Tag: Football

13Apr By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Calendars

Football 2024 calendar: Euros, Premier League and Champions League

In this guide we focus on the key dates on the 2024 football calendar. Major events this year include the men's Uefa Champions League final at Wembley Stadium in London, the Uefa European Championship in Germany, and the Copa América in the United States. We also take a look at the season schedules for the Premier League, English Football League and the various finals in the UK and Europe. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter English Premier League 2023-2024 Featuring a total 380 matches, the 2023-2024 English Premier League season will kick off on Friday 11 August with newly-promoted Burnley hosting champions Manchester City. There will be a mid-season break between 13-20 January 2024 and the final day will be on Sunday 19 May 2024. Premier League 2023-2024 key dates 1...

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25Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Editor's Pick, Events

‘The Messi Experience’ to kick off world tour in Miami

Lionel Messi’s glittering footballing career will be the subject of a first-of-its-kind interactive multimedia experience launching in April 2024. Kicking off its world tour in Miami, Florida, “The Messi Experience: A Dream Come True” will take football fans on a journey starting with his early years in Rosario, Argentina, his arrival and career at FC Barcelona in Spain, to lifting the 2022 Fifa World Cup with Argentina in Qatar.  Created by Primo Entertainment and Moment Factory, “The Messi Experience” will transform The Hangar at Regatta Harbour in Miami's Coconut Grove into an interactive fan attraction. Visitors will be immersed in ten physical and digital experiences right alongside the football legend like never before, both on and off the field.  The 2023 ...

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10Sep By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Stadiums & Venues

Premier League football club stadium tours, museums and experiences

The 2023-2024 English Premier League season is nearing its conclusion, with teams battling for the title and European spots or trying to avoid relegation. Once again, Manchester City came into a campaign as the reigning champions, while Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton Town were promoted up from the Championship.   In this guide we highlight the fan experiences, stadium tours, museums and days out that football supporters can enjoy at Premier League clubs across England. At the end of the article we also look at stadium helicopter tours across the UK, plus what to see and do at the "home of English football", Wembley Stadium in London.  Editor’s note: Sports Tourism News works with a number of affiliate partners, including Red Letter Days, Buy A Gift, and Headout. Products a...

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29Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Stadiums & Venues

Inter Miami and Messi’s new home: Miami Freedom Park stadium to open in 2025 

There’s big things happening on and off the pitch at Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise Inter Miami CF. As well as star signing Lionel Messi banging in the goals and the team winning the 2023 MLS Leagues Cup, the MLS club co-owned by David Beckham has announced that construction has now started on its new 25,000-seater stadium.  The Miami Freedom Park & Soccer Village, located near Miami International Airport, will be a 131-acre mixed-use development featuring the football-specific stadium, a public park and entertainment district. Scheduled to open in 2025, the timeline “aligns with the last year” of Messi’s current Inter Miami contract, which he signed in mid-July, MLS.com said.  Alongside football and athletic fields and a 58-acre public park, which will be the lar...

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25May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel

Football attractions: Tottenham Experience Dare Skywalk

The award-winning Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London offers one of the finest spectator experiences in the world of sport and entertainment. Home to English Premier League club, Tottenham Hotspur, it incorporates a fully-retractable football pitch, becoming the first purpose-built ground for the NFL in Europe. With a capacity of 62,850, the stadium has created a major landmark for both Tottenham and London featuring visitor attractions including the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Tour, Dare Skywalk and Dare Skywalk Edge. A star-studded line-up of summer acts – including Beyoncé, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Wizkid – are set to perform at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in summer 2023. This year there will be two NFL London Games held at Tottenham. Buffalo Bills face the Jacksonvil...

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11May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Business

EFL 2023-2024 season: key dates for leagues, cups and play-off finals

Key dates for supporter’s diaries have been released by the English Football League (EFL) ahead of the 2023-2024 season. Fixture release day kicks things off on Thursday 22 June, with all 72 EFL clubs releasing their 2023-2024 schedules from 9am (BST). The opening round of league fixtures will take place across the opening weekend of 4-6 August with round one of the Carabao Cup following shortly after, week commencing 7 August. Wembley Stadium will play host to the 2024 Carabao Cup Final on Sunday 25 February, in what will be the first of five showpiece finals in the EFL calendar, with the 2024 EFL Trophy Final taking place on Sunday 7 April. The season-ending Sky Bet EFL play-offs will once again be staged at Wembley, this time across two weekends in May 2024. The League One ...

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10May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Hotels & Resorts, Sports Travel

Sports hotel in focus: Hotel Football, Manchester 

If you’re a fan of the beautiful game, especially one who supports Manchester United, then a stay at Hotel Football should be on your Manchester sports travel bucket list.  Located next to Man Utd’s Old Trafford stadium at 99 Sir Matt Busby Way, the hotel was opened in 2015 by United legends and “Class of 92” icons Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Ryan Giggs.  Described by The Telegraph as a “United fan’s dream venue”, Hotel Football offers some of the best views of the “Theatre of Dreams”. This might just be the most unique football hotel in the world right now.  Rooms and suites  Part of Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio, Hotel Football offers a total of 133 rooms with options including king rooms, stadium view rooms, squad rooms, and Class of 92...

