Want to surprise my husband for his 50th

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Hello all - I have ventured into the UK forum in the hopes of getting some ideas and help from folks originally from Manchester and surrounding area.

My husband turns 50 in about 2 yrs and what I'm hoping to do is take him on a trip to England (I like to plan ahead)...the highlight will be heading to Manchester to see his favourite team (sorry it's not Man city ). He is a dyed in the wool life-long soccer player. has coached and reffed and now enjoys yelling (I mean cheering....) on the weekend at every Fox soccer channal match he can fit it

Presumably we'll be going mid-fall which I think is when the soccer season starts if I am correct? I need to know a couple things....

i) In Old Trafford - where do the cool kids sit? North stand, South stand, East , West ? Do the visiting team's fans usually sit in certain areas? We'll want to be with the diehard Man U fans of course

ii) Can you name a few places to stay while there? Perhaps relatively close to the stadium...I don't have a clue what the area surrounding the stadium is like. Bed and Breakfasts would be nice...no big chain hotels, we'd like to enjoy the local sites and enjoy any other interesting places in the area

Point me to a website or anything helpful...I appreciate any and all comments!

Not to be dense...but how far a drive to or from London is Manchester? Looking at the map, it looks like a bit of a drive. Being Canadian, I have a serious love of anything to do with the monarchy and if I could fit in some sight seeing in London, perhaps a look at Buckingham Palace...I would be a happy camper

Thanks

[Boiler 45,525]

Surrey would be a better bet than Manchester.

Football not Soccer

Autumn not Fall

You only get tickets for the away end through the away club.

Getting any tickets will be interesting, not something you can be choosy about.

Travel depends, by car probably 3 hours on a good day.

http://www.manutd.com/

Edited March 3, 2010 by Boiler

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Surrey would be a better bet than Manchester.

Football not Soccer

Autumn not Fall

You only get tickets for the away end through the away club.

Getting any tickets will be interesting, not something you can be choosy about.

Travel depends, by car probably 3 hours on a good day.

http://www.manutd.com/

Thanks for the Surrey tip, not sure I'll be able to convince my husband ...yes, yes..I know football, not soccer! Cdns use Autumn and Fall interchangeably but I shall try and improve .

When do tickets for the season go on sale?

[Boiler 45,525]

I have only been to ManUre as an away supporter.

My assumption is that they have a limited number of tickets available to Supporter Club members through a ballot. I am sure it will be on their web site.

Fixtures for next season will be announced August I think. I do not know how far ahead you can buy, usually it is a month or so.

[mamaSue 38]

Surrey would be a better bet than Manchester.

Football not Soccer

Autumn not Fall

You only get tickets for the away end through the away club.

Getting any tickets will be interesting, not something you can be choosy about.

Travel depends, by car probably 3 hours on a good day.

http://www.manutd.com/

Why Surrey???

[SunDrop 59]

Why Surrey???

LOL, I'm technically in Surrey (in the southern most London borough) and wondered the same thing.

No clue about football matches except that Man Utd. is possibly the most popular club in the country and tickets are like gold dust, especially for home games. As an example, as soon as die-hard fans find out the missus is expecting, they put the baby down for a season ticket. I don't know about these days, but for Newcastle Utd about 10 years ago, a newborn on the waiting list could expect to get their season ticket by the time they were 25 You might fare better by going to see Man Utd at an away game, but I understand it's also about the stadium. Something about sitting surrounded by several thousand of 'your people'...

As for travelling to London, your best bet would be to take the train down and spending the night. You won't need a car once there since the public transport network is as extensive as any tourist needs. There are plenty of fast trains, you won't need to navigate the London traffic and won't have to deal with the M6, which is a miserable motorway. Takes about 3 hours and I believe Virgin Trains runs that service. You can see times and prices on www.thetrainline.co.uk Prices will go up, but you'll get an idea for when the more expensive fares are.

For the monarchy, definitely go to the Tower of London. The crown jewels are really impressive, the amount of history is almost overwhelming and the Beefeaters are extremely informative and entertaining. You can easily spend a whole day there. If the weather's nice, start in Trafalgar Square, walk under Admiralty Arch and down The Mall to Buckingham Palace.

Don't forget that 2012 is Olympic year for England. Expect plane fares, accommodation etc to be much more expensive.

[Think~Pink 0]

As the others have mentioned, you will be really lucky to get a ticket for a Man U match. It is mostly season ticket holders who take the vast majority of seats and season tickets are extremely hard to get...they are usually handed down through the family.

