| Sports • Arsenal |
General Information
NFT Map: 74
Website: www.arsenal.com or @Arsenal
Phone: 020 7619 5000
Box office: boxoffice@arsenal.co.uk
Location: Highbury House, 75 Drayton Park, London N5 1BU
Overview
Regardless of how many years may have passed since Arsenal last stuffed another piece of silverware into their full trophy cabinet, Arsene Wenger continues to avoid splashing the cash on top names, instead building a young thriving team out of foreign talent and an exciting new crop of home-grown kids. The problem with this is that during the start of every new season at the Emirates it is inevitable that a pundit will proclaim this will be the year Arsenal’s young side realize their full potential, but just as equally inevitable, a big money club will breeze in and buy out marquee players adding to the fans dismay and Wenger’s greys. However, Arsenal is historically London’s greatest club and holds numerous national records with a trophy room packed with more silver than any other, save Manchester United and Liverpool. T’was not always thus of course. From humble beginnings south of the river, Arsenal built themselves up from roots level, with glory years seeming to come in waves. The mid-80s saw the instatement of George Graham, a hugely popular former player, who begat a powerful, muscular side captained by local hero Tony Adams. Wenger brought a continental flavour to the team and an invigorating playing style—the once “boring, boring Arsenal” started playing “sexy football” which reached its zenith with the 2003–04 “Invincibles” who went the entire season without losing a game. Following Arsenal is not always an easy ride. It’s surprising that so many people still flock to the Emirates stadium in Holloway given the stupendous ticket prices. If you’re lucky enough to have the £1000s needed for a decent season ticket then you get to sit in a huge, soulless stadium named after an airline company to watch what are ostensibly a bunch of bloody foreigners. On the plus side, those bloody foreigners play some of the most dazzling football in Europe and you never know, this just could be the year Arsenal’s young team realizes their full potential (groan).
How to Get There
By Car: Unless you have a resident’s permit to get around the Event Day Parking Scheme always in effect, it’s impossible to park on-street. Which is to say, don’t bother bringing a car.
By Public Transport: Arsenal (Piccadilly Line) is the nearest tube station, around three minutes walk from the ground. Finsbury Park (Victoria, Piccadilly Lines and Great Northern rail) and Highbury & Islington (Victoria Line, North London Line and Great Northern rail) stations are around a 10-minute walk—these should be slightly less crowded.
How to Get Tickets
As Arsenal play some damn sexy football, tickets are not easy to come by. However, in the new, swanky Emirates Stadium there is always going to be one or two no-shows or corporate tickets that have slipped into the wrong hands. Members have first dibs on tickets and snap them up but the less scrupulous ones sell them on to make a fast buck. Try Gumtree or matchday touts if you really must. To be honest, it’s probably one of the rare instances where it really is worth the hassle.
| Sports • Charlton |
General Information
Phone: 020 8333 4000
Website: www.cafc.co.uk or @CAFCofficial
Location:The Valley, Floyd Road, Charlton, London SE7 8BL
Overview
Supporting Charlton is like being a drug addict without a healthy bank balance, the highs are amazing (when they come) but the lows are dark and lonely days. Back in 2007, The Addicks were mixing it with the big boys in the Premier League. But after several seasons in freefall, Charlton found themselves in football’s third tier. During the dark days football’s ugliest man, Iain Dowie took control and drunkenly drove the team off a bridge. He played a brand of football, which matched his grotesque looks, and got the boot (no, not to his face, that’s just how he looks). Inexplicably, Les Reed got the job next—a man with no managerial experience. He lasted a month. That year they went down to the Championship. And guess what? They were relegated again, and finished 13th in League 1 (Third Division). In 2009 Phil Parkinson took over and things remained more or less the same. But during 2010 new ownership meant big changes, the effective but unremarkable Parkinson was given the boot in place of Charlton legend Chris Powell. After the 2010-11 season ended with mixed results the team had a spring clean, literally, Powell bought 19 new players and 2011-12 season ended with Charlton winning the Third Division and earning promotion to the Championship. Subsequent seasons saw the club underperform and under new ownership Powell was sacked. Perhaps coming years should see the darkness lifted from the club and the ground reflect Charlton’s reputation as a family club, rather than a stadium full of recovering addicts.
How to Get There
By Car: You can leave the M25 at Junction 2 in order to access the A2, heading towards London. When the A2 becomes the A102 (M), take the right hand exit at the roundabout into the A206 Woolwich Road. After passing the major set of traffic lights at the junction of Anchor and Hope Lane and Charlton Church Lane, turn right at the second roundabout into Charlton Lane. Go over the railway crossing then take the first right into Harvey Gardens, with the road leading to the ground. From central London, travel along the A13 until it becomes the East India Dock Road, then take the A102 through the Blackwall Tunnel. Come off at the second junction and take the first exit at the roundabout, then go along the A206 Woolwich Road into Charlton Lane as detailed above. Thanks to the local residents’ parking scheme, you’ll be hard pushed to find a parking space; try Westmoor Street, Eastmoor Street, Warspite Road and Ruston Road.
By Public Transport: The ground is within walking distance of Charlton railway station, with the Southeastern line running services from mainline stations Charing Cross and London Bridge and services from Cannon Street on Saturdays. You can also take the Jubilee Line to North Greenwich, and then take a short ride on buses 161, 472 or 486 to get to the Valley. Moderate masochists can walk from the tube station.
