Most people travelling to Europe might try to see a football match or two.

Not me.

For this trip, I challenged myself to answer a ridiculous question:

How many football matches could I realistically watch in a single weekend?

After comparing fixtures across several countries and leagues, one destination quickly stood out: London.

With multiple Premier League clubs, Championship clubs, and one of the world’s best public transit systems, it seemed like the perfect place to attempt the challenge.

Or so I thought.

The Challenge

Matches: 5

Days: 2

Cities: London

Leagues: Premier League (4), Championship (1)

Distance Travelled: 54km

Rain-Soaked Bike Rides: 1

Taxi Fares I Immediately Regretted: 1

Stress Level: 10

September 21: Arrival

I arrived in London on September 21 and made my way to The Barmy Badgers Backpackers Hostel.

Knowing the next two days would be packed, I grabbed some food, checked my route plans one last time, and headed to bed early.

Tomorrow would be ambitious.

Lesson #1: London’s Public Transit Is Amazing… Until It Isn’t

Before arriving, I assumed London’s famous transit system would make getting between stadiums easy.

For most trips, that assumption would be correct.

For a challenge involving multiple matches in a single day, however, even a small delay can completely derail your plans.

As I would soon discover.

Match 1: Fulham vs Watford

Craven Cottage | 1:30 PM Kickoff

Ticket Price: $117 CAD

Purchased through: ViaGoGo

Section: Putney End

My football weekend began at Craven Cottage, home of Fulham FC.

The walk to the stadium along the Thames is one of the most unique approaches in English football. Instead of concrete and parking lots, you’re surrounded by riverside paths, parks, and supporters making their way toward the ground.

You may also recognize Craven Cottage from Ted Lasso, where it was used for filming an AFC Richmond match against Everton. I’m still not entirely sure how Craven Cottage was supposed to pass for Goodison Park, but I appreciated the crossover.

Walking up to Craven Cottage felt like taking a walk through history. The turnstiles, the wooden façade, and the riverside setting made the whole moment feel special. The atmosphere was light and peaceful. It didn’t necessarily feel like I was walking up to a Premier League match. It felt more like a relaxed stroll along the river that just happened to end at a historic football ground.

I was seated near the away section and immediately noticed the travelling Watford support.

I wouldn’t have expected Watford to have massive travelling support, but even in a relatively small away section, they were excellent. There was friendly but loud banter back and forth between the Watford faithful and the Fulham supporters, which gave the match a bit of bite without ever feeling hostile.

During the match, I ended up sitting with a lovely group of blokes, one of whom was a journalist. Once he heard about my ridiculous five-match weekend plan, he even did a small interview with me about it.

Goals from Mitrović and Gray led to a 1-1 draw.

The match itself was enjoyable, but I wasn’t sticking around.

The clock was already ticking toward Match #2.

Match 2: Crystal Palace vs Newcastle

Selhurst Park | 4:00 PM Kickoff

Ticket price: $71

Purchased through: Twicket – Crystal Palace Membership required

Section: Arthur Wait End

This is where things started to go wrong.

The Fulham match finished around 3:20 PM.

Kickoff at Selhurst Park was at 4:00 PM.

Plenty of time, right?

Wrong.

It was pouring rain.

Bus cancellations started piling up.

Traffic was worse than expected.

I hopped on one bus that got me halfway there before discovering the next connection wasn’t arriving anytime soon.

With kickoff rapidly approaching, I needed another solution.

Thankfully, I found a Santander bike rental.

Soaking wet but determined, I jumped on the bike and rode approximately five miles toward Selhurst Park.

Unfortunately, I had overlooked one small detail.

I had absolutely no idea where I was supposed to return the bike.

Not wanting to lose my deposit, I frantically searched for a drop-off point before eventually giving up and doing a full lap around the stadium and surrounding streets.

At this point, I was soaked, stressed, and looking rather sorry for myself.

Eventually, I stumbled into a small convenience store.

Surely the locals would know where I could return the bike.

My optimism was quickly crushed when the attendant informed me that the nearest Santander docking station was back toward central London—a good few miles away from the stadium.

Not exactly ideal.

The curious staff member asked why I had cycled all the way to Selhurst Park, and after hearing about my ridiculous plan to attend five football matches in a single weekend, they either became inspired by my story or felt a tremendous amount of pity for me.

To this day, I’m still not entirely sure which.

Thankfully, they graciously offered to keep the bike locked away in their garage area while I attended the match.

