Wembley Stadium, officially known as Wembley National Stadium Limited, is a multi-purpose stadium situated in London, England. The stadium is predominantly used for association football matches, and serves as the home ground for England's national football team as well as hosting major club competitions' finals.
The stadium was opened on 9 March 2007 with an exhibition match between England's U21 team and Italy's U21 team, replacing the original Wembley Stadium, which had a seating capacity of 82,000. The seating capacity of the new stadium is currently set at 90,000, making it the second largest stadium in Europe. The new stadium was designed by HOK Sport Venue Event (now Populous) and Foster and Partners, with a construction cost of over £800 million.
As a UEFA category four stadium and one of the biggest stadiums by capacity in Europe, Wembley has hosted the UEFA Champions League final in 2011 and 2013, the semi-finals and final of UEFA Euro 2020, and is set to host the 2023 UEFA Champions League final. In addition to football, Wembley Stadium has also hosted significant events in rugby, boxing, and American football, as well as numerous music concerts. It has welcomed millions of visitors since its opening and is considered an iconic venue in the world of sports and entertainment.
While the previous stadium was also officially named 'Empire Stadium', both the old and the new stadia are invariably referred to by their unofficial name, Wembley Stadium. Wembley is the name of the area the stadium was built on, in the borough of Brent, which itself derives its name from the historic English county of Middlesex. This unofficial name caught on soon after the original stadium's construction; the people of London used to simply call it Wembley. Therefore, the stadium's common name became 'Wembley Stadium'. The stadium was first opened in 1923 and was originally known as the Empire Stadium. This was built for the British Empire Exhibition of 1924. The original Wembley Stadium was known for hosting the 1948 Summer Olympics, the 1966 World Cup Final, and Live Aid in 1985. It was demolished in 2002 and rebuilt, with the new Wembley Stadium opening in 2007. The new stadium has a capacity of 90,000, making it the largest stadium in the UK and the second-largest in Europe. It is owned by the Football Association (the FA) and is best known for hosting significant football matches, including home matches of the England national football team, and the FA Cup Final. The stadium also hosts other major sports and music events. Its iconic 'Wembley Arch' has become a symbol of the stadium and is recognized globally. The arch, at 133 m (436 ft) high, is the world's longest unsupported roof structure. Wembley Stadium is connected to Wembley Park station by the Olympic Way, also known as Wembley Way, which serves as the main pedestrian route for events.
Wembley Stadium, located in Wembley, London, is a world-renowned football venue. The site was originally chosen due to its ample space, excellent connectivity, and potential for future expansion. The stadium was initially known as the 'Empire Stadium' as it was built to serve as a centrepiece for the British Empire Exhibition in 1924.
From the outset, the ownership of the stadium was vested in the British government. It was initially managed by the British Empire Exhibition Corporation and then taken over by the Wembley Company in 1927. The stadium was eventually bought by the Football Association (FA) in 1999, fulfilling the longstanding goal of the organization to own and control England's national stadium.
Under the leadership of Sir Robert McAlpine, the construction of the original Wembley stadium was a massive undertaking. The football community, and indeed the whole of Britain, contributed generously to the funding of the project. There were numerous fundraising initiatives, including public subscriptions and donations, and many volunteers offered their manual labour to help speed up the construction process.
The building works officially commenced on 10 January 1922. Despite the enormous scale of the project and the economic challenges of the time, the stadium was completed within a mere 300 days. At a cost of £750,000, the stadium was officially opened to the public on 28 April 1923. The inaugural FA Cup Final, known as the 'White Horse Final', saw an estimated crowd of 200,000 spectators, far exceeding the official capacity of 127,000.
The old Wembley was demolished in 2000 to make way for a new, state-of-the-art stadium. The new Wembley, with a seating capacity of 90,000, is the largest stadium in the UK and the second-largest in Europe. It was designed by architects Foster and Partners and HOK Sport (now Populous) and was built by the Australian company Multiplex at a cost of £798 million. The new Wembley opened in 2007 and continues to serve as the home of English football and a venue for major international sporting and entertainment events.
Wembley Stadium (1923): Information about the original Wembley Stadium https://www.thefa.com/wembley
Wembley Stadium (The Home of Football) – until 2003: Detailed history of Wembley Stadium http://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/eng/wembley_stadium
The Wembley won't turn off: A book about the history of Wembley Stadium https://www.amazon.com/Wembley-wont-turn-off-ISBN/dp/9728820070
The Football Association 100 glorious years - The History 1: A book about the history of The Football Association and Wembley Stadium https://www.amazon.com/Football-Association-glorious-years-History/dp/989554099X
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