How to Get Tickets
For years Charlton couldn’t give their tickets away. Now, interest ebbs and flows depending on how close the club is to being relegated, but seeing a match is by no means impossible. Tickets can be ordered by phone from the Box Office, via the internet at the club’s website or in person at The Valley.
| Sports • Chelsea |
General Information
NFT Map: 43
Phone: 020 7958 2190
Website: www.chelseafc.com or @ChelseaFC
Location: Stamford Bridge, Fulham Road, London, SW6 1HS
Overview
Stamford Bridge, home to one of the Premiership’s ‘big four’ clubs, is now one of Europe’s most glamorous stadiums. However, ‘The Bridge’ was once an unappealing and daunting shit-hole more used to hosting pitch invasions and fighting hooligans than the well-heeled city types and Russian oligarchs of today. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, it was the violent ‘headhunters’ that made the club unpopular, but as ‘The Blues’ never won anything, no one took much notice. In recent years, Chelsea have succeeded in wrestling the mantle of most-hated team in England away from Manchester United, largely due to winning things with the never-ending supply of money from Roman Abramovich. The hooligans have all but gone, either priced out or grown up, but the antics of Prima Donna players and their sitcom private lives have been placing cement shoes on the club’s image of late. While Chelsea’s coffers have meant they’ve been able to import expensive foreign players, leading to back-to-back title wins in 2004–2006, their homegrown players have spent more time on tabloid front covers than on football pitches. John Terry and Ashley Cole’s bed-hopping adventures will make a great airport novel one day but they’ve left a lot of fans disappointed in the meantime. These are troubling times indeed for the Blues; after the departure of celebrated manager Mourinho (his first stint with the club) the top position saw its own share of turbulence. With superstar coach Scolari sacked and the silverware drying up it seems money can’t buy you everything. However, after two seasons of relative anonymity and a parade of failed managers, unlikely hero Roberto Di Matteo took over the reins of the club during 2012, managed to win both the FA Cup and the Champions League final (and then was sacked as well). Mourinho returned in 2013 and whatever the club’s future, one thing is for sure: money will be thrown to the boys at the bridge, silverware or not.
How to Get There
By Car: It is possible to drive to Stamford Bridge on match days but it’s pretty pointless to do so. Traffic snarls up badly and the effects are felt throughout Southwest London. If you do brave the traffic, remember that Fulham Road is closed off on match days. Parking is a nightmare with most zones given over to residents. Gangs of eager traffic wardens are on hand to make your Saturday afternoon miserable.
By Public Transport: Stamford Bridge is a two-minute stroll from Fulham Broadway tube station. Regular district line underground trains deliver the hordes from central London in a matter of minutes. If the idea of a packed train full of sweaty football fans isn’t your idea of heaven, many fans descend at Ealing Broadway and take the ten-minute walk to the stadium instead.
How to Get Tickets
With so many competitions and cups, getting tickets is easier than you might think. The ‘big’ fixtures—London derby’s, Man U, Liverpool and the later cup stages are either impossible to get or crazily priced, but tickets for the less glamorous ties can be picked up from the Chelsea website or box office. Otherwise, cheeky geezers will be on hand to fleece you on match day. You will probably end up in the West Stand alongside Japanese and American tourists, but that might be preferable to a fat skinhead in the ‘Shed.
| Sports • Fulham |
General Information
NFT Map: 47
Tickets: 0843 208 1222
Website: www.fulhamfc.com or @FulhamFC
Location: Craven Cottage, Stevenage Road, London SW6 6HH
Overview
Fulham like to think of themselves as a family club. They have a quaint little stadium by the Thames and they play in Fulham for God’s sake. (Now about that “Cottagers” nickname…easily the most off-color in all of football.) When Roy Hodgson took the reins in 2008 they were doomed. But he rescued The Cottagers from relegation and in 2009 guided them into Europe, before taking over football’s worst job (England manager) in 2012. Mark Hughes took over the team and inexplicably quit before the season finished which, tossed Fulham into turmoil, until the steady hand of Martin Jol took control and ensured business as usual. The club is owned by Shahid Khan, the Pakistani-born embodiment of the American Dream who also owns the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars franchise. (Mohamed Al-Fayed, the club’s previous owner, once owned Harrods; he’s the father of Dodi Fayed, who died with Princess Diana in Paris in 1997.) The club has been in flux in recent years, and was relegated to the Championship in 2014. All that aside, Craven Cottage is still one of the nicest grounds in London and tickets are relatively easy to come by. Just be wary of that hole in the gents.
How to Get There
By Car: Craven Cottage sits in a leafy, riverside suburb of Fulham. Parking is relatively easy around the ground with plenty of parking meters, although reaching the ground could be difficult as weekend traffic in London is never fun to negotiate.
By Public Transport: Putney Bridge on the District Line is your best bet. Putney also has a mainline station with connections from Clapham Junction and direct trains from Waterloo. Cross the road opposite Putney station and hop on any passing bus. Alternatively, a ten-minute walk down the high street and over the river will get you to the ground.
How to Get Tickets
One of the ‘joys’ of watching Fulham is that tickets are easy to get your hands on. Many games are available on general sale through the club website. For the biggest matches, priority is given to members but persevere and you should be rewarded. If you can’t get a ticket legitimately, you can always take your chance with a tout on match day. Try haggling; due to Fulham’s fortunes, you could get lucky.
| Sports • Lord’s |
General Information
NFT Map: 76
Main switchboard: 020 7616 8500
Ticket Office: 020 7432 1000
Lord’s website: www.lords.org or @HomeOfCricket
England Cricket Board: www.ecb.co.uk or @ECB_cricket
Middlesex County Cricket Club: www.middlesexccc.com or @Middlesex_CCC
Location: St John’s Wood, London NW8 8QN.
