With the domestic football season in the United Kingdom over and done with, you may think some fans will be delighted that the season is over and done with. If you have endured a tough year or your team didn’t perform as well as you had hoped, the summer break is the ideal time to recharge your batteries and stop thinking about the game for a while. Of course, if your team had a great season, the summer can feel far too long and plenty of people will be counting down the days until competitive football action starts again.

With no games to look forward to for the next few weeks, you may think this is a chance for football fans to save some money but this isn’t the case. The summer months can actually be quite expensive for the standard football fan, and plenty of people end up spending a lot of cash in preparing for the new season. First of all, if you buy a season book to follow your side, this is the time of year to hand over the money and guarantee your place watching your team. Depending on the level of football you watch and the pricing undertaken by your team, this may see you having to hand over a lot of money in one go.

New kits are a vital summer purchase for many fans

There is also the fact that many sides launch their new strip or kits over the summer. This is all part of the planning and preparation stages for the new season, and you can see why clubs would be keen to have their new kit out in time for the school holidays. A football strip is one of the most indispensable items of clothing for a summer holiday and the new kit is a must-have buy for die-hard for their summer holiday. There will be plenty of fashion purists who tell you that this is a bad choice but if you are keen to show your love and passion for your favourite side, the new kit on summer holiday is a classic action.

There will be some fans who are looking to put money aside for European adventures. There will be five English Premier League teams involved with the Champions League next season. Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Manchester United all gain direct access to the premier tournament in European football action. The Red Devils actually finished 6th in the league but as they triumphed in the Europa League, they will be playing in the main European tournament next season. Liverpool will be in the final qualifying round but you have to think that the Merseyside team will get through that challenge and take their place in the main event. Given that Manchester United and Liverpool have been out of the Champions League of late, next season should be an interesting and exciting one for these teams.

Arsenal have to settle for Europa League action

Arsenal ended their season on a high by winning the FA Cup against Chelsea, but they will only be playing in the Europa League next season. This is a blow for Arsenal fans who are accustomed to their team getting through the group stages only to be humiliated by Bayern Munich or Barcelona. Next season is set to be something a bit different for the North London side and it remains to be seen who their fans will react.

In Scotland, six in a row champions Celtic will once again have to battle through the qualifiers if they are going to take their place in the main tournament. The Champions League is a much better place when Celtic are involved and there are few stadiums in the tournament that provides the atmosphere and excitement that Celtic Park manages on a big European night. It is easy to see why the club’s ground has the nickname of Paradise, and hopes will be high that they will once again grace the leading football tournament in European football.

It is easy to see why many football fans in Britain will be planning ahead for European football away days but these trips aren’t cheap and they often involve deadlines for payment. This is why many fans may need assistance in arranging payment for these trips.

Anyone looking to follow their team in Europe should start saving and planning now, as this will make the process easier when the time to book comes along.

Andrew Reilly is a freelance writer with a focus on news stories and consumer interest articles. He has been writing professionally for 9 years but has been writing for as long as he can care to remember. When Andrew isn’t sat behind a laptop or researching a story, he will be found watching a gig or a game of football.