If you end up visiting the UK, one of the coolest things to do is check out a football match. In England alone, there are hundreds of teams so no matter where you go you are likely to be able to catch a game.

Lucky for us we both are partial to London where there are over 40 clubs to choose from! All of those choices can be a bit overwhelming so we did the research and narrowed it down to the eight best London football teams to check out!

How Does British Football Work?

There are multiple leagues to choose from when it comes to British Football, or as the Americans call it, soccer. The top division is the Premier League (or EPL) which consists of 20 teams.

The next division below that is called the Championship and that league has 24 teams. Then below that division are Leagues One and Two with 23 and 24 teams respectively.

At the end of every season, some teams from each division get promoted, meaning they move up from the Championship to the Premier League for instance. Some teams from each division also get relegated (they move down from one division to the next). This gives incentives for teams to play better and work their way up from the lower leagues to the top.

It makes for more competition which Philip (and the world) believes makes for some great soccer. If the teams move up, they get a chance to make more money.

Why Did We Pick These Teams?

For the purposes of this list, we are not including a lot of the smaller clubs in the leagues below League One. They are still very interesting and if you have the time you should definitely check them out.

The reason we didn't include many of those smaller clubs is simply that you probably won't have enough time. You would have to be in London for years to watch every single team play.

Our motto with traveling is time for adventure and time for relaxation. We are focusing on the bigger draws so you get the most bang for your buck while traveling without packing in too much.

· London Travel Photos to Inspire Your Next Getaway ·

Top London Football Teams

Stunning New Stadiums, Top Football Teams

Arsenal - Emirates Stadium

Arsenal has been a huge club for many years so they have a great pedigree and are one of the biggest EPL clubs in London. The stadium itself is the fourth largest in Britain with a capacity of over 60,000 people.

The Emirates, as it is often called, is located in the Holloway region of London. The easiest way to get there is by using the tube and getting off at the Arsenal station which is on the Picadilly Line.

Chelsea - Stamford Bridge

Chelsea has been one of the main powerhouses in England for the last 20 years. They are constantly winning and they boast the best home record ever in English Football so you are (almost) guaranteed to see a home win if you travel here.

Stamford Bridge looks imposing from the outside but inside it can actually feel very homey. They have plans to redevelop the ground at some point but, for now, the atmosphere is very electric. Even when they do end up expanding, we think this will still be one of the best places to watch London football teams play.

You have several options to get to Stamford Bridge. Taking the tube to Fulham Broadway on the district line or taking the overground train to West Brompton or Imperial Wharf will get you a short 10-15 minute walk away.

Tottenham Hotspur - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur is often thought of as the "little" big club among the London England soccer teams. It is, however, growing in stature, making it to the champions league final in 2019 and finishing within the top four multiple times in the last 5 years. They just moved to a new stadium called Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which is one of the largest in England.

The stadium itself is more of a modern stadium with a large area between the fans and the pitch but because of its sheer size, it is still a great experience. The stadium is located in Tottenham in North London and can be accessed from White Hart Lane or Northumberland Park Stations.

Before going to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium make sure you know your plan to get into and out of the stadium. It might be because it is new and they don't have all the kinks out yet but we have heard getting in and out of the stadium can be difficult.

West Ham United - London Stadium

The second biggest premier league stadium in England, the London Stadium was originally built for the Olympics. After a lengthy process, West Ham United are now the primary tenant and play all their home games here.

West Ham is a smaller London team that has enjoyed a long-term run in the Premier League. They aren't going to challenge for the title but most years they are an average team (mid-table is what they would be considered in England) and exciting to watch at home.

Watching a football match in London Stadium does have its drawbacks as there is a large track around the pitch so spectators can feel far away from the action. This is somewhat normal for America but not the norm in Britain. If you are looking for something unique, especially with EPL clubs in London, this is the place to go.

West Ham and the London Stadium are both located in Stratford, London on the East end of London. To get to the stadium, getting off at Stratford Station is the way to go as there are lots of trains both overground and underground that pass through here.

