As you fly into Heathrow and look to the north you cannot fail to see the massive arch of arguably the most famous stadium since Rome”s Coliseum ” Wembley. Always controversial since it was unveiled as the centrepiece of the Empire Exhibition in 1923, Wembley, with its twin towers, has hosted a multitude of events, including the 1948 Olympics, the 1966 soccer World Cup Final and the 1985 Live Aid concert, the biggest musical event the world had ever seen.
Wembley, once called the Empire Stadium, closed in 2000, the last event being an England v Germany football match noteworthy for another loss by the home team and Kevin Keegan”s resignation. The new Wembley has had more than its fair share of troubles, but it is nearly with us, once again dominated by a remarkable architectural feature, this time of steel and wire, visible from virtually anywhere in London and the home counties, and particularly so from the world”s busiest international airport.
ABTN was privileged, courtesy of that fine charity The Lord”s Taverners, to take a preview of the new temple of the multitudes, prior to the press and (hopefully) the public being let loose on its terraces.
We must put to rest one untruth. Wembley is not as inaccessible as some critics like to point out. The dual carriageway North Circular Road has direct access to the car parks and whilst it is far from wonderful, the timings of major events usually mean a trouble free journey into and out of the stadium. It”s not perfect and you can get caught out, but it is not that bad either.
Unlike the new Arsenal Stadium (with its near 50% capacity rise over Highbury) the public transport system has been thought out. Wembley Park station has been completely rebuilt and access to Olympic Way is very easy. Wembley Central station, serving different lines is only a 10-minute walk away. Best of all from central London, Chiltern Railways provides a non-stop nine-minute service to and from Marylebone Station, which is also on the Bakerloo Underground.
The first thing that becomes apparent is the sheer size of the place. It is much bigger than the old stadium which for much of its life had a nominal capacity of 100,000, reduced to 85,000 when it became an all-seater. The new Wembley officially holds 90,000 in very comfortable seats (maybe 32” legroom if judged by airline economy standards) and up to 125,000 when laid out for a pop concert.
Everyone can see the arena dominated by two giant TV screens each the size of 600 domestic sets. Spectators are set back at least 30 feet from the turf when the ground is laid out as a soccer pitch. Which of course begs the question ”could an athletics” track be put down if needed in an emergency?” From the chief engineer the answer is interesting. ”Yes, given three months, the front seating has been designed in such a way that it could be temporarily taken out and a 400m 10-lane track incorporated.”
The public have been very well looked after in the new Wembley, with vast catering and hospitality areas There are 688 food and drink outlets served by 98 kitchens. New Wembley includes the capital's largest banqueting hall with a capacity for 2,000 guests and just over 10,000 people can sit down for a meal before every event.
Of course this takes time and effort and something in the order of 3,500 catering staff will be working on major days. Disabled fans are particularly well catered for with 310 wheelchair spaces plus seats for their companions too and head-set facilities providing match commentary for those with visual or auditory impairments.
There are 26 lifts and 30 escalators and whoever wins the trophy will have to climb 107 steps, somewhat more than the old stadium's 39. What the armchair viewers will not see is a roadway that circumvents the whole stadium at basement level for catering, TV and service uses and two further concourses for spectators to use, all three about a kilometre in length. The roof does not close completley and the sound system, which was being tested during the ABTN visit, is stupendous. Finally, there are over 2,500 toilets, more than any other stadium in the world.
Wembley National Stadium Ltd is a company established by the Football Association, sporting and other bodies, to supervise the development, construction and running of the project for which the total cost is said to be ”757m. In fact the basic building came to ”350m with another ”93m to fit out, demolish the old structure and the necessary insurance. 17,000 seats in the new stadium are dedicated to Club Wembley, membership of which guarantees a place at major events. You can buy ten-year seat licences and corporate boxes.
One thing that is very apparent is the quality of the workmanship. Wembley may have not been a cheap stadium, but it is outstanding and destined to take its rightful place at the very top of the world”s meeting places.
Images supplied by Wembley National Stadium