Overview
Even if you know nothing about cricket, don’t be put off coming to Lord’s. Yes, some games last for five days, and yes, it can still be a draw at the end of it. But as much as anything else Lord’s is a fabulous place to come and have a drink. On a hot day the ground is paradise. The sunburnt crowd get slowly boozed up and by the time the players break for tea—yes, tea—few people are concerned at what’s going on in the middle. With the polite hum of chatter building up to full-blown drunken singing, it’s worth going to Lord’s for the atmosphere alone. But when the rabble have calmed down, Lord’s is a very genteel place. It’s widely seen as the Home of Cricket, and used to house the international governing body. It hosts a heap of England games every year and it’s the home ground of county side Middlesex. There’s also a year-round gym—you don’t even have to be posh to use it—and an indoor training centre. There’s even a museum to amuse you when rain stops play. And, rest assured, at some point rain WILL stop play. At the moment, Lord’s holds two Test matches (the marathon international five-dayers) and occasional England one-day games. These are the ground’s showpiece events, where the crowd are at their most boisterous. Middlesex games rarely attract many spectators, and unless you’re an old man or a dog you may be in a minority.
How to Get There
By Car: There’s little parking around Lord’s so, as you’ll be parked up all day, public transport will always be cheaper. If you must drive, the ground is off the A4, which turns into the M4.
By Public Transport: The nearest station is St John’s Wood (Jubilee Line). Marylebone (Bakerloo) and Baker Street (Bakerloo, Jubilee, Hammersmith and City, Metropolitan and Circle) are both nearby. Marylebone mainline station serves the north and west of the country. London Paddington is a short bus ride away. Dozens of buses run to Baker Street, and many of which stop right outside the ground.
How to Get Tickets
Getting your hands on England tickets can be tricky. The first few days of a Test match tend to sell out months in advance, though tickets for the last day never go on pre-sale (as the game could be over by then). Similarly, One Day Internationals are normally sell-outs, so it does take a little planning to get in. Check the website over the preceding winter and you might get lucky. If there are less than ten overs in a day due to rain, or if the game’s already over, you can claim the full ticket price back. If the weather limits play to between 10.1–24.5 overs (in English, that’s up to 149 balls played) you get a 50 per cent refund. Any more than that and you’re deemed to have got your money’s worth. Middlesex games rarely sell out, however, so you can just rock up on the day, beers in hand, and enjoy the Lord’s village.
| Sports • The Oval |
General Information
NFT Map: 135
Telephone: 0844 375 1845
Website: www.kiaoval.com or @surreycricket
Location: The Kia Oval, Kennington, London, SE11 5SS
Overview
What better way to while away a sunny summer’s day than at The Oval cricket ground, typically alongside hundreds of other shirkers who also called in sick? The Oval is one of London’s twin icons of the game, alongside Lord’s in North London, and boasts a rich history stretching all the way back to 1846, when it was converted from cabbage patch to cricket pitch. It now plays host to Surrey County and international test matches, including the biennial England-Australia slugfest “The Ashes.” Live international cricket remains a boozy, good natured affair with English fanbase ‘The Barmy Army’ typically belting out salty chants and cheering occasional streakers. County cricket is a mellower, no less enjoyable event, with readily available tickets and a good portion of the crowd more interested in today’s paper than the action in front of them. Taxing it ain’t.
How to Get There
By Car: Driving to the Oval is not ideal, because parking is near impossible. Should you be willing to risk it, it’s situated on the A202, near the junction with the A3 and A24, south of Vauxhall Bridge. As ever with London driving, you’ll need your A to Z and nerves of steel.
By Public Transport: The Oval boasts its own, eponymous tube stop on the Northern Line, from which the stadium is a few hundred yards walk. Determinedly overground travellers should alight at Vauxhall, from which Oval is a ten-minute jaunt, tops. Buses 36, 185 and 436 stop right outside the ground, too.
How to Get Tickets
Tickets for Surrey county matches are relatively easy to get hold of, though seats for some fixtures can only be bought on site on the day of the match. International matches tend to sell out very quickly indeed—touts or online sales sites like eBay and Gumtree are usually the best option, at a price.
| Sports • QPR |
General Information
NFT Map: 32
Telephone: 020 8743 0262
Tickets: 0844 477 7007
Website: www.qpr.co.uk or @QPRFC
Location: Loftus Road Stadium, South Africa Road, Shepherd’s Bush, W12 7PJ
Overview
Once-itinerant football club Queens Park Rangers have called Loftus Road—based, confusingly, in Shepherd’s Bush—home since 1917, give or take a few seasons. Their footballing fortunes have yo-yoed through the decades: once a whisker away from winning Division One in the years before it became the Premiership; they finished the 2011-12 season just above the relegation zone, but gave us what undoubtedly was the game of the season after losing a 2–0 lead in stoppage time to gift moneybags Man City the Premier League title. New ownership, including pint-sized F1 oligarch Bernie Ecclestone, injected some much needed glamour into the club (prior to the takeover, Pete Doherty was the Hoops’ most famous fan). But, amid wacky boasts of Euro domination, Bernie was cut down to size; Ecclestone has since sold his stake in the team, and at a healthy profit. The years following the sacking of their Italian boss De Canio has seen the Hoops’ top spot resemble a revolving door in a busy brothel. Though different managers and caretakers have come and gone, resulting in turmoil on and off the pitch, the erratic QPR are definitely and defiantly worth watching live.
How to Get There
By Car: Whether you’re approaching Loftus Road from the North (from the M1 through the A406 and A40), East (via the A40(M)), South (from the A3 and A219) or West (up the M4 via the A315 and A402 on a wing and a prayer), all routes lead through White City. Once there, turn right off Wood Lane into South Africa Road. Don’t even set off without proper navigation tools, or emergency rations.
