Competition is fierce when trying to get tickets for a Premier League game these days and it will cost you a pretty penny, too.
If you're willing to spend to enjoy the occasion, there are other ways to secure your place at the games you really want to see and The Grove showed Mail Sport exactly how.
The Grove, a resort with a golf course Tiger Woods himself has won on and a hotel that has housed the likes of Real Madrid and the England national team, also have their own box at the Emirates Stadium and offer a full service to and from the game.
This comes with an overnight stay at the hotel beforehand in the price leaving with nothing to think about but enjoying the game!
Sounds good, right? Well, Mail Sport decided to see if it is as good as it sounds.
You can get packages that stay at The Grove, or you can just meet them there
A minibus for everyone you will share the box with that day takes you to and from the game
After having the morning to chill, we were picked up by a roomy, air-conditioned Mercedes mini-bus at around 12:15pm from the main Grove reception.
The box at the stadium has 10 seats outside so generally speaking, that's how many people that will make up your box on the day. We all piled into the bus with ample space to relax as the driver set off to north London.
A little traffic is no problem when you're able to travel like this; sure beats being man-marked on a train! We were dropped off within a two minute walk to the towering sight of the ground where we made our way inside.
Unlike the ultra-congested concourse that seemingly has never-ending queues to endure looking like a scene from 300, you are greeted with a myriad of stations - some for food, some for shopping - and seating areas to eat and watch the lunchtime kickoff, which on this occasion was Ipswich hosting Liverpool.
You arrive with plenty of time to make your way inside the stadium and enjoy refreshments
The concourse isn't too crowded and the queues are not long at all - nice change!
Making your way to the box allows you to look out on north London
There seemed to be plenty of room for everyone to enjoy themselves. A rare treat of not having your personal space invaded in a football stadium, how refreshing! It wasn't long before we were being whisked through to a walkway that looked out the big glass front of the Emirates where hordes of fans were making their way up the steps. Quite the visual.
This led us to The Grove's box. As soon as you walk on there is a kitchen on the left where a chef is preparing the food for before the game and a toilet on the right. I've seen studio flats with less.
A seating area takes up the left hand side of the room while a fridge featuring a wide-range of drinks is on the right underneath a nice, big TV. On the floor next to that is a putting green that is truly in keeping with the hosts and their delight of a golf course.
Enjoying some beers from the routinely stocked fridge, we were then served a buffet of food that included goat curry, jerk chicken burgers, chips and plenty more.
You might think by being in the box you have to sacrifice the atmosphere of being in amongst thousands of fans that, for all the waiting around for a drink or to go to the toilet, is a special place to be during the match. Once you step outside the patio door to the box, there is about 10 seats sitting at a perfect raised level to take the game in, but, crucially, those seats don't feel removed from the passion of the stands.
The box itself is super modern and well kept with enough space for the 10 observers
Having your own chef in the room is very handy indeed
We've all been busting for the toilet at a game before - no waiting around here!
You can practice your putting whenever you feel like it - it's not as easy at it looks!
It's still very loud, close to the action and home to plenty of die-hard fans. It's not just all lucky journos...
If for some insane reason you didn't want to be in your seat, you could watch the game from inside the box (no one did). Everyone retreats inside at half-time anyway where cheese and crackers are available with yet more drinks; the perfect tonic to Arsenal's 1-0 lead over Wolves at the time.
After Arsenal ground out a 2-0 win, we headed back inside to watch the full-time scores come in on the TV and savour some final refreshments before the minibus returned to pick us up. A short walk away from the stadium and we were on our way home missing the bulk of the departing crowd.
As good as watching football is with food and drink laid on with a great view, the ease of getting in and out of the stadium combined with the transport felt like we were cheating time itself. We got back into The Grove in Watford at around 6:30pm and I certainly can't say that when my dad and I have had to grab the train from Cockfosters!
The jerk chicken burgers on display went down a treat and there was plenty of food on offer
The seat for the actual game is as good as it gets, too
The package
Unsurprisingly, these packages don't come cheap. Prices start at £765 a person, but if you have the money it is certainly is a case of getting what you pay for. Here's what you get:
- A one or two-night stay in a West Wing Classic double or twin room
- Tickets to the Arsenal game in The Grove's Executive box including food and drink
- Breakfast in your room or at The Glasshouse (it's a buffet style restaurant we can't praise enough)
- Complimentary access to all Sequoia spa facilities at the hotel grounds during your stay
The dream of owning a box alludes most of us, but for a special occasion or the right match, The Grove do go above and beyond to make sure the experience is a fun one and worth your money.