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30Apr By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

England, Events, Sports Travel

Football hospitality ticket packages with Travelzoo

Travelzoo UK has released its hospitality packages for English Premier League and Uefa Champions League football matches in May 2023. The packages, which are offered by Travel Connection, may include a premium seat and lounge access, food, complimentary drinks, and a match program. See the fixtures below for details and prices or Travelzoo’s Premier League hospitality page at travelzoo.com Manchester City vs. West Ham What: English Premier League When: Wednesday 3 May 2023Where: Etihad Stadium, Manchester Price: from £67How to book: travelzoo.com Liverpool vs. Fulham What: English Premier LeagueWhen: Wednesday 3 May 2023Where: Anfield, LiverpoolPrice: from £200How to book: travelzoo.com Tottenham Hotspur vs. Crystal Palace What: English Premier LeagueWhen: Satu...

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1Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

England, Events, London, Sports Travel, Stadiums & Venues

Watching the Lionesses win at Wembley: ‘the best atmosphere I’ve ever experienced’

In this blog post, Sports Tourism Media co-editor Mike Starling looks back on a glorious day out at Wembley Stadium for the Uefa Women’s Euro final between England and Germany... Just before she scored her winning goal, England hero Chloe Kelly looked towards us in the stands and urged the fans to roar the Lionesses on for the last minutes of the Uefa Women’s Euro final.  There was 110 minutes on the clock and seconds later Lauren Hemp swung in a corner which, after a goalmouth scramble, found Kelly who toe poked the ball home from close range. It may have been scrappy, but like Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick strike in 1966 and Gazza’s stunner against Scotland in 1996, Kelly’s Wembley goal is one that will go down in English football folklore. The forward’s now-iconic “taking-her-s...

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30Jun By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Holidays & Trips, Hotels & Resorts, Sports Travel

Ikos Resorts and Football Escapes extend partnership for 2022

Ikos Resorts's collaboration with Football Escapes will be available to guests at Ikos Olivia in Halkidiki, Greece and Ikos Andalusia in Spain in 2022. Five week-long programmes will be coached by former professional football players. Following a successful season at Ikos Andalusia in 2021, Football Escapes has confirmed world-class coaching sessions at Ikos Olivia from 1-5 August 2022 with Anton Ferdinand, and 22-26 August 2022 with Steve Sidwell and football freestyler Billy Wingrove. Those travelling to Ikos Andalusia this summer can look forward to two special summer courses; 25-29 July 2022 with Joe Cole and Bobby Zamora, and 15-19 August 2022 with Robbie Keane and Bobby Zamora. Open to boys and girls aged five to 15-years-old, each player will get two hours of daily coaching a...

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31May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

England, Holidays & Trips, Sports Travel, Stadiums & Venues

Review: National Football Museum in Manchester

One of the UK’s most popular sporting attractions is the National Football Museum in Manchester, England. This is definitely one turnstile worth passing through, for both lovers of the beautiful game and those who just love sport.  Located in Manchester’s city centre, within the modernist “Urbis” building, visitors will find four floors of permanent and temporary exhibitions, dedicated to the birthplace of the modern game. Sports Tourism Media were lucky to have a tour of one of the world's best sports museums, here’s what co-editor Ramy James Salameh had to say… What can you see at the National Football Museum? The museum showcases 2,500 items of memorabilia taking the visitor from the earliest origins of the game through to the present day. It also strives to reflect ...

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15Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Business

Premier League and EFL confirm 2022-2023 schedule to accommodate World Cup

The English Premier League (EPL) has announced the dates for its 2022-2023 season to accommodate the Fifa World Cup in Qatar which takes place in the middle of the domestic calendar. According to a news release, the EPL confirmed that the 2022-2023 season will start on 6 August 2022 and the final round of matches will be played on 28 May 2023, when all games will kick off simultaneously as usual. With the World Cup being held for the first time in the northern hemisphere’s winter months this means domestic leagues will take a break while the tournament is on.  Match round 16 of the EPL (12-13 November) will be the last set of fixtures played ahead of the call-up period for the tournament beginning on Monday 14 November. The EPL will then resume on Boxing Day (26 December) fo...

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11Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel

Christmas gifts for football fans: classic shirts, stadium tours and more

Give a great Christmas present to the footy fan in your life. From shirts to stadium tours, we have picked out some fantastic Christmas gifts for football fans.  See our other gift guides... Christmas gifts for sports fansChristmas gifts for golf fansChristmas gift guide: sports travel books Football stadium tours  Do you know someone with a passion for sport who has always dreamed about experiencing some of the most famous sporting stadiums in the world? Then treat the sports fan in your life to a stadium tour of a famous sporting venue. Stadium tour options include: Wembley, Old Trafford, Anfield, Stamford Bridge, Emirates Stadium, St James’ Park, Etihad Stadium and the London Stadium. From £10; redletterdays.co.uk Retro and classic football shirts ...