By Public Transport: The majority of QPR fans are local and rely either on nearby tube stops (White City on the Central Line, Shepherd’s Bush on the the Hammersmith and City Line), any of buses 72, 95, or 220 to White City Station, or overground train to Acton Central, followed by a quick bus ride.
How to Get Tickets
Getting tickets for a QPR game is harder than you might expect. The team has a loyal fan base and is quickly becoming a guilty pleasure (due mainly to moments of madness) for casual spectators. However, getting tickets for a run-of-the-mill mid-season game should be a cinch, either via the Rangers’ ticket website or by phone. You can also visit the Loftus Road box office on match days.
| Sports • Tottenham |
General Information
Telephone: 0344 499 5000
Tickets: 0344 844 0102
Website: www.tottenhamhotspur.com or @SpursOfficial
Location: Bill Nicholson Way, 748 High Road, London, N17 OAP
Overview
The times they are a-changin at Tottenham, the blaggers at Stamford Bridge robbed them of a deserved Champion’s League place and the country’s favourite tax dodger Harry Redknapp didn’t get the England job and then, to add insult to injury, was let go by the club. The scruffy but (for some reason) adored century-old White Hart Lane is on its last legs as a new mega-development is heading into the building phase. This isn’t a bad thing, because nostalgia aside, few grounds in the capital are located further from a tube stop and closer to a corner of London where even police dogs walk in pairs. More than most fans, the Spurs faithful have a tight grasp of history (which could be because there’s been no league title there since 1961). And it shows at the stadium—supporters even chant about what a grand old team Spurs are. But that song only gets sporadic outings. Most of the chants that ring around White Hart Lane are about how much the fans hate Arsenal. It’s a rivalry that’s as intense as any in football—and as Arsenal started out in the south of the city, only moving across the river in 1913, Spurs claim of being Kings of North London isn’t such a wild one. This division grew deeper during Arsenal’s years of success, their American ownership, snooty fans, and their new corporate-branded Emirates Stadium just added fuel to the fire. But Spurs are contenders now, they have a new stadium of their own in the pipeline and the days of old ladies selling bagels inside the ground will soon be replaced by £400 million hotel-cum-shopping-centre-cum-football-ground.
How to Get There
By Car: The area’s congested at the best of times; on match days, traffic can grind to a standstill. But if you don’t mind a bit of gridlock, White Hart Lane is on the Tottenham High Road (A1010) a mile south of the North Circular (A406). This is easily accessible from junction 25 of the M25, in itself a temple to traffic.
By Public Transport: The nearest tube is Seven Sisters (Victoria Line), which is a 25-minute walk away. But at least if you work up a hunger from all that walking there’s hundreds of kebab shops en route. White Hart Lane overland station, which runs from Liverpool Street through Seven Sisters, is a five-minute walk from the ground. Bus routes 279, 349, 149, 259 run closest to the stadium, but many more pass nearby.
How to Get Tickets
Although home games normally sell out, tickets are fairly easy to get hold of. Club members get first refusal at tickets, ten days before going on sale to the public. To get on the season ticket waiting list, you have to become a One Hotspur Bronze Member, but as the club’s fortunes are on the rise, the wait could be some time.
| Sports • Twickenham |
General Information
Website: www.englandrugby.com/twickenham
Phone: 020 8892 8877
Location: Twickenham Stadium, Whitton Road, Twickenham, TW2 7BA
Overview
The home of English rugby, Twickenham is a behemoth of a stadium. An ugly chunk of concrete seemingly dumped from a great height onto a quiet London suburb, Twickenham lacks the charm and character of Ireland’s Landsdowne Road and Scotland’s Murrayfield, and has been all but pushed to the sidelines by the magnificent Millennium Stadium in Wales. However, the stadium has largely remained a fortress when it comes to England Internationals. Cheered on by 82,000 well-spoken, white-shirted fans booming out ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’ probably helps. Maybe the England players absorb the unfussy and uncompromising nature of their surroundings into their psyche on match days. Critics would argue that their style of rugby is as ugly and bland as the stadium they play in. This would be harsh if England hadn’t consistently underperformed after carrying off the Rugby World Cup in 2003. Twickenham also hosts a series of Rugby tournaments and exhibition matches, including the famous ‘Sevens’, in addition to the occasional Premiership fixture. Outside the Rugby season, the stadium is given over to rock concerts for international bands like U2, Bon Jovi and Lady Gaga. The World Rugby Museum, located in the East Stand at the stadium, is a collection of over 25,000 items related to the history of the sport. Tours of Twickenham are also available.
How to Get There
By Car: Twickenham is very accessible by road—if you live in the South. The M3 motorway turns into the A316 that passes the stadium, carrying on into central London. Certain roads get closed down on match days so drivers should allow plenty of time. Parking at the stadium is extremely limited and should be booked in advance. Resident permits are helpfully required for all roads bordering the stadium so the best thing to do is park in the general vicinity and walk the rest of the way.
By Public Transport: Mainline trains run to Twickenham station from Waterloo and Reading. London Underground runs to Richmond on the District Line where shuttle buses will take fans to the stadium (50p outbound, free return) Hounslow is an alternative Underground station but shuttle buses only run from Twickenham to Hounslow station so you will have to make it to the stadium under your own steam. Bus numbers 281, 267, 481, 681 and H20 all have regular services passing close to the stadium.
