How to Purchase England Tickets For the FIFA World Cup Finals in South Africa 2010

England Football fans have always had problems following their national team, not least being the ability to obtain tickets to major tournaments like the FIFA Football World Cup. With a regular hundred thousand travelling soccer fans and the global popularity of the English Premier League, tickets to all England's games in World Cup Final Tournaments are always grossly oversubscribed, with demand at the last 2006 games in Germany exceeding supply by a factor of 20 with over 20 million requests from around the world on the official FIFA website, for just 750,000 available tickets. The tournament in June 2010 in South Africa will be no different and the demand for tickets for England matches will be exaggerated by the large number of English ex-pats that live and work in the Republic.

So how do England fans get tickets to see their team in South Africa this summer? Fortunately for this World Cup there are various alternative methods and means of obtaining tickets, however most of these come at a premium.

If you wish to purchase England World Cup tickets at face value, then there are two official channels; FIFA the tournament organising body and the English Football Association, known as the FA.

The first port of call for fans should be the official world cup ticket website at FIFA.com. You need to register on the site and confirm your identity before being guided through the ticketing application process where you can submit your request for England tickets. You can apply for a maximum of four tickets, for all seven England matches, which assumes they will reach the finals. You will need to supply valid passport details and hold a credit card. You can apply for tickets in categories one, two or three, which once you have applied, your name will then be entered into a lottery and if successful, you will be informed by email at the end of each draw. The tickets will only be available for collection at FIFA offices in South Africa, from April 2010 onwards, to deter people from buying tickets, with no intentions of travelling. The last FIFA lottery sales phases begins on Feb 9 and this will be followed by a first come, first served basis sales in April.

The second method of obtaining England World Cup Tickets at face value is to apply through the English FA official England Football Supporters Club. You will need to register an England fan and pay the annual membership fee. The FA has a limited World Cup ticket allocation, has preferential ticketing arrangement for long term members and is usually way over-subscribed. However, it is worth joining because the supporters club provide valuable assistance to members when travelling abroad and is often the source of last minute returned tickets.

The third way of getting to see England in South Africa is to purchase a tour package through an official FIFA backed tour operator. There are four official England Travel Agents partners for the 2010 World Cup; Keith Prowse, Thompson Sports Holidays, Thomas Cook, and BAC Sport. All offer a variety of travel and ticket packages, from single England match trips against USA, Algeria and Slovenia at around three to four thousand pounds per trip; to a four day trip to the World Cup Final starting from around six thousand five hundred pounds for the experience. However despite the tour operators insistence that they do not make a profit on England tickets, it is often much cheaper to buy the equivalent travel and accommodation services and World Cup Tickets yourself.

Another source of England World Cup tickets, often the very best seats in the Stadia, is from Corporate Hospitality. FIFA have announced that the full allocation of 308,000 seats has been reserved for corporate hospitality. However expect to pay a hefty premium for these services with hospitality starting from approximately double the price of tour packages for England games.

The final method of obtaining England World Cup tickets is to purchase online through a reseller, where tickets will be exchanged at four or five times face value. Due to the distribution methods employed by the organisers, a majority of England tickets will eventually find their way to these Internet resale sites, especially from football authorities around the world, individual touts or hospitality ticket sellers who have a surplus. You can guarantee that if you see two thirds of the stadium at an England World Cup game filled with England fans, that the majority would have obtained their tickets through an Internet reseller. eBay should be avoided as many scammers operate there, as should websites that operate in the UK where it is illegal to resale World Cup tickets that you do not possess. If you apply through these you run a serious risk of not receiving your tickets.

The safest way to buy England Tickets online is to purchase them from an established reseller. Check out on the Internet how long the reseller has been in business and if they are experienced in selling Football World Cup Tickets [http://www.footballworldcuptickets.com]. Certain World Cup ticket companies such as the USA based Razorgator, operate offices at all the venues and source England tickets exclusively from FIFA official sources, guaranteeing delivery and authenticity.

World Cup Soccer Tickets

Are you too planning a sports vacation to Africa to watch the Soccer World Cup? Take need, almost every soccer fan worldwide is doing exactly the same. The popularity of the game and the rush for tickets cannot be expressed in words. Therefore, it is best to plan your vacation and procure the tickets as soon as possible. Are you pondering over how and where to get your tickets from? The Internet can answer all your questions.

