LONDON, August 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Following the most dramatic year in premier league history, a shock Champions League final, and Team GB battling to the quarter finals of the Olympics, our national game is about to begin another enthralling season. We examine why these big occasions hold so much appeal and offer some ideas for watching spectacular sporting events abroad.

The FA Cup is a football institution that has been running since 1871. It's the only competition in which lower league teams can face top flight competition, meaning everyone gets a chance and massive names can fall to the spirit and determination of a perceptibly lesser team.

The FA Cup final took place at the historic Wembley Stadium. The iconic twin towers of the original Wembley Stadium built in 1923 were one of the most recognisable sights in football, known all over the world. The new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007 cost £798 million and holds over 90,000 people. While some will argue that nothing can match the excitement and drama of an FA Cup Final, the stadium is also used for Rugby league and Rugby union. The stadium was also home to the first ever NFL American Football game to be played in Europe when 81,176 fans saw the New York Giants defeat the Miami Dolphins in 2007. This year blue was the colour as Chelsea beat Liverpool to this year's cup.

Major sports events may not be the first thing you think of when planning your well-deserved break away but all inclusive cheap holidays to the US can be great way of seeing some excellent sport while enjoying guaranteed sunshine. Florida Holidays are now synonymous with much more than Disneyworld and theme parks. Few worldwide sports events can equal the spectacle of the Super Bowl. Sun seekers enjoying some winter sun on cheap holidays to Florida were able to attend the Super Bowl XLVI in South Florida on February 7, 2010.

The Caribbean is also a fantastic destination for top sporting events, with cricket remaining hugely popular amongst the former British colonies. Brian Lara still holds the record for the most ever runs scored in a match, a whopping 501!

Baseball is almost as big in Cuba as it is in the States. The Cuba National League sees huge celebratory games played in the city of Havana, which is also an enthralling holiday destination with amazing local food and drink served in lively, friendly rumba bars. Visitors on Dominican Republic holidays can enjoy hugely competitive baseball games whilst exploring areas of amazing natural beauty and sunning themselves on spectacular beaches with crystal-clear waters.

Thomas Cook Children's Charity  is committed to making dreams come true for sick and disadvantaged children in the UK & Overseas - to find out more about the work we do visit our website.

SOURCE Thomas Cook