I was still being charged by the minute, but at least I didn’t have to worry about cycling back across London or risking the bike being stolen.

With the bike safely tucked away, I sprinted toward the stadium.

I finally arrived shortly after kickoff.

And honestly?

The effort was worth it.

Selhurst Park was absolutely rocking.

The atmosphere was relentless from the first whistle to the last despite the match ending in a 0-0 draw.

As I hurried into the ground, I caught the tail end of “Glad All Over.” At that moment, I was certainly glad to be under cover, out of the rain, and finally watching football instead of worrying about public transit.

One chant that particularly stood out was:

“When I was a young boy, my father said to me,
Listen here my son, you’re CPFC.
Here we are, you’ll know us by our noise,
The Pride of South London, the famous Palace boys.”

The contrast with Craven Cottage couldn’t have been greater.

Fulham had felt relaxed and historic.

Selhurst Park felt intense.

The Eagles supporters made sure the travelling Magpies had no moment of peace, creating constant noise and pressure throughout the match.

Even though the game ended scoreless, it remains one of the best atmospheres I’ve experienced in England – and one I have made a pilgrimage back to so I could experience it with my wife!

Match 3: QPR vs Norwich City

Loftus Road | 5:30 PM Kickoff

Ticket Price: $63

Purchased via: QPR box office online – no membership required

Section: Ellerslie Gold Stand

My final match of the day was a Championship fixture between QPR and Norwich City.

Unfortunately, this was another schedule I’d cut far too close.

Had I planned things differently, I probably would have skipped Crystal Palace altogether and given myself a much more relaxed journey across London.

Instead, I retrieved my bike, scrambled across the city, and eventually hailed a taxi van willing to transport both me and the bike.

The bill?

Nearly £100.

A painful lesson in football logistics.

Thankfully, I made it through the turnstiles only about 15 minutes after kickoff.

And what a seat it was.

I had somehow managed to secure a row-one seat right on the halfway line, for almost half the price of the ticket to the Fulham or Crystal Palace match. That experience is enough to strongly consider adding lower league games to your travel plans!

After the chaos of the afternoon, finally sitting down felt like a victory in itself.

Not long after arriving, I watched Finnish striker Teemu Pukki find the back of the net for Norwich.

Sitting pitchside was incredible.

It was my first experience being that close to the action, and it completely changed how I viewed the game. Television doesn’t do justice to the pace, physicality, and communication between players.

Every tackle felt louder.

Every sprint looked faster.

Every pass seemed sharper.

One of the unexpected highlights was seeing players who would go on to have successful Premier League careers. The match featured current Arsenal star Eberechi Eze, then playing for QPR, highly touted Norwich prospect Todd Cantwell, and the seemingly ageless Tim Krul between the sticks for the Canaries.

I was also fortunate enough to be seated beside some incredibly friendly QPR supporters. After hearing about my football marathon, they encouraged me to take plenty of photos and even helped me get a few pictures of myself enjoying the match from the front row.

It’s a small interaction, but it’s one of the things I love most about football travel. Complete strangers can become part of the story simply because you share a love of the game.

By the time the final whistle blew, I was exhausted.

Soaked.

Hungry.

And significantly poorer than when the day had begun.

But after three matches in a single day, I couldn’t stop smiling.

I slowly made my way back to the hostel and collapsed into bed, knowing there were still two more matches to come the following day.

September 23

Thankfully, Day Two would be far more civilized.

The weather was better.

The schedule was less aggressive.

And I had learned a few lessons.

Match 4: West Ham vs Chelsea

London Stadium

Ticket Price: $141

Purchased via: West Ham United Box Office – Membership Required

Section: East Stand

The day started at London Stadium for West Ham versus Chelsea.

Before the match, I spent some time exploring the area and learning more about the club’s history.

The mighty London Stadium certainly makes an impression from the outside. With nearly £1 billion spent on construction and redevelopment, the scale of the place is impossible to ignore.

I thoroughly enjoyed wandering around the stadium before kickoff. There was plenty of West Ham history on display, along with memorabilia, stories from the club’s past, and tributes to some of the Hammers’ greatest moments.

After getting my fill of club history and putting myself into a proper West Ham mindset, I finally made my way to my seat.

Unfortunately, that’s when my enthusiasm took a bit of a hit.

The London Stadium was originally built for the Olympics, and it shows. The stands are long and shallow, there’s still a track surrounding the pitch, and from my seat in the second tier I felt miles away from the action.