How to Get Tickets
England rugby tickets are hot property, commanding higher prices than top football games. As competition games are relatively infrequent, tickets sell out well in advance so keep checking the website for updates on ticket releases. Premiership tickets and friendly matches are easier to come by but will generally sell out. If you don’t get lucky in advance, rugby touts (slightly less aggressive than their football cousins) will happily make your wallet lighter for you. Ticketmaster is the best option for concerts or Gumtree and Craigslist for re-sales and swaps.
| Sports • West Ham |
General Information
Website: www.whufc.com or @whufc_official
Telephone: 020 8548 2748
Tickets: www.whufcboxoffice.com or 0871 529 1966
Location: Boleyn Ground, Green Street, London E13 9AZ
Overview
When bald biscuit king Eggert Magnusson bought the Hammers everything looked rosy. But then the world went tits up. The recession meant Icelander Eggert’s companies were suddenly worth nothing. He went bankrupt—and West Ham became a Scandinavian IOU. While boss Gianfranco Zola was leading a revolution on the pitch—shepherding a young team to the brinks of Europe—there were real dangers the club would fold.
Since the Icelandic money troubles, West Ham has been owned by an ever-changing cast of consortiums and moneyed men. Not really where you want your money right now. But if they survive, the Irons are on the way up. If you can find the ground in deepest East London they’re well worth a look.
Over the years, West Ham has been unfairly tainted by association with the ICF hooligan firm. Largely active in the ‘70s and ‘80s, a 2005 film, Green Street did its best to rekindle unwanted memories. The drama was undermined slightly by giving the lead role to a hobbit. They finished the 2011 season at the bottom of the Premiership and were relegated—but during 2012 they proved they were too good for the Championship and are back with the big boys. Let’s hope they keep doing better, we don’t want to give them any excuse to get angry.
How to Get There
By Car: Driving in London is a waste of time even on the best of days, but try it on match days and you are asking for trouble. East London is a warren of one way streets, dead ends and no through roads. You are likely to either miss kick-off or get a parking ticket or both.
By Public Transport: The District line will ‘whisk’ you from central London to Upton Park in half an hour or so. The Boleyn Ground is five minutes walk from the underground station.
How to Get Tickets
Unless you want to pay through the nose for tickets against the big clubs, you should be able to find spares for the smaller fixtures. West Ham is a relatively small ground with a dedicated, hardcore following. Being less glamorous than Chelsea, et al. means that casual fans have a better chance of watching a game for a decent price.
| Sports • Wembley Stadium |
General Information
Phone: 0800 169 2007
Website: www.wembleystadium.com or @wembleystadium
Location: Wembley Stadium, Wembley HA9 0WS
Overview
Wembley Stadium enjoys a strange position in the British psyche. For football fans it’s most significant as the scene of England’s only World Cup win back in 1966, as well as numerous pitch invasions by angry/jubilant Scottish fans whenever their national team came down to play. Plus, a generation of British bands have grown up dreaming of the day they’d bellow: “hello Wem-ber-ley, are you ready to rock?!!” to tens of thousands of people who’ve just paid a fiver for a chewy patty of minced spleen ‘n’ testicles in a dry bun. For these sentimental reasons, then, very few people complained that the National Stadium was a bit of a crap-hole stuck in an inaccessible suburb of West London. By the late ‘90s the place was looking a bit battered, so they knocked it down and then very, very slowly, and at tremendous, tabloid-scandalising expense, built a replacement on the same site. The result is, just about, worth it. There are none of the blind spots for spectators that the old stadium used to have, plus it has far greater leg-room for 90-thousand-plus people and much more comfortable seating. It also looks fantastically imposing as you walk out of Wembley Park tube with its massive arch curving into the sky. A trip here might not make your knees go “all trembly” as fans used to sing but for football lovers it’s one of the world’s great venues. They also have a special removable running track for athletics and, to the disgust of “soccer” purists, they’ve even let American “football” teams play here, too.
How to Get There
By Car: Short of hiring snipers to pick drivers off as they approach the mighty arch, the Stadium could hardly do more to discourage visitors from driving. “Wembley Stadium is a public transport destination. Please leave your car behind,” the website primly advises. However, if you are some kind of die-hard, planet-raping petrol-head you’ll see signs pointing to the stadium from Great Central Way onwards. There are very few parking spaces at the Stadium itself and these need to be booked in advance. On match days, or when there’s anything else happening, the local area becomes residents’ parking only, too. Yes, they really don’t want you to bring your car.
By Public Transport: The nearest Tube is Wembley Park on the Metropolitan and Jubilee line. Wembley Central (on the Bakerloo line) is about 10–15 minutes walk and there’s also Wembley Stadium mainline train station with links all over the country. If you’re travelling from outside London there are National Express coaches from 43 different towns and cities.
How to Get Tickets
Easier said than done. ‘Club Wembley’ have kindly created a ‘ten year seat licence’—no doubt to re-coup the massive overspend that accompanied completion of the stadium. These licences give owners access to all major events hosted at Wembley and its worth going on the website to laugh at the ridiculous prices. A ‘one-off licence fee’ starts at £172 per person per event. Annual season tickets are on top of that. Cloud Cuckoo Land. ‘Normal’ people can buy tickets to England games through the FA (you need to be a member), for football and rugby cup games through the respective clubs and tickets for one off events and shows through Ticketmaster. It’s always worth checking Gumtree.com as you never know who might be flogging off a golden ticket to the highest bidder.
| Sports • Wimbledon |
General Information
Telephone: 020 8944 1066
Website: www.wimbledon.com or @Wimbledon
Location: The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Church Road, Wimbledon, SW19 5AE
Overview
New balls please! If it’s not pissing it down—which is a big if—Wimbledon’s All England Tennis and Croquet Club is the place to witness the world’s finest tennis players do battle on rye grass courts, home as it is to the oldest major Championship in the game each June/July. But this is also a place to be seen and to be merry—sure, it’s about the tennis, but it’s also about strawberries and cream (of which 62,000 pounds and 1,540 gallons worth are sold each year respectively), the free-flowing champagne, the celebrity crowd, and the Ralph Lauren-designed ballboy and ballgirl outfits. If you can’t actually get a ticket for the tournament—the All England Club makes approximately 1,500 of them available each day, and more importantly, if you’re not prepared to camp out overnight in the queue—you can always sit yourself on Murray Mound (formerly Henman Hill) at the northern end of the complex, where a vast television screen allows you to watch British players systematically eliminated in typically heartbreaking fashion. Really, we should stick to darts.
