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| Wembley Stadium
Capacity: 90,000 (all seated)
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| Wembley Stadium
Capacity: 90,000 (all seated)
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| Contents |
| What's The Stadium Like? The Wembley Stadium Arch (photo) What Is It Like For Supporters? Looking Towards The East Stand (photo) Where To Drink? How To Get There And Where To Park The East & South Stands (photo) By Train/Tube Looking Towards The West Stand (photo) Fans Reviews Stadium Layout Disabled Facilities Record Attendance Hotel Accommodation Wembley Stadium Tour Video Feedback Return To The Main Menu
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| What's The Stadium Like? |
| Well it may have been late in opening and over budget, but the new
stadium has certainly been worth the wait and the extra expenditure. To
say that it looks superb, is really an understatement. 'Fantastic',
'tremendous', such words probably still don't do it enough justice. But
what is really great about the stadium, is that it has its own individual
identity and character. From the moment you see the Arch towering over the
stadium in the distance, then you know that this is going to be something
special, and special it is. Plus unlike a number of other stadiums around
the world that host a number of sporting events including football,
Wembley is primarily for football and is the home of the England team. No
wonder that it is labelled the 'Home of Football'. The old Wembley closed its doors in 2000 and was due to re-open in August 2005, but delays meant that the new stadium was not ready until March 2007. Designed by Foster & Partners and HOK Sport, the stadium which was built by Multiplex cost £737m to construct. The stadium is totally enclosed and comprises three tiers, with both sides of the stadium being slightly larger than the ends. These sides are semi circular in construction and although on a larger scale are reminiscent of the similar designs at the Emirates & City Of Manchester Stadiums. Both these side stands large upper and lower tiers, with a smaller middle tier sandwiched in-between. This middle tier overhangs the large lower tier and has a row of executive boxes at the back of it. At each end there is a large video screen, which is moulded into the third and hence is an integral part of the stadium. The stadium has a complicated looking roof, that initially appears retractable and could if necessary be used to enclose the stadium from the outside elements. However, just over one third can be moved, so that the pitch will always be open to the elements. Unlike the old stadium whereby the players would enter the field of play from a tunnel at one end, the players now enter the field in the conventional way, onto the half way line from the North Stand, where the Royal Box is situated.. The most striking
external feature of the stadium is 'The Arch', towering some 133 metres
above it. It comprises of white tubular steel, that can be seen for many
miles across London and looks particularly spectacular at night when it is
lit up. Oddly you can't see much of the Arch from inside the stadium. It
does though have a practical use in being a load bearing support frame for
the roofs of the stands. It reminds me of some sort of theme park ride and
I half expect to see people being propelled over it.... now that would be
interesting to watch at half time! |
| The Wembley Stadium Arch |
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Seeing Wembley for the first time, you can't help but be impressed with the sheer quality of the place. From escalators to transport fans up to the top tier to the 'landscaped concourse, you can see that no expense has been spared. Although not the most generous of leg room that I have come across, it is still more than adequate and there is good height between rows. Add to this that there literally is not a bad seat in the house (even seats at the very top of the upper tier have excellent views) and with the roofs of the stadium being situated very close to the crowd, then a full house should generate an excellent atmosphere. The top tier (Level 5) is particularly steep, which may cause a few to be a bit short of breadth as they reach the top, but at least this angle ensures that the spectators are kept as close to the playing action as they possibly can be. Whereas most
concourses in new stadiums so far built in this country are normally
rather drab affairs, with a combination of breeze blocks and cladded
piping, being predominantly on view, at Wembley it is different. For once
someone has had the vision to hide these ugly features, with timber
rafting and well positioned lighting, giving a modern stylish look.
Apparently there is one refreshment till per 100 spectators in the
stadium. Whether that is a good or bad ratio, in terms of queuing times,
remains to be seen. The catering is provided by the same American company
who also supply and run the catering at Arsenal. Prices have always been
historically expensive at Wembley and the new stadium certainly follows in
the tradition here; Various pies £4.50, Jacket Potato £4, Pizza Baguette
£4.20, Hot Dog £4, Soup £3.50, Pint of lager or bitter £4, red or white
wine (miniature bottle) £4. The caterers claim that, the price reflects
the quality of the product. Well at those prices I decided not to put that
statement to the test, opting instead to eat and drink outside of the
stadium. The concourses themselves are mostly fairly spacious, have
betting facilities provided by BetFred, a number of flat screened
televisions, as well as programme and merchandise outlets.
