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Wimbledon Tickets 2009
Tickets to the Wimbledon Championships are extremely difficult to get hold of as demand far exceeds supply
every year. Find all possible methods of obtaining tickets below. Note that we do not sell tickets.
## AELTC PUBLIC BALLOT ##
You can enter the Wimbledon public ballot. Due to demand your chances of obtaining tickets via this method are
slim to none. From our experience you may get lucky once ever 4-5 years.
How to enter the ballot :-
You first need to write a letter to the AELTC requesting an official application form after 1st August. Your
letter must include a self-addressed and stamped envelope (DL size: 110mm x 220mm or 4 1/4 " x 8 5/8") so they can
send you the application form. This is the address to write to:
Once you have received your application for you then need to ensure the AELTC receive the completed form no later
than 31st December (postmark no later than 15th December). Successful applicants are notified from February onwards.
FAQ
Are overseas application accepted? Yes. Follow the above instructions but use an International Reply Coupon
instead of a stamp. If you are unable to do this the you need to call the Ticket Office on +44 20 8971 2473
Can I make multiple applications to increase my chances? No. Only one application per household is permitted.
Multiple applications will result in you being excluded from the ballot.
Can I choose the amount of tickets I want? No, each application is for one pair of tickets.
Can I choose tickets for the court I want to be on? No, it's a random ballot. If successful you will be offered
one pair of random tickets for either Centre Court, No.1 Court, or No.2 Court.
If I don't like the tickets I am offered can I swap them? No. You either accept the tickets offered or reject
them. If rejected someone else will be offered them.
The Wimbledon Public Ballot draw is held in January, and successful applicants are informed
from February, but if you have not heard anything by March of the year of the tournament then
you should assume your application has not been successful. As declined and returned tickets
are re-balloted up to the day of play, it is possible that you may be offered tickets at a later stage.
## LTA BRITISH TENNIS MEMBERSHIP ##
If you have an LTA British Tennis Membership then you will be automatically entered into the ballot. Note that while
membership is currently free to members of LTA affiliated tennis clubs, from 2012 a yearly charge of £25 for adults
and £5 for juniors will be required. We would not recommend joining just for this purpose when you can submit a
public ballot application for free - see above.
## LTA AFFILIATED TENNIS CLUB ##
LTA Affiliated Tennis Clubs are given an allocation of Wimbledon tickets based on the number of
LTA British Tennis Members they have signed up. The club will usually hold an internal ballot/private draw to
determine which members get the tickets.
## OFFICIAL TOUR PACKAGES ##
There are plenty of companies offering tour packages but there is only one official Wimbledon tour package provider,
The Wimbledon Experience Tours Programme.
We first went on one of their "Wimbledon Championship Tour" back in 1999 and it was superb so we would recommend them
- and no we don't receive anything from them for recommending them here.
## QUEUE ON THE DAY ##
Lets get down to business. If you get there early in the morning you will still be queuing for hours upon hours
to get in so don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
The one and only queue starts at the entrance to Wimbledon Park on Wimbledon Park Road, and then zig-zags up and
down the park.
There are very limited numbers of tickets available for Centre Court, No.1, and No.2 so you need to queue early
to secure one of these. Ground Passes are of course readily available for those unable to obtain a show court ticket.
## DEBENTURE ##
This is serious money option. Wimbledon Centre Court Debenture at the last offering cost £23,150, while
a No.1 Court Debenture would set you back £9,900. These figures represent the original prices for 5 year
debentures, but as all debentures have now been snapped up you'll have to contact Barclays Capital Limited
or UBS Warburg who have a made a second-hand market for the sale of these debentures.
See the official details here.
## EBAY AUCTION ##
You could try eBay.co.uk but you first need to be aware
that only debenture tickets can be legally transfered from one owner
to another.
On 3 July 2002 we were informed that the AELTC threatened eBay with legal action unless
they hand over personal details of all eBay members selling non-debenture Wimbledon tickets on eBay. As a result, eBay
obliged and the AELTC have been contacting the sellers of such tickets threatening them with legal action and
cancelling their tickets ever since.
This is our understanding of the situation:
Sellers - Every Wimbledon ticket sold in advance of the championships has an official
registered owner. Upon obtaining tickets directly from the AELTC the original purchaser has entered into a
contract with the AELTC which prohibits the original purchaser from re-selling his/her ticket(s). If you are
the original purchaser and sell your non-debenture tickets on eBay, the AELTC will now be able to obtain your
address and find out exactly which tickets were issued to you. They will then contact you threatening legal
action and cancel your tickets. If you are not the original purchaser of the tickets then you will probably
just be threatened with legal action, as the AELTC will not (initially) be able to link your address with the
ticket numbers issued.
Buyers - Beware! The tickets you purchase may have already been cancelled by AELTC. This
may not cause you an initial problem upon entering the grounds as they do not scan tickets or if you are just
watching the play on outside courts. However, if you were to try and sit in your showcourt (Centre, No.1, No.2)
seat then you will probably find that someone else will also have the same seat number on their ticket. The
reason being that your cancelled ticket will have been re-issued. If this is discovered you will be treated
as a trespasser and ejected from Wimbledon immediately.
Fake tickets, stolen tickets, blatant scammers, and having to pay hyperinflated prices are also potential
problems with eBay.
## TICKET TOUT ##
Buying from a ticket tout could result in many of the same problems as mentioned in the
eBay Auction section above.
Ticket touts operate in the area from Southfields underground
station along Wimbledon Park Road/Church Road and to the gates of Wimbledon. Just walking down
there you will hear a number of people offering to buy and sell tickets.
## RESALE TICKETS ##
Once you are already inside the grounds of Wimbledon, whether on a Ground Pass or any showcourt ticket,
you will have the opportunity to purchase re-sold showcourt tickets. These are tickets which the original
owner no longer requires (perhaps he/she has gone home early or just has a spare ticket) and wishes to give
someone else the opportunity of sitting on a showcourt.
Sellers - Take your ticket to one of the Wimbledon Officials at any exit gate and ask him/her to
scan your ticket for you in order for it to be re-sold. The great news is that (a) you get to keep your original
ticket; (b) your ticket is re-printed and re-sold to someone who wants to experience a showcourt; and (c) all monies
raised through the re-selling of tickets is donated to charity.
Buyers - Re-sold tickets are always in demand and you will have to queue up for them.
The ticket re-selling booth located at the top of Wimbledon Hill (aka Henman Hill, Rusedski Ridge,
Mount Philippoussis, Mount Murray, Murrayfield) at the north end of the grounds, and opens at 3pm.
Be prepared for very long queues, but they can be worth the wait.
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