English
The Eredivisie is comprised of the 18 best professional football clubs in the Netherlands, and features some of the country's biggest teams such as Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven. With 306 games in a Dutch season, there are plenty of football matches to go and see.
Eredivisie Dutch League History
The Eredivisie came to be as a result of an organized charity football match between France and the Dutch national team. Although the 1953 game was initially boycotted by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB), an inspired 2-1 victory led to a growing interest in professional football in the Netherlands.
The 1956/57 Eredivisie season was the first to feature the current league name, and it used the 18 team set up that we are used to today. Many of the teams that played in this season are still there today, such as Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord and the country's oldest club, Sparta Rotterdam.
Average Ticket Prices and Attendance for the Eredivisie
When compared to other European leagues, the Eredivisie is well-balanced when it comes to attendance and pricing. There are three Dutch clubs that have traditionally always had larger fanbases, known are the Dutch ‘big three’: Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord. The average attendance to an Eredivisie game last season was 18,400, which is surprisingly high considering the league's size. Ajax had the largest average attendance last season at 49,000, which brings their stadium close to full capacity.
How to Get Eredivisie Dutch League Tickets
The Eredivisie has always had a strong domestic following, which makes it hard to get to see some of the bigger games. This is especially true for matches involving the big three, (PSV, Ajax, Feyenoord) so if you want to get to a bigger game it is crucial to get your tickets ahead of time. There are several ways to get your Eredivisie tickets, which are explained below:
Directly at the box office
Eredivisie match day tickets are usually released for public sale around a month before the game is supposed to be played. That means you have a limited amount of time before matchday to get your tickets - so act fast! Even then, however, team box offices are known to sell out quickly.
Become a member
Most clubs in the Eredivisie have a club membership that offers members match day tickets ahead of the general public. This is a good option for long-term fans looking to go to many games in a season. However, for the casual fan the additional cost of membership is probably not worth it.
Luxurious hospitality tickets
If you want to experience an Eredivisie match in style, corporate or hospitality tickets are the best way to go. These tickets grant you exclusive access to a box seat as well as a host of complimentary delights, such as a pre-game meal and drinks. This type of ticket does have a few drawbacks, however. There is little atmosphere in the box seat, and it costs a small fortune to get a hospitality ticket. Worst still, they are notoriously difficult to come by.
Ticket Scalpers - Beware!
Dutch Authorities are quite strict on ticket touts, so although they are commonplace at stadiums it is best to avoid them. The tickets are normally fake, and if you are caught with one you could be charged by the police and banned from future football matches.
Official ticket resellers
Ticket reselling has seen a huge rise in popularity over the past few years. By allowing legitimate ticket holders to resell their tickets, people can freely buy and sell tickets without dealing with scalpers. Better yet, prices are generally market value, so you are not paying a fortune to get to the game of your choice. There are many legitimate resellers online, but some of the biggest and best are Viagogo, StubHub and Ticketbis.
