If you’re planning to attend a football match, you have a big day ahead of you. It’s also likely to be a fairly long day. A football match consists of two 45-minute halves with a 15-minute halftime. Between that and potential extra time in the event of a tie – plus travel time to and from the grounds – you’re likely to be out of the house for most of the day. So, you’d better prepare yourself by making sure that you’ve brought everything you could possibly need.
How can you tell what you should bring to a football game? Mostly, it comes down to making sure that you’re prepared for unexpected events like a sudden downpour or a need for an emergency ride home. There are some things that can potentially be great enhancements to the experience of watching a match, though, and you’ll want to consider bringing those as well.
So, what are the most important things to bring to a football match? In this article, we’ll give you 5 suggestions.
Money
We don’t need to remind you to bring your phone when you’re out and about; chances are that your phone is always by your side anyway. Given the rise in mobile payments over the past few years, it’s possible that you actually use your phone in lieu of cash when paying for most items. Some stadiums have even gone completely cashless in order to reduce wait times and eliminate long lines.
Even if you’re planning to pay for refreshments and souvenirs with your phone, though, it’s still a good idea to bring at least a little cash when you attend a football match. You never know when you might need an emergency ride home, and some taxi services only accept cash. If you’re nervous about the possibility of being pickpocketed and don’t want to carry your wallet, stash some money in a concealed location such as inside a sock.
Protection from the Elements
Britain’s weather conditions are notoriously fickle. It’s possible to experience a wide range of weather during the same day – so if you’re trying to plan what you should bring to a football match, it’s a good idea to plan for both rain and sunshine. Since you’re going to be outdoors for at least a couple of hours, you should wear sunscreen. It’s also a good idea to bring a hat and a pair of sunglasses to shield your eyes from glare in case it’s especially sunny. Don’t forget that it rains more than 160 days per year in the UK, so you should carry an emergency poncho in your bag or pocket in case there’s a sudden downpour.
Vapes
Are you a nicotine user? Many football grounds have designated areas where you can smoke or vape – so if you do happen to be a vaper, you’ll want to bring one or two vapes to the match if the stadium allows it. Don’t forget to read the stadium’s rules carefully before attending, though – while many grounds do have areas where vaping and smoking are allowed, there are some stadiums that are entirely smoke and vapour free. If vapes aren’t allowed at the stadium, you’ll probably want to bring an alternative nicotine product such as nicotine pouches.
Don’t forget that even if the stadium does have an area for smoking and vaping, it doesn’t mean that you can vape wherever you like. No football stadium allows fans to vape in their seats, and vaping is so popular in the UK that everyone knows what it looks like. Don’t try to “stealth vape” in your seat. You’ll end up getting caught, reprimanded and embarrassed. You could even get kicked out of the stadium.
Portable Radio
Have you ever considered the possibility of listening to the radio broadcast of a football match whilst watching the game in person? If you haven’t, try looking around the next time you’re at a match. You’ll see plenty of people wearing headphones or earbuds. There are several reasons why listening to the radio broadcast while you’re at a game can enhance the experience. If you’re far enough from the action, it might be hard to get a clear view of what’s happening. Even if you’re close, the action can sometimes be so fast and furious that it’s a little difficult to follow. If you listen to the radio play by play during the match, you’ll never feel lost – so consider bringing a portable radio.
You might say that you can just stream the broadcast with your phone, and that’s certainly true. It’s likely that you’ll have a more enjoyable experience with a standalone radio, though, because you’ll probably want to use your phone to take pictures and record video clips during the game and don’t want the battery to die. Also, it might be difficult to stream a radio broadcast reliably during a game due to network congestion. With thousands of other people all using their phones to access the Internet at the same time, the broadcast might stutter and pause frequently for buffering.
Refreshments
Concessions at major football matches can be extremely expensive. One of the best things about being a Liverpool fan is that Anfield has the second-cheapest pints in the Premier League at £3.30. That’s significantly cheaper than the average cost of £5.02. Still, it’s a good idea to check the stadium’s policy on outside food and drinks before attending any football match. Although you certainly won’t be allowed to bring alcohol, some facilities will allow fans to bring bottled water and bags of snacks. If you’re allowed to do so, you definitely should bring refreshments because you’ll end up saving a lot of money if you do. With the money you save, you could buy a few extra souvenirs. You could also just spend it on extra beer. We’re certainly not here to judge – and if you happen to have a few too many, that’s exactly what the extra cash is for.
