Manchester
Top teams: Manchester United and Manchester City
Surely the first candidate you should consider for your UK soccer tour is Manchester, which is a vibrant city in the north of the UK. It is home to two iconic soccer clubs: Manchester City and Manchester United, which are bitter rivals, making a match between the two cities in Manchester a lively experience!To date, Manchester United Football Club, who are based at the Old Trafford Stadium, have won 20 League Titles, 12 FA Cups, four League Cups and 21 FA Community Shields, which is a staggering achievement. Games featuring Manchester United are always a thrilling experience and we highly recommend reserving tickets to a local match as a part of your UK soccer tour – but be sure to book far in advance as matches often sell out.Meanwhile, Manchester City, who call the City of Manchester Stadium their home, was founded in 1880, but only became known as Manchester City Football Club in 1894. Since 2011, the club has won six major titles, including the Premier League in 2012 and 2014.As a part of your soccer-themed vacation to Manchester, you could also take a day trip to the city of Leicester, which is home to the Leicester City Football Club, who famously won the Premier League in 2015/16. The win won the hearts of the nation as they were deemed “underdogs”, having never won the league before in their 132-year history.As well as soccer, Manchester has much more to offer, including unique shopping opportunities at The Trafford Centre, which is a popular mall, as well as cultural activities at the Imperial War Museum North and Manchester Art Gallery.
Liverpool
Top teams: Everton and Liverpool
Liverpool is another excellent choice for a soccer vacation in the UK and is home to two iconic football teams: Everton and Liverpool.Everton Football Club was formed in 1878 and were founding members of The Football League, meaning they have a rich history that you could enjoy on, for example, a stadium tour at Goodison Park. The club have competed in the top division of the Premier League for a record 114 seasons and won the League Championship nine times and the FA Cup five times.Meanwhile, Liverpool FC, who famously has the motto “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, has won five European Cups, three UEFA Cups, three UEFA Super Cups, 18 League titles, seven FA Cups, a record eight League Cups, and 15 FA Community Shields. They play at Anfield, which is the sixth largest stadium in England and has been the home of Liverpool FC since it was born in 1892.As well as tickets to a Liverpool or Everton match, Liverpool has many other activities to enjoy, especially since it was voted the European City of Culture in 2008. The city was the famous home of The Beatles and you can enjoy a Beatles-themed tour to iconic sights, such as Penny Lane, or perhaps stop at the world-famous Cavern Club on Mathew Street, which is famous for its live music events.
London
Top teams: Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur
London is a must-stop on any vacation in the UK and also offers diverse experiences if you want to enjoy a soccer vacation in the city. The three most famous clubs are Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, meaning there are lots of opportunities for soccer matches to enjoy on your vacation in London.Arsenal are based in Highbury in London, which is not far from Kings Cross – the famous train station, where you’ll find Platform 9¾ from the Harry Potter movies. The club is one of the UK most successful clubs and has won 12 FA Cups, 13 League titles, two League Cups, 14 FA Community Shields, one UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and one Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. It was the first club from the south of England to join The Football League in 1893 and so has a rich history to enjoy.Chelsea are one of the UK’s most famous football clubs and has enjoyed great success, winning 21 trophies since 1997. They are based in Fulham in London and were founded in 1905, but since 2003 have been owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, allowing the team to buy some of the world’s top players. In 2016, they were ranked by Forbes magazine as the seventh most valuable football club in the world, at £1.15 billion ($1.66 billion)! Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur, which is affectionately known by locals as Spurs, was founded in 1882 and were the first club in the 20th century to achieve the League and FA Cup Double, winning both competitions in the 1960–61 season. They have a long-standing rivalry with Arsenal and the two teams compete in the North London derby, which makes for a thrilling match to enjoy on your UK soccer tour. There are, of course, many other things to enjoy in London besides football, such as guided tours to see the main attractions, including Big Ben, the Tower, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge and the Houses of Parliament. There are also plenty of shopping opportunities to enjoy on Oxford Street or at the world-famous Harrods or Selfridges.
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