After experiencing the intimacy of Craven Cottage, Selhurst Park, and Loftus Road the day before, the contrast was striking.

One of the highlights, however, was joining thousands of supporters in singing “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles.”

Even if you’re not a West Ham supporter, it’s one of those football traditions that gives you goosebumps.

In fact, I’ve caught myself humming the tune years later whenever I see a kid blowing bubbles in a park or on the street.

Unfortunately, the match itself did little to improve the mood.

Another 0-0 draw.

At this point, I was beginning to wonder if goals had simply been banned for the weekend.

The atmosphere felt surprisingly pessimistic throughout the match. Several local supporters told me they weren’t particularly fond of the stadium themselves, and combined with the club’s poor run of form at the time, there was a noticeable sense of frustration in the crowd.

Grumbles and groans often replaced chants.

Ironically, the most exciting moment of the afternoon wasn’t on the pitch at all—it was a heated argument between a couple of supporters a few rows in front of me.

The travelling Chelsea supporters (can they really be called travelling supporters when they’re practically neighbours?) did their best to inject some energy into the occasion, but even they couldn’t put a positive spin on a match that never truly came to life.

It wasn’t my favourite match of the weekend.

But in a strange way, that’s part of what made the trip memorable.

Not every football experience is perfect, and sometimes seeing the frustrations, flaws, and realities of a club can be just as interesting as witnessing it at its best.

Match 5: Arsenal vs Everton

Emirates Stadium

Ticket Price: $120

Purchased through: StubHub

Section: North Stand Upper

The final match of the challenge took place at the Emirates Stadium.

As a Liverpool supporter, there are very few occasions where watching Everton lose doesn’t bring a smile to my face.

This happened to be one of them.

Arsenal comfortably handled the Toffees with goals from Lacazette and Aubameyang.

I was thoroughly impressed with the Emirates.

Walking up to the stadium, you immediately get a sense of its scale. It’s a massive ground, steeped in history, tradition, and a passionate supporter base.

One thing I particularly enjoyed was the walk from the tube station to the stadium. The roads had been closed to vehicle traffic and were instead filled with supporters making their way toward the ground.

The atmosphere felt like a football festival.

Fans spilled out of pubs and cafés along the route, many already several pints into their afternoon. Every establishment seemed packed to the brim with supporters enjoying pre-match drinks and discussing the game ahead.

It was impossible not to get swept up in the excitement.

Overall, I thought the atmosphere was excellent.

While it wasn’t quite as loud or intense as Selhurst Park (few stadiums are), it more than made up for it with character and enthusiasm.

The Everton supporters also put on a respectable showing from the opposite end of the stadium, although they understandably became much quieter in the second half after watching their side squander several opportunities before finally conceding a quick succession of goals.

As the match wore on, I found myself reflecting on the previous day.

The frantic bike ride through the rain.

The bus cancellations.

The convenience store owner who rescued my challenge.

The £100 taxi fare.

The sprint through turnstiles.

The soaking wet clothes.

The countless miles travelled across London.

And somehow, despite all of it, I had actually pulled it off.

When the final whistle blew, I had done it.

Five football matches.

Four Premier League games.

One Championship match.

All within roughly 28 hours.

For a football fan, it was a ridiculous challenge.

For a football traveller, it was an unforgettable weekend.

What I’d Do Differently Today

Looking back, I would change a few things.

I’d build more buffer time between matches.

I’d spend more time exploring the areas around each stadium.

And I’d probably reduce the challenge to three or four matches instead of five.

The goal of football travel isn’t simply to collect stadiums.

It’s to experience football culture.

The pubs.

The neighbourhoods.

The supporters.

The traditions.

Sometimes slowing down actually allows you to experience more.

Weekend Awards

Best Atmosphere: Crystal Palace
Best Stadium: Craven Cottage
Best Value: QPR
Most Stressful Moment: The Santander Bike Incident
Best Fan Interaction: The Convenience Store Owner
Most Disappointing Match: West Ham vs Chelsea

Final Thoughts

Would I do it again?

Absolutely.

Would I recommend it?

Not exactly.

Five matches in 28 hours gave me an unforgettable story and some incredible memories.

But some of my favourite football experiences have come from slowing down, having a pint before kickoff, talking to local supporters, and spending time around a stadium instead of sprinting to the next one.

You can do a lot in a football weekend.

But sometimes it’s better to see less and experience more.