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| Where To Drink? |
| As you would expect pubs near the stadium are almost dangerously crowded. I have tended to either drink in the centre of London before the game. or have drank around Harrow On The Hill which is three stops away from Wembley Park on the tube. Alternatively, alcohol is sold within the stadium. |
| How To Get There And Where To Park |
| The stadium
is labelled as a 'public transport' destination. There is little parking
available at the stadium itself and there is also a residents only parking
scheme in operation in the local area. The stadium is well
signposted from the end of the M1 & M40. Basically the stadium is just
off the A406 North Circular Road. For a map showing the location of the stadium in North London click here (to take you to the Streetmap website). I would recommend parking at one of the tube stations at the end of the Metropolitan line such as Uxbridge, Hillingdon or Ruislip or at Stanmore on the Jubilee line and then take the tube to Wembley Park. For a map of the tube click here (to take you to the Transport For London website). |
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| By Train/Tube |
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The nearest tube station is Wembley Park which is around a ten minute walk from the stadium. This is served by both the Jubilee & Metropolitan lines, although it is best to take the latter as it has less stops. Wembley Central is slightly further away from the stadium and has both rail & underground connections. This underground station is served by the Bakerloo line, whilst the railway station is on the London Euston-Milton Keynes line. The nearest train station is Wembley Stadium which is on the London Marylebone-Birmingham line. Neil Iwanicki informs me; 'My tip for avoiding matchday congestion when going to Wembley is to park up at Hillingdon tube station, just off the A40 on the way into Central London. But instead of getting the Metropolitan line to Wembley Park station, get the Piccadilly line to Sudbury Town station, which is much quieter, and take the 15-20 minute stroll to the stadium via the Harrow Road/High Road. This takes you past Barham Park and Wembley Central station on the way to the ground, and has a few fast-food outlets and a number of decent pubs along the way. It also hugely convenient for getting away from the stadium quickly after the match.' |
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The photo above
was taken from above the scoreboard |
| Fans Reviews Of Wembley Stadium |
| Richard Randall (Aston Villa)
28/02/10 Martin Hart (Ebbsfleet United) 10/05/08 Tim Joyner (West Bromwich Albion) 28/05/07 Damian Feeney (Blackpool) 27/05/07 Chris Czora (Shrewsbury Town) 26/05/07 Doug Bagley (Tottenham Hotspur) 19/05/07 Chris Hutchings (AFC Totton) 13/05/07 Glyn Berrington (Kidderminster Harriers) 12/05/07 David Lees (Kidderminster Harriers) 12/05/07 Colin Peel (Stadiums Enthusiast) 17/03/07 |
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Download a
plan of the stadium showing the individual block
numbers. |
| Disabled Facilities |
| There are 310 places for wheelchairs located throughout the stadium, including each of the levels. There is also space for each wheelchair user to have a companion helper. |
| Record Attendance |
| Record Attendance: 126,047* West Ham United v Bolton Wanderers FA Cup Final, April 28th, 1923. Modern All Seated Attendance Record: 89,874 Portsmouth v Cardiff City FA Cup Final, May 17th, 2008. * This was the official recorded attendance. But as so many more people had got into the stadium without paying, it is estimated that the crowd was nearer 200,000. |
| Stadium Tours |
| The stadium offer tours on most days of the
year. The 90 minute tour costs; Adults £15, Under 16's & Over 60's £8.
Family tickets (2 Adults & 2 Children) are also available at £38.
Tours can be booked online at www.wembleystadium.com. Tour Review By Doug Bagley (Jan 2008) |
| Hotel Accommodation |
| If you require hotel
accommodation in the area then first try a hotel booking service
provided by Football Hotels who are powered by Activehotels, who
specialise in locating accommodation near or within a short travelling
distance of football grounds. They also have the added advantage over some
other hotel booking services that you pay on departure. Yes
this site will earn a small commission if you book through them, but it
will go to help with the running costs of keeping the Guide going. To access their Wembley and general
London page click
here or use the Search Facility below:
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| Feedback |
| If anything is incorrect or you have
something to add, please e-mail
me and I'll update the
guide. |
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