming and frustrating process. Match day parking is available at the nearby Stanley Park car park, but on match days it becomes very busy and operates on a first-come-first-served basis. An alternative option is a peer-to-peer parking app like the one offered by yourparkingspace.co.uk which enables you to book your parking ahead of time and save all of that endless driving around looking for spaces. With extensive residents’ parking restrictions in place on match days it isn’t advisable to drive to either of the grounds without knowing where you’re going to park.
Alternatively, you could make use of the excellent public transport in the city. The nearest train station to the grounds is Lime Street, you can walk from there or catch a taxi which shouldn’t cost more than £5 each way. On match days at Anfield there’s also a ‘soccerbus’ that can take you to the ground from Sandhills station.
Finally, a Cycle Hub scheme operates on match days at both grounds. This is a free service which allows fans to safely drop off their bike with an attendant at the nearby Stanley Park Car Park.
3. What to Expect
Liverpool’s football stadiums are world class arenas with modern facilities, ensuring that you have a great day out supporting your favourite team. You’ll find plenty of options for refreshments, and both stadiums cater to disabled visitors. Visitors to the football grounds routinely report on the fantastic atmosphere during a game, and on the helpfulness and professionalism of all the staff at both venues.
4. Stadium Tours
In addition to attending the grounds on match days you can also book tours to take a look around the stadiums and go behind the scenes. A tour makes an exciting birthday gift for younger football fans, as well as an unusual gift for life-long fans who’ve never been beyond the stands. Tours don’t operate when matches are taking place but you can book a tour at other times and see where the players get ready for the game and learn about the club history. You will need to book your tour in advance so check the official club websites for tour booking details.
5. Upcoming Matches
Matches that you won’t want to miss in 2017 include:
- Tottenham Hotspur v Everton on Sunday 5th March
- Liverpool v Everton on Saturday 1st of April
- Manchester United v Everton on Tuesday 4th April
- Arsenal v Everton on Sunday 25th May
- Liverpool v Arsenal on Saturday 4th March
- Liverpool v Crystal Palace on Saturday 22nd April
- Liverpool v West Ham on Saturday 13th May
View the full fixture lists for Liverpool and Everton.
Taking part in Liverpool’s historic football traditions will really make you feel part of your new city, and if you plan your visits well, then you should experience unforgettable days out in the amazing atmosphere of Liverpool’s premier football grounds, surrounded by throngs of cheering supporters.