Football fans fork out big-time for pleasure of supporting their team

Sometimes watching Sky Sports just isn't enough. Another nine months of Premiership matches kicked-off at 3 p.m. last Saturday, marking the beginning of the 2002/03 football season in England and a new calendar of cross-channel travel packages on offer here.

More than 100 people travelled with Treacy Tours and Events to Old Trafford to watch Manchester United's opening match against Premiership newcomers West Bromwich Albion, selling out the travel agents' ticket allocation.

"Interest is rising all the time," says Mr Freddie Grehan, one of the company's directors.

"We would have companies bringing 10 or 20 people over for a match, and football clubs as well would sometimes organise trips." Most of the agent's packages reach capacity.

Liverpool and Manchester United are the two teams with the most support in Ireland.

Treacy Tours and Events' one-night package to their first meeting of the year at the end of November is already sold-out, although there are still places available for the return match in April 2003.

Packages include flights and one night's accommodation at three-star hotels. Prices range from €329 to €439 at Old Trafford, depending on interest in the opposing team, with extra nights available at a rate of €60 per person.

For followers of Scottish football, trips to watch Celtic are usually €349, except for matches against their main rivals, Rangers, where the price of the trip jumps to €469.

Average prices for London clubs Arsenal and Chelsea are slightly higher at either €420 or €469, while four-star accommodation at the Liverpool Moathouse means the package to Anfield costs either €449 or €479, depending on the glamour attached to the fixture. Extra nights will add €70 per person.

For corporate packages to Manchester United home games, Premier Soccer Promotions in Tullamore, Co Offaly, offers two nights bed and breakfast and one evening meal in the four-star Sasha's Hotel in Manchester city centre, plus a pre-match carvery lunch at the Reds Café in Old Trafford.

By coach and ferry, prices range from €349 to €399. For lower-cost packages, boat and coach day-trips are available to Liverpool from Solar Travel for €169. The cost is €149 for children.

A boat and coach package including match hospitality and an overnight stop on the Friday before the match is priced at €259 for Liverpool and €279 for Manchester United, with discounts for children.

The Meath-based agent would "typically send a coach load over", according to Mr Stephen Griffiths, who takes care of football travel at Solar Travel.

Parents will often bring their children on these overseas trips - complete with the latest club strip, full set of football cards and optional David Beckham haircut - to see their heroes in the flesh.

For all football fans, first-hand experience of the match atmosphere in the stadium makes a change from armchair-supporting once in a while.