How to Get There
By Car: During the tournament, traffic and parking are nightmarish propositions, and you’re better off using public transport. Nonetheless, the determined will need to take the A219 from the A3, and turn off left onto Church Road once in Wimbledon itself.
By Public Transport: Wimbledon railway station is a short journey from both Waterloo and Clapham Junction, and is otherwise serviced (Vicar!) by trains from towns right across the South of England. From here, board the London General shuttle bus straight to the grounds; they depart every five minutes or so during the tournament. Tube users should head for Southfields on the District line, from where a London General shuttle also operates. Those who prefer to saunter can mosey on down Wimbledon Park Road heading south for ten minutes or so, and you can also walk it from Wimbledon Park tube station, heading north-west.
How to Get Tickets
You can (legally) come by tickets to Wimbledon in two ways—one, apply in advance to the public ‘ballot’, via the website, in the hope you are selected at random to purchase tickets (closing date end of December). Two, join the serpentine, overnight queues for on-the-day tickets, of which five hundred are usually made available for each of Centre, Number One and Number Two Courts. Then, of course, there are all the other methods of which you’re already no doubt aware.
| Sports • Bowling |
Any bowling buff will tell you that there are two types of bowling in this country. Ten-pin bowling, the ghastly Americanized import, is by far the most popular among Londoners and the generally disrespectful Youth Of Today. Crown Green Bowling is a far more serene, (elderly) gentlemanly pursuit complete with its own rules and rituals.
London’s ten pin bowlers are spoiled rotten. As it’s now a trendy pastime shot through with irony, there are plenty of old, large basements converted into pristine bowling alleys designed to look retro. There’s no chavs in tracksuits on speed around here: the All Star Lanes franchises (Map 4, 30, 91) are heaving with immaculately dressed trendos and hen/stag nights drunkenly bowling and singing in the karaoke booths. However, at a peak rate of £8.95 per person per game (your average game is a mere 10 minutes) and an off-peak rate of a laughably similar £6.95 per game, you’ll have to access whether it’s worth blowing the rent money on one night of fun. Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes (Map 4) does the American chic thing a bit better and its lanes are £39 an hour, which works out cheaper in a group. They also host cool gigs and DJs occasionally.
For families and the penniless, London has plenty of more ‘traditional’ British bowling lanes. By this, of course, we mean cavernous warehouses with pumping chart music, scary underage drinkers and sticky air hockey tables. Try the classic Rowans (Map 62) which at its priciest is a mere £5.20 per person per game or Queens Ice & Bowl (Map 30) which has also has an ice rink to cool off those skittle blues.
And what of Green Bowling? Well, being an outdoor pursuit in Britain, it’s safe to say it is primarily a summer affair. When the sun is out you’ll find bowling greens in all the major parks; Hyde Park offers lanes for £7.50 an hour.
After suffering at the hands of boho and cheapo ten-pin bowling facilities you may find that there can be no better way to waste an afternoon than to sit around a bowling green in Finsbury Park with a beer in hand, laughing at your idiot friends’ attempts to hit the ‘jack.’ Maybe those elderly gentlemen are on to something…
| Sports • Golf |
Nothing combines relaxation and hypertension quite like golf, nor indeed knee-length socks, spats and flat caps. For golfing Londoners, opportunities to play must be sought towards the outskirts of the capital, where the city shore is lapped once more by greenery and open space. You can, of course, take your one wood out onto London’s pavements and practise your fade drive there, but you’re odds on to be arrested if you do.
You’ll be better received moving clockwise around London from the north, at establishments such as the Highgate Golf Club and Muswell Hill Golf Club. Both are highbrow member institutions with epic fairways, open nonetheless to the public, as long as that public is wearing a decent shirt. Eighteen holes at each are in the £30-45 range, which is also the case at the Hampstead Golf Club, home of one of England’s toughest front nines. Nearby Finchley Golf Club is similarly priced for visitors but also offers some neat specials such as winter green fees under £30 and knockdown prices for twelve holes of ‘twilight golf’. A little farther north, Mill Hill Golf Club is a shade cheaper though no less satisfying.
In the south-east, the Royal Blackheath Golf Club positions itself as the oldest in the world, which might be why playing eighteen holes as a visitor requires a small trust fund, at £60 during summer. Moving farther west, the Central London Golf Centre is a no-nonsense ‘pay-and-play’ establishment offering nine full-length holes to golfers of all standards for little more than a tenner. The Wimbledon Park Golf Club is another quality members club open to visitors, while nearby Royal Wimbledon Golf Club terms itself a ‘very private’ club—visitors are welcome but will be required to apply in writing, prove handicap and, in all likelihood, undergo some kind of permanently scarring initiation ritual. Access to each of these Wimbledon clubs kicks off at a chokingly high £70 for eighteen holes. You could buy a second-hand Playstation for that. The London Scottish Golf Club on Wimbledon Common is much more like it, in the range of £20-30 a round, though a pillar-box red top is compulsory for all. Out west, Dukes Meadows Golf Club in Chiswick offers nine three-par holes, a driving range and function rooms, all at a reasonable price.
