"It's 5.27am on a Sunday and I'm stood at a deserted bus station on the outskirts of Oxford. Before the day is out I'll have travelled to the Belgian city of Leuven and back to watch a top-division game, paying less for my ticket than at many English National League clubs. And while I'm a sucker for a bargain, the ticket price was only one of many reasons why I returned home feeling like I had found a hidden gem of a European away day."
"I didn't know much about the Jupiler Pro League - Belgium's top division - before this trip but I suppose that shouldn't be a huge surprise. With the country bordered by France, Germany and the Netherlands, which boast three of the top six leagues on the continent and greater pedigree in European competitions, it's easy to look past Belgium's domestic football scene in favour of its neighbours."
"However, one of the great things about attending games in Belgium is that 12 of the 16 current top-flight clubs are located in places within an hour's train journey from Brussels, meaning there will be matches within a short distance of the capital every weekend of the season. At this point it's only fair to say that the one expensive outlay of the trip was the Eurostar, with my return ticket costing 120 in advance."
An early-morning journey from Oxford led to a same-day return trip to Leuven to watch a Jupiler Pro League match. The match ticket cost less than many English National League clubs, contributing to the overall value of the trip. The Belgian top flight sits near stronger neighbouring leagues, yet several notable clubs compete nationally, including Anderlecht, Club Brugge, Royal Antwerp and Standard Liege. OH Leuven is owned by the King Power group and KAA Gent have recent European experience. Many Belgian top-flight clubs are clustered near Brussels, with 12 of 16 reachable within an hour by train. The Eurostar was the main expense.
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
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