Football and tennis in Britain: where to go and what it costs

The two sports people most want to get to work in completely different ways. Football has a price ceiling set by the league itself. Wimbledon has no price at all — it has a queue and a ballot. And playing tennis in London can cost nothing, which almost nobody realises.

Football: £30 is a ceiling, not an average

The Premier League caps away ticket prices at £30. In March 2026 the clubs unanimously agreed to extend that cap for two further seasons. By the end of that period it will have been in place for twelve consecutive seasons.

The practical lesson for anyone wanting a top-flight match cheaply: look at the away end, not the home end. Clubs set home prices themselves and there is no cap there. The away section is capped by the league.

The drawback is obvious: away tickets are sold through the visiting club and usually go to long-standing season ticket holders. But the £30 figure is worth carrying in your head, so that no tout can sell you an away ticket as an "exclusive" at three times the price.

Wimbledon: the 2027 ballot has already closed

The 2027 Championships run from 28 June to 11 July, marking 150 years of the tournament.

The Public Ballot for it opened on Tuesday 1 September 2026 and closed at 23:59 on Monday 14 September 2026. Anyone could apply, including visitors from abroad. Which means that if you are reading this now, the ballot has gone.

Two routes remain. The first is buying in advance through the official hospitality provider, Keith Prowse. The second, and the more interesting one, is The Queue on the day. It includes premium seats on Centre Court and No.1 Court.

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The Queue is not a loophole or a grey-market trick: it is the official alternative to the ballot, described as such by the organisers themselves.

Tennis: play free, every weekend

The Lawn Tennis Association runs free park tennis sessions — free, social sessions every weekend at park courts.

Anyone can sign up: the programme is explicitly open regardless of age, background or ability. No previous experience is required.

The mechanics are simple: find a park court near you through the association's search and book your next session online.

For anyone who has recently arrived, this is probably the most underrated item on the list. Free, weekly, within walking distance, and with people from your own neighbourhood — it is both sport and a way to meet the people who live around you.

What to do now

For football, find out when your club opens away ticket sales and keep the £30 figure in mind.

For Wimbledon in 2027, the ballot is shut, so plan for The Queue and for getting there. And set yourself a reminder for late August 2027: the ballot for the following year opens at the start of September.

As for tennis, you could go this Saturday and pay nothing at all.