Limited Tickets, Limitless Craze: 2010 World Cup Soccer Tickets

A total of 3 million 2010 World Cup Soccer tickets will be available. One third of the seats will be reserved for the local South African fans, a third for international fans and one-third for the sponsors, teams and the FIFA family. More than 700,000 ticket applications from 160 countries are said to have already hit the market. The craze for the tickets of this iconic game and particularly to the 2010 World Cup needs no further emphasis.

Not only buying soccer tickets but also finding and booking an accommodation near to the game venue has become very easy online. The fastest way of purchasing soccer tickets is via the Internet. Otherwise you have to visit the venue or a ticket agency. In most cases, matches that are as popular are sold out within a few hours. However, if you go online, you are sure to find tickets at the click of the button. Most sites even allow you to choose your own seats. You can also enjoy the benefits of an online discount.

2010 World Cup Soccer Tickets and Rental Properties

Many reputed ticket booking platforms offer information about vacation rental properties near the sports venue. Avid sports travellers need not spoil their holiday mood by looking for affordable accommodations. However, it is vital that you check out tickets and accommodation properties on the right kind of website and not get caught up in fraudulent purchases.

Make sure that the website caters to a wide range of sport fans and has a good inventory of accommodation properties. It should have a secure payment gateway and mentions a customer service number at which you can call and confirm. Also look for discounts and testimonials from satisfied customers. You can contact them online to get a first-person account of the quality of service offered by the website.

One such website that ensures all the above-mentioned features and has a large inventory of World Cup Soccer and accommodation properties is http://www.sportsstay.com.

Barcelona Football Match Tickets

Barcelona FC play their home games at a magnificent stadium in the centre of the city and one of the biggest tourist attractions when visiting Barcelona is going to their famous Camp Nou home ground.

This world famous football stadium has seen many great matches over the years and most of the world's greatest football players at one time or another. It has also played host to the final stages of major competitions. The Camp Nou or Noucamp stadium can hold up to one hundred thousand spectators and is truly one of the world's great sports arenas.

With Ronaldinho and Thierry Henry in the crop of current stars but luminaries such as Johann Cruyff glittering through the past the old place really has seen it all down the decades. The worlds best players have played in some all time great matches on the turf of the Nou Camp.

So - you might ask - how do you get a ticket for a Barcelona match if you are visiting the city?

You've got several options but do remember that the team have been in superb form since 2005 and it is not always easy to get a seat for match day when they are playing this well - good play and good results tend to bring old closet fans out of the woodwork. Getting a Barcelona FC ticket also depends on what time of year you plan to go. Some tickets are always available direct at Camp Nou stadium, or you can book them by phone and theoretically online. Football tickets can also be purchased through the serviCaxi ticket buying service. If you are not a club member of Barcelona FC (equivalent to a season ticket holder in the UK) then you need to buy your tickets by phone or online at least 15 days before the match. Their is an internet booking service but it has a reputation for unreliability at times.

Tickets for a match can cost anything from 30 euros to 120 euros with the price depending on where you sit and on how big the match is. On match days there are ticket touts all around the stadium and to be fair, most of these people are usually members who have a spare ticket. But be careful of rip offs and conmen with forged tickets. If they claim to be a member with a spare seat then get them to take you into the stadium with them and don't hand over your cash until you are sitting comfortably in your seat.

Some games are simply impossible to get tickets for - for example: if you are thinking of gong to see Barcelona vs. real Madrid, then don't bother unless you have very large amounts of spare cash on hand. Major matches like this are pretty much impossible to get tickets for this game as it is the biggest game of the year for both of these clubs.

Taking in a match and seeing Barcelona F.C play at Camp Nou is certainly something that you should do if you are a football fan - it's sure to be an unforgettable experience.

On non match days you can also buy a ticket for a tour around the stadium where you just might have the chance to meet one of the super stars from the team and pay a visit to the trophy room and dressing rooms.

Gary Hill is a travel journalist from Scotland. He has spent much of his life in Spain and currently lives in an apartment in Barcelona. You can read many of his articles about vacations in Europe online or in travel magazines.