Wembley Stadium

Wembley Stadium is, arguably, the most famous ground in world football. Although the original stadium was demolished in 2003, the current version of the home of England’s international team was built on the same site and opened to the public in 2007. The current iteration of Wembley was designed by HOK Sport and Fosters and Partners. There is a retractable roof on top of the ground and, of course, the famous Wembley Arch. Ironically, despite being one of the icons of Britain, it was built by an Australian firm called Multiplex and it cost about £798 million.

Wembley isn’t just the home of the England international team. It is also the ground that hosts the finals of the most important domestic club competitions in the country. Fans of lower league teams get to head to Wembley from time to time, too. The stadium hosts the Football League Trophy final as well as the Football League play-offs. Even if you’re not a football fan then you shouldn’t rule out the possibility of a trip to Wembley; it has been known to host the rugby league Challenge Cup final as well as the NFL International series and numerous music concerts.

Tottenham Hotspur moved to Wembley for the start of the 2017-2018 campaign. During this time their former stadium, White Hart Lane, was closed whilst a completely new ground was built in its place.

General information

Official website: http://www.wembleystadium.com/

Arena capacity: 90,000 spectators

Address: London HA9 0WS, UK

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 51°33′21″N 0°16′47″W

Year of construction: 9 March 2007

Construction cost: 1.09 billion pounds

Field: Desso GrassMaster lawn with dimensions of 115 by 74 yards (105 by 68 m)

Seating plan of the Wembley Stadium

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 have 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 a 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 of some sort of theme park ride and you can expect to see people being propelled over it…. now that would be interesting to watch at half time!

A bronze statue of Bobby Moore, is situated in front of the stadium. The legendary England World Cup winner gazes down on fans coming up Wembley Way.

Away fans

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 being the most generous of leg room, 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.

The concourses themselves are spacious, so much so that entertainers and other attractions are brought in to help entertain the crowd, The stadium has a number of refreshment tills (apparently one per 100 spectators in the stadium) and these are supplemented with a number of ‘pop up’ units serving everything from real ale to Krispy Creme doughnuts. Prices have always been historically expensive at Wembley and the new stadium certainly follows in the same tradition, but probably no more now that what most London Premier League Clubs charge.

There are various pies: Buttered Chicken Balti, Steak & Ale, Bombay Vegetable (which although expensive at £4.50 each, are in fact excellent), Pasties (£4), Jumbo Sausage Rolls (£3.50), Margherita Pizza (Quarter £4.30, Half £6.30), Pepperoni Pizza (Quarter £4.70, Half £6.80),  plus up to 30 minutes before kick off you can have a Pie & Pint for £8. Most of the refreshment outlets take card payments. The concourses also have betting facilities, a number of flat screened televisions, as well as programme kiosks and merchandise outlets.

For England International games, away supporters are housed in part of the lower tier of the East Stand.

New Bag Policy

Please note that Wembley Stadium have introduced restrictions on the size of bags that can be taken into the stadium. This applies to all supporters. Bags that are larger than A4 in size (Height 297mm, Width 210mm and Depth 210mm), will need to be dropped at a dedicated bag drop at the stadium at a cost of £5 per item. Bags can then be collected from the bag drop after the match has finished.

Where to buy tickets?

It is fair to say that ticket prices for games at Wembley can vary significantly and aren’t always easy to get to grips with. Prices for the FA Cup final, for example, will be much more expensive than a friendly game between England and France.

For the 2015-2016 season’s League Cup final Liverpool and Manchester City were each allocated about 31,500 tickets at Wembley. In the instance of the final you are only able to purchase tickets from the clubs directly and can’t buy them through Wembley Stadium itself. Prices are broken down into 5 different categories depending on where in the ground you are hoping to sit and whether or not you’re a concession.

The League Cup Final 2016:

• Category 1 – £100 – £50;
• Category 2 – £90 – £45;
• Category 3 – £72 – £36;
• Category 4 – £56 – £28;
• Category 5 – £40 – £20.

In March of the same year England hosted the Netherlands in a friendly match as both teams geared up for the Euros that summer. It was the 20th time that the two teams faced each other, the previous occasion being at Wembley in February 2012 when the home team lost 3-2 thanks to an Arjen Robben injury-time winner. Tickets were priced as follows.

Friendly Match v Netherlands:

• Category 1 – £65 – £55;
• Category 2 – £55 – £45;
• Category 3 – £45 – £35;
• Category 4 – £35 – £25.

