10 Ways to see the 2013 Championships

 

Getting Wimbledon tickets is not generally a task for the faint hearted. You have to really want them and to go to serious lengths to secure them.

For most big events including other Grand Slams like the Australian Open or the US Open it’s generally possible to go online or ring the ticket office – and provided you do so in good time, you should succeed for a sensible price. But to buy tickets requires a combination of research skills, patience, singleminded determination and luck. And of course money.

For the “show courts” Centre Court, Court 1 or Court 2, a ticket through the gate will only qualify you to watch matches on the outside courts, with no guarantee of a seat and large queues at every point. You run the risk of seeing the back of a lot of other people’s heads rather than any serious tennis.

1. The Ballot

   One of the cheapest options is to go in for the Ballot run by All England Lawn Tennis Club. Even getting into that is quite laborious.

   You write with a stamped addressed envelope and ask them to send you a ballot application form. Then you have to fill it in. This must be done after the end of August and before the end of December. Send your stamped addressed enveloped to:

   AELTC, P.O. BOX 98
   London SW19 5AE

   There are dire warnings all over the Ballot Paper that you can only enter this once, or you will be blacklisted forever. There are instructions/threats that any failure to follow the rules will disqualify you.

   You will know sometime in February whether you have successfully secured your chance of tickets. Your chances are around 1 in 10. That means you have a 90% chance of not being successful. But even if you succeed in the ballot you may still be disappointed. You may only get an individual ticket. Your hopes of seeing Andy Murray versus Roger Federer on Centre Court may be fade as you may only get into Court Number 2 on the second Saturday, where the only thing on offer may be an over 45s Mixed Doubles or a Junior boys game.

   You are not allowed to indicate a preference of which day or Court you want. All is in the gift of the All England Club.

   But beware, if you can’t go for any reason, you will not be allowed to sell these tickets and they will not even let you give them away. They are not transferable, if you can’t go, you have to send them back. And if you are caught trying to sell them on eBay, they will void the ticket. Likewise, if you buy a Ballot ticket on eBay, there is a danger that this will be voided.

   More information can be found on the Official Wimbledon Ballot Page.

2. LTA Ballot

   You can choose to join the Lawn Tennis Association. As a non-affiliated member, it costs £25 but you have to join by a certain date. Then you can be entered into their ballot and you may get a 1 in 5 chance. But you have to join before November 30th to qualify for the ballot.

   If you actually play tennis, you should a join a tennis Club. Many tennis clubs get allocations of tickets and they will also have their own ballots and provided these are fair and transparent you might win that. Provided the Officers of the Club haven’t fixed things in advance, you are in with a chance. But each club will only have a handful.

3. Become a Player or Umpire or Steward

   If you haven’t got what it takes to qualify for Wimbledon, then you might get to know somebody that has, or there are various officials, such Umpires, even Honorary Stewards who have worked their way into the system to get free tickets.

   But don’t bother to get a low paid job selling strawberries or being a driver for Wimbledon. It might get you through the gate but it won’t get you in to Centre Court unless you are very lucky.

4. Become a celebrity or know somebody in the Royal Family

   Wimbledon has the Royal Box which has 74 seats. President Clinton, Princess Diana, Cliff Richard and Jack Nicholson have been seen there in the past. The Queen herself is not a huge fan, and the last time she appeared was in 2010 after 33 years of absence.

   The young Royals, especially Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, love sport and in particular cheering on Andy Murray from their vantage point in the Royal box. Effortless style often accompanies these outings and no matter the outcome of the tennis, you can be sure the headlines will be littered with the fashion choices of these Royal celebrities for days after.

   When the tennis isn’t very exciting, the people in the Royal Box become the main attraction. On one occasion when it poured with rain for the whole day, Cliff Richard was invited to perform to Centre Court together with various female tennis stars including Martina Navratilova. Now Centre Court has a roof, this is unlikely to reoccur.

5. Become a Member of the AELTC

   The things to understand about the All England Lawn Tennis Club that runs the Wimbledon Championships, is that it is just that, a Tennis Club, which happens to run a rather successful tournament. So just join the Tennis Club.

   There are 375 members in all plus 100 temporary Members elected each year. If you have been good enough to win Wimbledon you can be invited to become a Member. Otherwise election to Membership appears to be a complex process of receiving lots of nominations and having a great deal of money for your subs. And even then, that just gives you the right to buy two tickets for every day. If you find out how to become a Member, please let us know.

6. Become a Debenture Holder

   If you don’t know the right people to become a Member, but are prepared to invest some money, become a Wimbledon Debenture Holder. Buying Debentures is like buying shares, except much more difficult. You sign a cheque for about £50,000 for Centre Court Debentures, or £20,000 for Court number 1, send it to Wimbledon and if you are very, very lucky you will make it through that particular ballot, and will entitled to a pair of seats each day for five years of tournament. Issues of Debentures only happen every 5 years, so you have to be well informed or be prepared to buy them at a substantial premium at other times.

7. Buy Debenture Tickets

   Alternatively you can buy Wimbledon Debenture tickets from a Debenture Holder. Many of the sites that sell Wimbledon tickets are selling Debenture seats. They are the only ones that can be transferred and sold on.

   At Wimbledon Debenture Holders we have created an organisation of Debenture Holders who are selling their tickets via the site to people who want to go, rather than selling them on to agents. You will also have access to the Debenture Lounges where you will have the opportunity to spend even more money on very pleasant food and drink.

8. Queue up

   Queuing is a glorious British tradition. I have friends who enjoy the Wimbledon Queue more than the tennis itself. They do it every single year. They make lifelong friends, share food and drink and war stories, and often spend day several days and nights queuing. If you have the time and the inclination, you can get in this way. There are only a handful available each day for the show courts. Be prepared to invest in sleeping bags, camping equipment, sun hats and warm clothes. Enjoy!

9. Corporate entertainment

   Various large companies and tickets agencies have special allocations for corporate hospitality. So if you are for instance an important customer of a corporate giant, make sure you drop some serious hints about how much you would love to go to Wimbledon and watch the tennis. Not only will you get to go, but you will be wined and dined throughout the day. There is a snag with this. Some of the hospitality tents can be quite far from the action, and if you actually enjoy watching tennis, you may have to watch it on a tiny small screen in the hospitality tent. If you have ever wondered when you watch Wimbledon on TV, why there are so many empty seats, their occupants are often to be found drinking champagne a mile or two away.

10. Buy from a Tout

    Touts are not allowed to ply their trade close to the grounds of the Club. They get arrested or moved on by the police. They are to be found near the Underground stations. What they offer is very expensive and very risky. There is a chance that the tickets are not valid or not what they say they are. Be VERY careful. It’s generally a bad idea.

So there it is. If there are any other ways you know of getting Wimbledon tickets, please tell us, or you may prefer to keep the knowledge to yourself. Is it worth it? Of course it is. See you in June!