Cheaper To Go Abroad? Comparing The Cost Of Watching Arsenal & Ajax

A lot of people complain about the cost of watching their favourite football team. Clubs such as Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham are known to charge their fans upwards of £50 for a ticket to one of their games, but how does watching a London club such as Arsenal stack up against watching a top team from continental Europe if you live in the UK? Let’s use Ajax Amsterdam as an example.

Gunner cost you

A typical day out watching Arsenal can be expensive. According to a survey conducted late last year by the BBC, the cheapest possible day out at the Emirates Stadium came to £34.30, but that’s if you buy the cheapest ticket available at £21, and they’re rarely available due to the large crowds who come to see Arsenal.

Typically, a ticket to see Arsenal would be around £60 for adults, while extras are usually priced as follows:

• Match day programme: £3
• Tea: £2
• Pie: £3.30
• Travel: if going from northern England, a train ticket would cost around £100, while travel from central London to the Emirates would be around £5 with an Oyster Card.

If you’re travelling to a game with the family or some friends, all that can add up to an eye-watering amount. You can easily spend over £100 just on a match ticket and travel to the game before you even consider food and drink. This might persuade you to look for something a little cheaper like going to watch a game abroad.

Watch the future of football for less

Renowned for being a production line for world-class talents, Ajax are one of Europe’s most famous clubs. Although they play in the Eredivisie, a league which doesn’t have the level of quality seen in the Premier League, it’s more competitive, and crucially, cheaper to watch!

As a league, the Eredivisie tends to charge less for entry than others across Europe. On average, the cheapest tickets in the Dutch top flight are around €20 (£17), while the most expensive are €37 (£32). This statistic alone suggests that a day out at the Amsterdam Arena won’t cost the earth.

The club’s cheapest package, which offers a stadium tour, credits for snacks and the chance to see the game costs €62.50 (just over £50, which is cheaper than the most expensive ticket to see Arsenal).

The cost of going to Amsterdam itself might be a concern, but flights are available for £76 online (source). However, there’s also the cost of staying in a hotel to consider, which might make you wonder whether it’s worth going abroad in the first place unless you’re going to turn it into a short break or long weekend.

Should I stay or should I go?

If you’re a little tired of paying over the odds to watch stodgy English football, it’s worth going abroad. Tickets to watch the likes of Ajax are cheaper, plus you might be experiencing something a new country or city. It’ seriously worth the consideration, especially if you don’t live near to the ground your going to in the UK. However, be prepared to pay for a hotel room if not going back straight after the match and the cost of food and drink can also add up.