Football (soccer) tickets and red tape rigamarole

Soooo, apparently, it's just silly of me to think that one can walk up to the stadium ticket booth, or even call up, and just...  buy a ticket to a match.
I have to declare myself as a fan of one particular team by purchasing at minimum, a 'seasonal club membership card,' by which I get junk mail, junk email, and maybe, if the gods are smiling upon me, a slim chance of obtaining a ticket to a match, at some point?

Is this correct?  Is it really true?
I just wanna go to a decent football match!

I'm a Man City fan; and living in London, I can't really justify becoming a season ticket holder...

Any suggestions?  thoughts?  experiences?  witty remarks?
 

I understand your pain.  It's bit like that to get Chelsea tickets too.

Most larger clubs seem to operate a membership system.  Tickets are first priority to season ticket holders, then go on sale to members.  If game doesn't sell out to members, they will then open it up to 'general' sales (ie, you can call up or visit the box office for tickets).

This means that most of the category A games (like Arsenal, Man U, Liverpool  or the semis/finals of cup games) are generally sold out to season ticket holders/members long before the great unwashed can get hold tickets.  *sigh*

I might get to see one or two games a year and rarely do I get to see one against 'popular' opposition.  The only big name I've seen is AC Milan and that was because it was the first group stages (when then had more than one group stage) in the Champions League.  Even then, the seats were so high up that you got a nose bleed.

I feel your pain.  I am an Arsenal supporter, and I have almost no chance of ever getting season, or for that matter single game tickets to see their matches at Highbury and at their new Emirates Stadium.

I am not sure if it is true, but I have read from other footy websites that supporters of Arsenal who have recently (within the last 6 months) been put on the waiting list may have to wait about 40 years to get season tickets.   

The last time I went to a match at Highbury, I paid a tout £70 for a £35 ticket to see Arsenal play Aston Villa.

bvamin

OH.
MY.
GOD.

Ok then; guess the sport's a bit more popular than I even thought.

Looks like the big screen TV will have to do for awhile.

Well... I have my cap anyway.

ebay 

Thankfully Cheltenham is League 2 so we just walk right up to the booth and buy tickets. 

Good luck getting tickets, Elizabeth K!!!