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Every year thousands of people scour the internet only to get turned away from securing centre court tickets to attend Wimbledon.  In this blog, i will share with you an article which explains the origins of Wimbledon Debenture Tickets.  Via our ticket agency we have exclusive sources to secure for you Debenture market tickets for any session of the tournament.  To view our the upcoming Wimbledon schedule and ticket prices, please visit our website.  We have been helping Americans and European get excellent seats for Wimbledon for almost 20 years.  Let us get your seat too!

A Debenture is the purchase of a seat for a set period of years. Debenture market tickets are the only Wimbledon tickets which can be transferred legally; all other tickets are must be used by the original applicant. Debenture market tickets are arguably the finest on Centre Court, often situated in the first 18 rows right off the grass.

The story behind Wimbledon Debenture Market Tickets: sourced online:

It all started after the First World War when life returned to normal and Wimbledon resumed play. The appearance of two magnificent and charismatic players — Suzanne Lenglen of France and William Tilden of the US — created an overwhelming demand for tickets at Wimbledon. The All England Lawn Tennis Club, with admirable foresight, decided to build a more spacious and modem tennis complex to meet the growing demand for tickets. So, in 1920, Wimbledon `A’ and `B’ Debentures of £50 each came into being to raise £1,00,000 to acquire land and build new facilities at Church Road, Wimbledon. The `A’ Debenture carried an interest of 7.5 per cent per annum with the right to purchase one seat in the Centre Court Stand. The `B’ Debenture carried no interest but conferred on the holder the right to one seat in the Centre Court Stand without payment.

Now, Centre Court Debentures are issued every five years to raise funds required for enhancing and refining upon the facilities in the superb tennis complex. The Wimbledon Championship has grown to an enormous stature from the humble beginnings and the demand for its tickets far exceeds the supply. A large number of tickets for the Centre and the First Courts are sold through a public ballot and a limited number issued for the day of playing to those queuing at the ground. All the same, the premium now charged on its Centre Court Debentures takes one’s breath away.

The All England Lawn Tennis Ground p1c, jointly owned by the All England Lawn Tennis Club and The Lawn Tennis Association, issued 2300 five-year (2001 to 2005) Centre Court Debentures at £23,150 each made up of £2000 nominal value (returnable on August 1, 2005), £18,000 premium and VAT (Value Added Tax) of £3,150 and thus raised £41.4 million through premium. For each debenture held, the holder is entitled to a free seat in the Centre Court Stand for each day of the championships for five years comprising 65 match-days. Thus, the cost of debenture seat per match day works out to £325.

The price of normal Centre Court ticket announced for the ensuing championships ranges from £30 (first day) to £75 (men’s final). The debenture holder enjoys the status of a privileged spectator with access to exclusive lounge, bar and catering facilities apart from being eligible to enter a ballot for a car parking space on payment of a small fee. Debenture tickets are the only Wimbledon tickets that are legally transferable. Barclays Capital Ltd. and UBS Warburg act as market makers for the current series of Wimbledon Debentures.

For the benefit of the public, the prices at which the latest transactions in the Debentures have taken place are advertised in the London Financial Times on the first Saturday of each calendar month. Price of Debenture fluctuates widely and it has now firmed up because the 2004 championship is round the comer. Details of the three most recent transactions in the Centre Court Debentures reveal that they have been traded at an average price of £23,166 each, which reflects a premium of £12,706 or 121 per cent over the pro-rata adjusted issued price. At this rate, each Centre Court Debenture seat will cost, on an average, £ 814 per match day. In 2001 and 2002, Debenture seats for the men’s singles final were reportedly traded at £3,000 each in the fond expectation of Tim Henman, the British star, reaching the final and he is still very much around. Buoyed by the success of Centre Court Debentures, Wimbledon started issuing from 1997 First Court Debentures with more or less the same features but at a lesser premium.

In a recent press release, Wimbledon announced that it will be issuing up to 2300 five-year (2006 to 2010) Centre Court Debentures on the same terms as applicable to existing series. This issue is going to be momentous for the proceeds thereof will be partly used for constructing over the Centre Court a new, modern and lightweight retractable roof, which will enable all-weather play on that court.

Grass, Royalty and rain are central to Wimbledon tradition and, of these, in a few years, rain along with the sea of umbrellas in bewildering colours and designs will cease to be relevant as far as the Centre Court is concerned.

Bob Bernstein
CEO eSeats.com