After season ticket holders, club members get next priority on tickets, then if there are any left, they will be put on general sale. It's really difficult, (and expensive), to get tickets...especially for a home match, you just have to be lucky.

Unfortunately, gone are the days where you could go down on a Saturday and queue up outside, pay a fiver and see a match.

You can check the ticket news on the MUFC website for any tickets on general sale:

http://www.manutd.imgdigital.org/default.s...;categoryid=208

There is a list of FAQ's about tickets on their website too, it may help you )

There is a tour you can take around Old Trafford, which takes you through the stadium, media room, changing rooms and down the tunnel to pitch side...you might want to consider that...it's pretty interesting and for a Man U fan it's a must do.

I *think* the away fans are in the East stand, but don't quote me on that.

There is some stuff to do nearby....Salford Quays has the Lowry theatre, shopping mall, (although it's an outlet mall and quite small), cinema within the mall, Imperial war museum and you can catch a tram or drive into Manchester city centre which is really close.

Places to stay..not sure, but you can try Trip Advisor for bed and breakfast places...use Old Trafford as your search and see what it brings up.

There are a few hotels not too far...on Salford Quays, Holiday Inn express, Copthorne hotel, Premier inn and a really basic and cheap place called the Etap hotel. You can find reviews of all of these on Trip Advisor too.

Salford Quays, although really nice, was developed right next to one of the more, for want of a better word, deprived neighbourhoods, so you may want to bear that in mind although it has greatly improved.

London is about a 4 hour drive from Manchester...I have done it myself and hated every minute.

You can get some quite cheap tickets on Virgin trains if you travel off peak, and that takes 2 hours approx.

Some handy websites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salford_Quays

http://www.lowryoutletmall.com/

www.tripadvisor.com

Hope that helps a little.

BTW...if you love the monarchy, then the tour around Buckingham Palace is a must see....it's amazing )

Edited March 4, 2010 by Think~Pink

[*julez* 124]

Can't help on the footy tickets, but from everything I've heard from my husband, what you're being told about tickets being impossible to get it correct. Might help if you have a friend there who is willing to try to get them for you. Thats what we do when we go see the Wolves.

Definitely take the train to London. We always just leave the car at the train station. Much easier, faster & cheaper. A car in London is a nightmare!

As far as sightseeing, I would also recommend visiting Westminster Abbey. Its a fascinating place. Also, try to catch Buckingham Palace on a day when there is a changing of the guard - they don't do that everyday, but you can check the website for days & times.

Have fun!

[h1a1 5]

Not to be dense...but how far a drive to or from London is Manchester? Looking at the map, it looks like a bit of a drive. Being Canadian, I have a serious love of anything to do with the monarchy and if I could fit in some sight seeing in London, perhaps a look at Buckingham Palace...I would be a happy camper

Thanks

Take a train to London. Don't drive there. As has already been mentioned to you it takes around 2 hours by train and off-peak isn't that expensive. Leave after 9:30am for off-peak from Manchester. You should be able to visit quite a few attractions in a day.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

aren't there organized packages for American tourists to "go and see your favorite team"? I don't know anything about them or remember the name of the firm, but they always advertise on Fox Soccer Channel.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Thanks all - and rats on the fact that I didn't consider it would be 2012 and just after the olympics, I'm sure prices will be jacked still as it will be the most popular tourist destination that year.

If I had my druthers, I'd stay in London for a good chunk of time....My royalty interest really started at 11 when Lady Diana stepped into the spotlight and hasn't faded since.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

here's a link that might be worth checking out:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/3970745/The-Socc...ches-In-England

[Boiler 45,525]

here's a link that might be worth checking out:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/3970745/The-Socc...ches-In-England

Good link

Written a couple of years ago, presumably why they have included Newcastle...

My Club uses the London Supporters Club for International supporters, I am sure they all vary. I am no 13...

My experiance is that the Supporters Club has been useful for away tickets rather than home. Usually I can blag a season ticket from someone who can not makle it.

On general matters. Get a UK SIM for your mobile.

Underground tickets, I have the card, just top up if needed.

Wi Fi. Tesco's or whatever to get a dongle. I have a 3 one and a T Mobile PAYG.

You have to be very careful on Train Tickets. For games I go with the London Supporter Club, prices vary enormously.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

aren't there organized packages for American tourists to "go and see your favorite team"? I don't know anything about them or remember the name of the firm, but they always advertise on Fox Soccer Channel.

Good one - they do have packages on the website which include hotel and a couple nice things as well as a ticket to a game....little pricey, but when I considered everything included, wasn't too bad.