How to get last-minute tickets for Wimbledon

(Johnny Perkins)

Though the majority of tickets to Wimbledon are allocated in a public ballot, the deadline for which closed back in December 2009, there are still up to 7,500 ground and court passes available per day for those dedicated enough to join what the All England Lawn Tennis Club calls 'The Queue'.

Queueing is expected to take place in a prim and proper fashion, with participants asked to "to ensure good behaviour in the queue and restraint with regard to noise and the consumption of alcohol" as they wait in a line that extends from Gate 3, over the Church Road Bridge, and through the grounds of Wimbledon Golf Club.

Wristbands and numbered cards are issued to ensure that the horror of queue-jumping should not smite any of the assembled masses. Both police officers and club stewards are on hand to assist with proceedings, starting with a wake-up call at 6am.

There are also catering and restroom facilities on hand to nourish and refresh as needed.

As the Club itself advises, those seeking a ground pass generally start queueing several hours before the turnstiles open at 10:30am. With regard for the rarer court tickets, that demand sees many queue overnight, accompanied by camping equipment and sleeping bags.

Those 6,000 passes cost as little as £8 (€9.70] on the day of the Men's Final, July 4, though expect the assembled public hungry for an intimate taste of the tournament to be queuing around the block and around the clock.

Seating at the No.1, No.2 and Centre Court will also be made available, with 500 being held in reserve each day for each court.

The exception to the rule is Centre Court tickets, which will not be available at the turnstile on the final four days of the tournament.

Those four days encompass the Men's and Ladies' Singles semi finals, and the singles and doubles finals.

However, all is not lost, because those general passes allow access to the grounds, meaning that the assembled eager crowds milling about the Club's premises gather upon the Aorangi Tennis, colloquially known as 'Henman Hill', to watch the action displayed upon a huge TV screen adjacent to No.1 Court.

Ground passes cost £20 (€25) during the first week of play, then with prices gradually falling as uptake increases in the second week, and there are also discounts for those that seek entrance after 5pm. By July 4, the day of the Men's Singles and Doubles finals, ground passes are £8 for those lucky enough to arrive before supplies run out.

Tickets for No.2 Court start at £34 (€41) for Monday June 21 or Tuesday, June 22, peak at £52 (€63) on Monday 28 for the Men's and Ladies' Singles 4th round, and then fall to £32 (€39) by Wednesday 30 as attention turns to the action elsewhere.

No.1 Court commands fees of £38 rising to £72 on Wednesday 30 (Men's Singles Quarter-Finals) and then falling to £25 by Sunday 4 (€46, €87, and €30). Centre Court seats start at £41 and reach £85 by the last day of turnstile allocation on Wednesday 30 (€50 to €103).

There is a strictly enforced rule that these turnstile tickets are sold for cash only, not cheque or credit card, with only one ticket per person available for those that reach the front of The Queue.

For more information, visit Wimbledon.org.