How to Get Final Tickets for the Carling Cup

Find tickets through the participating teams. Official ticket sales for the Carling Cup Final are handled through the teams' outlets. Each team is allocated a certain number of tickets to make available to their fans. The tickets are typically distributed via a hierarchical membership scheme. Fans join their clubs as members at different levels of privilege. Those members with the highest rank, often called gold status, will generally get the first opportunity to purchase tickets. With time, the sale opens to lower-ranking members and eventually to the general public if tickets remain. The team will typically send members advanced notice about ticket sales. Tickets can be purchased through the team Web site and often at the ticket office as well. Additionally, a team's season-ticket holders may be automatically entitled to one or more Carling Cup Final tickets. Note that a ticket purchased through a club's outlet will likely be for a seat in that team's supporters' end of the pitch.

Consult Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster UK is usually allocated some tickets to the Carling Cup Final. This allocation is typically much smaller than what the participating teams receive, although some clubs also outsource their team allocations to Ticketmaster. Due to high demand and the small allocation, securing Carling Cup Final tickets through this outlet can be time-consuming and frustrating whether purchasing online or over the phone. Since Carling Cup Final tickets tend to sell out quickly, calling Ticketmaster directly ahead of time to confirm the date of sale and availability can help you avoid disappointment.

Check out the secondary ticket market. An additional method of purchasing a Carling Cup Final ticket is through a ticket exchange. These exchanges are usually online forums where ticket holders can sell or trade tickets they cannot use. Participating teams often have their own official fan exchanges, but tickets can often be found at other online auction or exchange sites. Ticket holders may ask for more than face value when bartering in such venues.

Get tickets as part of a package deal. As is the case with any popular sporting event, third party or unauthorized retailers offer tickets and hospitality packages for the Carling Cup Final. Purchasing tickets and packages through such outlets can involve a certain degree of risk. The prices may be very inflated and the tickets could be forgeries. An identity check performed at the stadium gate will likely reveal if a ticket is invalid and the holder will be denied entry. Unauthorized sale of such tickets may be unlawful under U.K. law.

Enter a contest. Tournament sponsor Carling as well as several large U.K. newspapers and radio stations typically have ticket giveaway contests for the Carling Cup Final. While this is no guarantee of securing tickets, entering is usually simple.