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10Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

Man City and DreamSetGo announce regional partnership for India

Manchester City has announced a new regional partnership with India-based sports travel and experiences platform DreamSetGo. The partnership will see DreamSetGo become City’s official football hospitality experiences partner in India.  Founded in 2019 by Monish Shah, DreamSetGo curates premium, end-to-end, authentic sports travel packages across football, cricket, tennis, motorsport, golf among other sports. DreamSetGo is a part of Dream Sports, India’s leading sports technology company. Building on City’s growing presence within the region, the partnership will utilise DreamSetGo’s expertise and knowledge to exclusively provide fans in India with bespoke, tailored travel and matchday hospitality experiences at the Etihad Stadium from the new year. The partnership will also pro...

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29Oct By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

Football tourism: a £1.4bn economic impact for the UK

VisitBritain research has revealed the importance of football in driving inbound tourism to the UK and in boosting visitor spending. The tourism body’s Football Tourism in the UK report published on 20 October found that overseas visitors who went to a football match spent £1.4bn across the UK in total during their trip in 2019, up 84% on the £742m spent in 2011 when the research was last conducted. There were 1.5 million visits to the UK in 2019 that included watching a live football match, up 66% compared to 2011 when there were 909,000 visits. Visitors who attended a football match also spent more and stayed longer, spending £909 per visit on average, 31% more than the global visitor average of £696 in 2019, and staying ten nights compared to seven. It is not just leisure visi...

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21Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

Football with no fans: study reveals effect of empty stadiums during the Covid-19 pandemic

With the 2021-2022 English Premier League season kicking off with crowds of fans cheering on their teams, new research has revealed the hugely negative effect of playing professional football games in empty stadiums last season, with home advantage almost halved. Home advantage describes the benefit a sports team playing at their own venue is said to enjoy over the visiting team. This could be attributed to the effect of fans on the players or referee; playing in familiar surroundings and the effects of travel on the visiting team. The new study, by researchers at Northumbria University and the University of Leeds, used the unique opportunity presented by the Covid-19 pandemic to test whether home advantage applies when fans are not present in the stands. The researchers found th...

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5Jun By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events

2021 Florida Cup: Arsenal, Inter, Everton and Millonarios FC to play in July tournament

English Premier League clubs Arsenal and Everton will take their pre-season preparations Stateside by competing in the 2021 Florida Cup. Taking place on 25 July and 28 July at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, the tournament will see the English sides joined by Italy’s Inter Milan and Colombia’s Millonarios FC.  The first night of action on Sunday 25 July will see reigning Serie A champions Inter take on Arsenal and in the other match Everton face Millonarios FC in the semi-finals. The two winners will then meet for the Florida Cup title on Wednesday 28 July with the remaining two clubs facing off in the third-fourth placed game the same night.  How to buy Florida Cup tickets  Single-day tickets for either date include both contests and start at $44 plus taxes ...

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1Jun By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Guides, Sports Travel

An in-depth guide to… Uefa Euro 2020

An in-depth guide to... EURO 2020 Delayed for 12 months because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 16th edition of Uefa’s European Championship will be held in the summer of 2021. Still marketed as Euro 2020, the tournament will see 51 matches played in 11 host cities across Europe. The Stadio Olimpico in Rome will host the opening match on 11 June - a group A clash between Turkey and Italy. London’s Wembley Stadium will host both semi-finals on 6 and 7 July and also the Euro 2020 final on Sunday 11 July.Portugal go into the tournament as the defending champions and for British football fans a highlight will be the group D game between England and Scotland at Wembley on Friday 18 June.Here we look at the groups, fixtures and host venues (all times BST). ...

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23Mar By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Stadiums & Venues

LaLiga and Rafa Nadal Academy sign three-year collaboration deal

Spanish football’s LaLiga and the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar have signed a collaboration agreement to share experience and knowledge and mutually reinforce the reputation of both brands nationally and internationally. The alliance, which covers the next three years, will see the football and tennis organisations offer two-way support and launch a series of joint projects and initiatives. Javier Tebas, LaLiga president, said: “Our alliance with the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar represents another step forward in our bid to expand the world of sport. Rafa and his team will help to promote the values that are fundamental to us and to give even greater visibility to the LaLiga brand.” Men’s tennis world No.3 Rafa Nadal added: “Since we opened the Academy in 2016, we’ve grown consis...

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17Feb By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Stadiums & Venues

LaLiga Exhibition: Spanish football to be showcased on world tour

LaLiga will later this year launch LaLiga Exhibition - an interactive and immersive experience showcasing Spanish football’s top division and its clubs.  The exhibition will travel around the world, beginning in Latin America in the second half of 2021. The launch marks the next step in LaLiga’s commitment to support its clubs in their international expansion and to bring the competition closer to fans. Fans will have access to two experiential areas at LaLiga Exhibition. The first is a free access area, with no time limits, where they can enjoy a range of different games plus a hospitality area. The second is a closed tour, with specific time slots for each group of visitors, where they can experience the clubs’ changing rooms, the tunnel leading to the pitch, the pressroom and int...

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