Advice re Wimbledon ground admission please ..

Just mention my name and you'll be okay.

Johnny - for years I've got up early at around 04:00 hrs, driven up to Wimbledon, parked in one of their big car parks at around 06:00 and started queuing, by which time there are usually well over 1000 ahead of me in the queue. (The queue is superbly managed btw and you get your own queue number).

I've ALWAYS got in at Gates Opening/Start of Play time as a result, bought a Ground Pass for the day, and watched play on the outside courts. Never been high enough in the queue for Centre/One/Two seats. I only do this during Week One, or (preferably) Monday of Week 2. Only ever do it on a day when dry weather is forecast all day. This strategy has served me well for 20 years or so.  The parking cost is usually more than the Ground Pass ticket btw.

The problem about doing this (apart from a helluva long day) is that increasingly more and more Wimbledon courts are becoming 'ticket only' with less and less good singles games being watchable by Ground Pass holders. 

Good luck. I'll try and answer any more queries you may have , but the Wimbledon website is usually good.

alun2005    08 Jun 15 17:13 
Johnny - for years I've got up early at around 04:00 hrs, driven up to Wimbledon, parked in one of their big car parks at around 06:00 and started queuing, by which time there are usually well over 1000 ahead of me in the queue. (The queue is superbly managed btw and you get your own queue number).



Can you not just buy a ticket for a show court or something?


I could understand people doing that for a Murray - Federer final but the crappy courts with world number 7000 on

I think if it was the simple matter of buying a ticket, there would not be thousands of people in a queue.

Zazu - if you want to turn up at Wimbledon on the day and buy a ticket for a Show Court, I strongly suggest you camp out overnight with the many people that already do.  A comparatively small number of tickets are available on the day for the Show Courts, and will go to the people at the front of the queue. When I got to the queue last time at around 06:30 hrs, I was over 1500 places behind the front of the queue.

Each to his own.
As an aside, it's an outrageous imposition having that dross on two BBC channels and the news all day.It's not what I pay my licence fee for, while having to subscribe to Sky in order to watch international cricket.

I've had both experiences of Wimbledon -

1) The show court (Lisiki v Sharapova & Murray vs I forget who)

2) The outside courts.

I much preferred number 2. Yes you have to queue a bit but it's actually OK. We got there for 7.30am ish and we were admitted into the grounds shortly before midday. I loved the freedom - you can watch a match for an hour then bugger off to another match.

Court no 1 was OK but you are sat in your seat all day. Gets a bit tiresome.

the other thing is that early in the first week the show courts have the likes of djokovic & federer playing no hopers,you're far more likely to see better match ups on the outside courts.

Thanks guys.

I've read the stuff on Wimbledon site that explained all the rules but no mention of numbers they let in or suggested arrival times for "almost certain" entry.   

Thinking of going on Weds or Thurs of first week,when hopefully plenty of singles matches on all courts.

So,as long as we go along early (first tube in ) we should get into ground no probs.

What are the chances of getting onto the show courts later in the day when people start going home? Do you have to queue for hours again?

Cheers.

You would do better to beat the first tube.....taxi....then you will beat all those people

2 beats

I've been to major football matches, Open Championships at St Andrews and Troon, Test Matches at Lords, Old Trafford and Edgebaston etc but the most fun I've had at a sporting event was at Wimbledon on a perfect summers day 6-7 years ago.

Went back a few years ago after being lucky in the ballot - it was great sat on Court number 1 but we only saw half a day's play after it rained at 4pm.

I couldn't recommend the outer courts enough. Great camaraderie in the queue. If the suns out there are few finer places to be.

have you ever been to meir?

good Edge at baston

can you take your beer in with you?

if i get a create to keep me entertained in the queue, if i dont finish it, can i take my spare cans in?

how much is a beer inside?

hang around the gate after 4 p m people leave and give their tickets out

Hi Johnny - many of the your questions have been well covered above, but from experience I would add:

First tube will be fine to get a ground ticket. The queue is governed by the weather and whether Andy Murray is playing. For some reason that draws people even if just to watch him on Henman Hill.

That said you will be there early enough to just enjoy the sunshine. Saturday is by far the busiest day for the Q - I got there about 0630 last year and was about 7000 in the Q - still got in around midday though.

If you are on Twitter @ViewFromtheQ gives unofficial updates.

Overall it's a great experience - wandering the different courts is great fun, and more interesting than sitting watching whole matches on show courts. You are also really close to play. If you want to go to a show court late on in the day there is a resale booth for a fiver (I think) - again the less popular matches will have loads more availability compared to queueing again for ages.

You can take beer in (within reason) although only in soft bags I think - the rules and regs on the website cover this and are enforced strictly.

you take a small picnic and some alcohol into wimbledon, probably need to read it on their website.