What "money-can't-buy" means
It's a label that gets thrown around a lot, so let's be strict about it. A true money-can't-buy prize has no public price tag. You won't find it on a club's website next to the stadium tour and the hospitality packages.
Access is the whole point. Millions of fans can buy a seat at a match. Getting past the usual barriers, into the areas and conversations ordinary supporters never see, is a different matter. The same goes for a creator's filming day, where the people involved decide who turns up.
Here's the catch, and it applies to every prize competition: plenty of people want these, so the odds on any single one are not in your favour. Enter for the fun of it, and only with money you'd happily spend on entertainment (or use the free entry route, more on that below).
Types of experience
There's no fixed list, and clubs and creators come up with new ideas all the time. Based on what we've run, these are the main types.
Behind-the-scenes matchdays. You see a game from the inside rather than from the stands. Our Dorking Wanderers prize was this kind of thing, and we've written up the detail in behind closed doors at Dorking Wanderers.
Podcast and video filming. Some of the most interesting access comes via YouTube channels with exclusive club access. We've run competitions with the Bunch of Amateurs (BOA) channel, who have access to Dorking Wanderers, manager Marc White and more. Winning one puts you behind the camera, seeing the club the way the viewers don't.
Training sessions. Watching or joining a session shows you a side of the game the match itself hides. Howard G from Weyouth won the opportunity to attend Dorking training, and the dresing room for the pre-match briefing - You can't buy that anywhere!
Club-sponsored access. OLBG sponsors Dorking Wanderers, which is why we've been able to run several competitions for experiences with the club itself, as well as with BOA.
It isn't only football, either. If you want to see how the same idea works in another sport, have a look at what it's like to be a racehorse owner for a day.
What the day is actually like (from winners)
This is the part people ask about most, and I'd rather be straight with you than invent quotes. Our BOA behind-the-scenes winner exclaimed he had had the best day ever and found it fascinating all the things fans don't see about how things work on matchday.
What I can say is what these prizes are built around: access to the club, its manager Marc White, and the people who make the content you may already watch. You can see who has won past prizes on our winners page.
Details differ from prize to prize, so always read the terms on the specific competition for what's included and what isn't.
How to enter
- Check what's live. Our live competitions page shows what's open now. Experiences come and go, so there's no guarantee a football one is running today.
- Read the rules. Look at the closing date, what the prize includes and any restrictions. They are always just 99p a ticket
- Know the free route. You don't have to pay to enter. Our guide to free entry routes for UK prize competitions explains how.
- Look at the wider picture. Curious about the other football prizes we run? Our football instants explained hub covers what you can win and how they work.
Set a budget and stick to it. Treat any entry as a bit of fun, not a plan. Most entrants won't win, and that's just how it works.
18+ only. Please play responsibly. Free entry is available, see our free entry guide for how to enter without paying.