Old Stadiums, Smaller Clubs, Great Atmosphere

Crystal Palace - Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace has been in the Premier League for years but they aren't a team you would think of when thinking of London area football clubs. They have called Selhurst Park their stadium since 1924 and the ground is a very intimate experience to watch a soccer game (i.e. you are right on top of the action).

Even though they have renovated it multiple times over the years, the stadium is still on the smaller side when compared to the bigger Premier League stadiums. That has no bearing on the crowd as their fans can be some of the most enthusiastic in England.

Selhurst Park is south of London in the suburb of Selhurst. You can access it from a number of different train routes and it is a short 10-15 minute walk from Selhurst, Thornton Heath, and Norwood Junction stations.

Brentford - Brentford Community Stadium

Brentford is a wonderful club that had a long string of bad luck when it came to cup finals and promotion. In 2020 they lost in the championship playoff final but they returned the next year and now are a proud member of the "EPL clubs in London" group!

They are a very small club with a wonderful new stadium that opened in 2020 named the Brentford Community Stadium. They have kept the same vibe as their original stadium (Griffin Park) with packed, wild games every weekend.

Both stadiums are in Brentford which is in West London. Brentford has a long-standing rivalry with other west London teams like Fulham and Queens Park Rangers and you can actually visit all three stadiums at the same time.

If you are traveling to Brentford, the closest underground station is South Ealing on the Picadilly Line. When you leave the station you have a wonderful walk through old London Neighborhoods with tons of photo opportunities.

Fulham - Craven Cottage

This is actually the only football ground we have visited (yet) in London. We went to a Fulham game when they were still in the championship (the division right below the premier league in English football) but it was still a big game environment.

The stadium itself is right on the River Thames with the Riverside stand being on the riverside so at halftime, you can grab a cup of tea and enjoy the view. Inside the ground, there really isn't a bad view as this is a smaller stadium with only about 20,000 seats. That makes it perfect for a game as you could go to many games here and always have a great view and a great seat.

The Putney Bridge tube station is nearest to here or there is the Hammersmith tube station to hop on and off the London Underground before or after the game. We walked through the nearby neighborhood and Fulham area all the way from Westminster which was quite a hike but definitely worth it to explore London

Leyton Orient - Brisbane Road

Leyton Orient is the smallest club on our list but we still think it might be worth a visit. It is located in Leyton which is a little north of Stratford and Northeast of the city center of London. Leyton Orient plays in League two currently which is the fourth division of English football (we know, it's a confusing system at times).

Brisbane Road is a small ground with less than 10,000 capacity but those small stadiums oftentimes give the best views and the best experience as you are surrounded by locals who live and die with their team every single week. Brisbane Road is actually very close to West Ham and Tottenham so they are dwarfed by their local rivals. They even looked at moving out of Brisbane Road and into the Olympic Stadium nearby but ultimately stayed at Brisbane Road.

If you are looking for a smaller ground to visit, while still getting the London feel for football clubs, Leyton Orient is a great bet. Because of the size of the ground though, you should make sure you plan ahead and get your Leyton Orient Tickets early.

You can access it easily through the Leyton stop on the London Tube. If you are looking for more adventure, you can very easily visit Olympic Park and Hackney Marshes, two great outdoor spaces nearby.

Other Great London Football Experiences

There are so many other places to see great football in London that we weren't able to fit on our list. Charlton Athletic, Millwall, Queens Park Rangers, and AFC Wimbledon are just a few of the great stadiums and teams we have heard about when it comes to the London football scene.

If there are any that we missed and we HAVE to see when we visit London next, let us know!

Visiting London Football Games While on Vacation

London Football Games are such a big part of the culture it's hard to travel there without attending at least one. With so many teams to choose from, you can easily find something that fits into your plans.

During our London vacation, we got to see so much of the city while walking to the stadium. Then once inside we felt like true Londoners as the guys next to us offered us swigs from their flasks and taught us all of the chants.

There's an atmosphere that's unreplaceable in the London football world. If you want the true London tourist experience then do yourself a favor and cheer on a football team.

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