For golfers who really are determined not to leave Zone One, there is one option after all. Urban Golf (Map 10) in Soho and the Urban Golf (Map 15) Smithfield location is the last word in golf simulation, with the chance to play, virtual-style, some of the world’s top courses. It also boasts well-stocked bars and chic lounge areas. You just know the purists will loathe it.
| Sports • Pool & Snooker |
Remember the Levi’s ad in the pool hall? The one which had The Clash’s “Should I Stay Or Should I Go?” as the soundtrack? Yeah, that one. It conjured up a pretty cool image, right? Unfortunately London’s pool halls have not had the retro revamp (is that an oxymoron?) that bowling is currently enjoying (All Star Lanes, Bloomsbury Bowling) so it’s rare to actually find a place where you can stand around looking like James Dean, kissing your teeth, chewing on a tooth pick, and generally inviting any hustler to take you on without like, really being taken on by someone from the Russian/Turkish mafia. We also inextricably link shooting some pool with having a drink or two, but it is often the lesser red and yellow-balled “pub” pool table (funnily enough) rather than the greater spotted (and striped) genuine American pool table which is found within the confines of the few remaining non-chain traditional pubs in London. 19:20 (Map 6) in Clerkenwell has more of a pool hall feel with media types taking their game a little more seriously at the end of the working day. If you do fancy something a little more louche, there are many a pool and snooker hall to be found on the edges of central London which can offer a grittier atmosphere. Efes (Map 86) used to be a bit of a no-go for middle-class hipster kids until the owners realised that they were sitting on a goldmine what with having a long-standing late licence and being slap bang in the middle of the action. Now the place hosts gigs and is a regular fixture for anyone doing a Kingsland crawl. Oh yeah, and has pool tables.
| Sports • Racquet Sports |
Tennis
Ah…the other beautiful game, beloved of park fence jumpers and upper class grunters alike. Like many popular sports, tennis may have originated in Britain, but we’re pretty consistent in our ineptitude at it. This is not for the lack of trying: the country’s capital is packed full of tennis clubs, outdoor park courts and large sports complexes.
Tennis is certainly not as exclusive as it once was, with an hour’s playing a lot cheaper than ten-pin bowling, for example. You can mince about amidst leafy surroundings in Hyde Park (Hyde Park Tennis and Sports Centre, 020 7262 3474), flail in the dark depths of Finsbury Park on a turn-up-and-play basis, or in the luxury of the historic Queens Club (www.queensclub.co.uk, 020 7386 3429 for membership information). Also commendable are the Paddington Sports Club (psclondon.com or 020 7286 8448) in Maida Vale and the courts in Regent’s Park: go to www.tennisintheparks.co.uk for information on, uh, playing tennis in parks. Indicative of the new equalitarian nature of the game are Tennis London International (www.tennislondon.com) who take pride in being ‘the largest gay and lesbian tennis group in the UK.’ But it’s not all democratic: there’s always Wimbledon (www.wimbledon.org, which due to the jaw-dropping ticket prices, still is as exclusive as it’s always been. If you still want to get caught up in the annual tennis frenzy, head to Henman Hill, or Murray Mound, or whatever it’s called these days. Essentially a hill outside Centre Court, here you can sit on the grass and watch the action on video screens with all the other poor proles who don’t have any kidneys left to trade for a ticket.
Squash
Like some weird secret society, squash players spend their time locked indoors, organised into little private clubs and engaged in an activity which will eventually mess them up. Squash is hard—just ask your poor knees. The squash court is a high-octane containment tank swimming in adrenalin, which explains why Londoners have taken to it with such gusto. A court at Sobell Leisure Center (020 7609 2166) in Finsbury Park for example, is near impossible to book at peak times. Be warned—a lot of sports centres don’t have squash facilities, but somewhere like the Oasis Sports Centre (020 7831 1804) in Tottenham Court Road is a church to all things sweaty and squashy…and you can go for an outdoor swim afterwards, too. For a quirkier court try Maiden Lane Youth Club (020 7267 9586)—a community centre in a housing estate, which has one beat-up court for an hourly fee. If there isn’t a yoga class in progress, that is.
Badminton/Table Tennis
They may be worlds apart in many ways, but badminton and table tennis are usually offered in the same place, and both are ‘genteel’ sports in which it is almost acceptable to be beaten by the opposite sex (whichever sex you are). Badminton is especially popular across the board, with almost all sizeable sports centres offering courts and equipment. However, if you’ve any experience in attempting to book a court at most public sports complexes you’ll know of the often depressing amount of phone wrangling and frustration that arises from these exchanges. Chief perpetrator is Kings Hall Leisure Centre (020 8985 2158) in Lower Clapton, who will test your patience to inhumane limits. The Brixton Recreation Centre (020 7095 5100) caters to badminton and squash players but always sound like they can’t wait to get you off the phone; their rates are £6.25-£8.50 for badminton, which is pretty competitive. The Sobell Centre, as mentioned above, also caters for table tennis (doesn’t “ping pong” sound nicer?) and badminton. The best strategy is to phone your local centre to ascertain which racquet sports they cater for and then prepare yourself to be either double-booked, misinformed or given a free session depending on the ability of the desk assistant!
| Sports • Yoga |
Overview
As the nascent city of ‘Londinium’ was being named by the Romans in AD 43, in Asia the practice of yoga was entering its third or fourth millennium. Nineteen hundred years on, at last it found its way out west, and London’s yoga establishments have flourished ever since. Essentially, the capital’s schools can be divided into those concerned primarily with physical fitness—often the larger institutions offering a range of styles—and those with a more spiritual bent. Of the former, Go Yoga in Shepherd’s Bush is a fine example, offering yoga and pilates for adults and kids alike, while the popular Triyoga centres in Primrose Hill and Covent Garden are one-stop holistic shops for the upwardly mobile set. More specialised centres include Bikram Yoga College of India in Kentish Town, and its partner Bikram Yoga City—bring water and a towel for hard wearing, specially heated sessions—and the Iyengar Yoga Institute in Maida Vale, which offers a free introductory class. Special mention also goes to Fulham Yogashala, a newish venture offering all sorts including, unnervingly, ‘power yoga’. Still, entering the peaceful surroundings of Yogashala is, according to one client, like getting a hug. Those more spiritual schools include the wonderful Sivanada Yoga Centre, an oasis of serenity in the midst of Putney boasting resident yogi teachers, and the Satyananda Yoga Centre in Clapham with its deep focus on yoga-meditation techniques. Shanti Sadam, out west, is also more concerned with inner stillness than downward dogs. And hidden away in Archway, the Kriya Centre runs a series of kundalini yoga classes in humble but hospitable surroundings—Ohm tastic!
| Sports • Sports Leagues |
There’s nothing quite like an obesity epidemic to make a city sporty. We’re constantly being told that we’re swelling to huge new levels. The message is worrying: buck up fatties, or you won’t even fit into your own coffin. Unlike the majority of celebrations that take place in the capital, the 2012 Olympic Games didn’t leave us dry mouthed and heaving on the floor with a national hangover. Instead the summer games littered our fair city with a legacy of leading sports venues, and lower-level sport has benefited the most with increased involvement citywide. London’s sizeable ethnic communities have also brought weird and wonderful games with them (American Football? In London? They keep threatening…). Dozens of leagues, in dozens of sports, gather every evening to try and beat the bulge.
General Tips
A good starting point is the Gumtree website (www.gumtree.com). Their sports and community section is full of ads trying to fills gaps in sports teams. And as it was started by born-to-sweat Aussies, it never lets up in sheer quantity of athletic opportunities. The local press is also a decent bet. All London boroughs have their own newspapers, who cover amateur sports with as much enthusiasm as the professionals. You may never make it in the big leagues, but at least you can be a hero in Camden. But one area where London struggles is with the concept of pick-up games. Perhaps it’s part of our reserved nature, but it’s unusual to just rock up at a park and challenge whoever’s there. By all means try, but you may get rebuked by a stiff upper lip.
Football
Sunday league football in London used to have a reputation of being rough. For many years it was the preserve of hungover builders, who wanted ninety minutes letting off steam by kicking people around. But it’s moved on slightly from those days, with a more general acceptance of skill and less emphasis placed on pain. The spiritual home of recreational football is Hackney Marshes. The East London site has a whopping 80-plus pitches—so many leagues and teams play there that it’s worth just turning up and asking around. If you draw a blank there, then the FA website (www.thefa.com) has a club locator search. Regardless of where you live, you’ll get a mammoth list of clubs. The hardest part of finding a team in London is narrowing down who it is you want to play for. Five-a-side football is also booming in London. In the city centre, where space is at a premium, it’s often the only way of getting in a game. Powerleague (www.powerleague.co.uk) organise leagues around the capital, though these can be pricey. A cheaper option is to head to a leisure centre with a five-a-side pitch. They often run leagues and are less profit-driven than the private companies. Lists of leisure centres can be found on specific borough’s website (such as Islington’s www.islington.gov.uk).
Rugby
Don’t mind drinking pints of your team-mates’ urine? Enjoy a good eye-gouging? Then you must be a rugby fan! The Rugby in London website (www.rugbyinlondon.co.uk) is a Bible for lovers of casual violence, as it lists hundreds of clubs, contact details and even training venues and times. Female fans of egg chasing are also well represented. Most teams play around Southwest London, though there’s a few more dotted around the city. A full list is on the RFU Women’s website (www.rfuwlonse.co.uk). If you don’t fancy the full-on ear-biting code of the sport there’s a flourishing touch rugby scene in London. In this form of the game tackling is represented by tagging your opponent. It’s an altogether less bloody type of rugby, although you’re still allowed to indulge in the booze-fuelled rituals that the contact players enjoy. In2Touch (www.in2touch.com) lists a few of these leagues.
Cricket
As a sport that takes up plenty of space, you have to head to the leafier parts of London such as Hampstead, Putney, and Dulwich to find cricket clubs at play. But with more green space than any other London borough, Hackney has embraced the gentleman’s game, and the thwack of leather on willow can oft be heard on London Fields during the summer months where the North East London Cricket League (nelcl.leaguerepublic.com) has established itself. Victoria Park also has a Community Cricket League (www.vpccl.co.uk). The Play-Cricket website (www.play-cricket.com) has a full rundown on London clubs
Athletics and the London Marathon
Every spring, London’s runners dust down their gorilla costumes and tackle the London Marathon. If you feel up to it then you have to plan ahead; places are limited and dished out via a ballot. If you need a helping hand in the run up to the race, consider a jogging and/or roadrunning club associated with British Athletics (www.britishathletics.org.uk): as well as getting you in shape, so you don’t die after 20 miles, they can help you get a spot in the starting line-up. And if you catch the bug of competitive athletics, there are six clubs who compete in the London Inter Club Challenge (see London Athletcis at www.londonathletics.org).
Miscellaneous
For fans of all things Irish, there’s the London Gaelic Sports Association (www.londongaa.org); American footballers can get their fix with the British American Football League (www.britishamericanfootball.org); and if tight shorts and sleeveless shirts are your thing there’s the British Aussie Rules Association (www.aflengland.org; or you could just join the navy).