Both the FA Cup final and the semi-finals are held at Wembley. Obviously the prices for each are different, with the final coming in pricier than the semis. Much like with the League Cup final and the friendly game against the Netherlands, the prices are categorised and clubs are able to offer a further £10 concession on certain tickets.

FA Cup Semi-Finals 2016:

• Category 1 – £65;
• Category 2 – £55;
• Category 3 – £45;
• Category 4 – £35.

FA Cup Final 2016:

• Category 1 – £125;
• Category 2 – £95;
• Category 3 – £75;
• Category 4 – £50.

Only beginning to scratch the surface of the ticketing prices at Wembley, you will be given the sheer variety of events that take place at the stadium. Hopefully, though, we’ve given you a good idea of the sorts of prices you’ll be asked to pay depending on the event you’re looking to attend. Wembley themselves say that only about 20% of the tickets available are in the highest price bracket.

How to get England tickets?

It is standard operating procedure for Wembley to release the tickets for club matches held at the stadium to the clubs themselves. For the League Cup final mentioned before, for example, it was Liverpool and Manchester City that sold the tickets to their fans. The only things that were sorted through Wembley directly were the corporate tickets.

If you’re hoping to get tickets for England matches then you’ll need to do so through The Football Association. You can do that by heading to their ticketing website or by calling their ticket hotline. You can also join Club Wembley, Wembley’s own hospitality section of the ground that will give you access to such events on a regular basis.

How to get there?

Wembley is located just outside of Central London, so getting there isn’t as tricky as it could be. In fact, because of the fact that London is seen by many to be the most important city in the country you’ll actually find your options of getting to the ground to be numerous and easy to use.

The stadium has been labelled as a ‘public transport’ destination, meaning that there is limited parking available at the stadium itself and there is also a residents only parking scheme in operation in the local area. The pricing and availability of stadium parking varies per event. More information and bookings can be made on the official Wembley Stadium Parking website.  There is also the option of renting a private driveway near Wembley Stadium via YourParkingSpace.co.uk.

The stadium is well signposted from the end of the M1 & M40. Basically the stadium is just off the A406 North Circular Road.

From the M1:

At the roundabout at the end of the M1, turn right onto the A406 (North Circular/West Wembley). Continue along the A406 for a couple of miles and then after crossing a metal suspended bridge, you will pass a McDonalds on your left. At the traffic lights with an Ikea Store on one corner bear left onto Drury Way.

Keeping the Ikea store on your right go straight across the next two roundabouts. You will pass a Tesco petrol station on your right and then at the traffic lights turn left into Grand Central Avenue (B4557). The stadium is at the end of this road.

It’s recommended 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.

By train or tube

The nearest London Underground 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.

For travelling across London by public transport it’s recommended planning your journey ahead with the use of the Travel For London Plan your journey website.

Booking train tickets in advance will normally save you money! Find train times, prices and book tickets with Trainline. Visit the Trainline website below to see how much you can save on the price of your tickets.

Bus

Bus numbers 18, 83, 92 and 224 all serve Wembley. If you want to know where you can catch them from then the Transport for London app and website are ideal resources. It’s also worth bearing in mind that National Express is the Official Coach Supplier for Wembley, with the company running services from more than 55 locations around the country.

Taxi

Much like driving a private car, it’s recommended that you take public transport rather than get a taxi if you’re trying to travel through Central London. If you are determined to get one, though, be aware that prices will vary considerably depending on how far away you’re travelling from and how heavy the traffic is you’ll be making your way through. As an example, a taxi from Euston to Wembley will take about 45 minutes and cost you around the same amount.

Facilities

In truth, Wembley is a little sterile behind the scenes. The concourses are generally concrete-based with little to no personality to speak of. It’s totally understandable, though, when you consider the number of different events the stadium has to host without suggesting favouritism to one team or another.

Whilst the concourses might be somewhat bland and faceless, the facilities within them are second to none. There are plenty of places to get a varied bite to eat – from pizzas through to hotdogs – as well numerous different drinks outlets. You’ll also be able to find a couple of kiosks where you’ll be able to place a bet before the game you’re going to watch.

Hospitality

As the largest stadium in the country, the number of hospitality options at Wembley are almost over-whelming. They also differ from event to event, so the choices you’ll have available to you for a Rihanna gig, for example, are significantly different from the packages you’ll get if you want to see the Barbarians play South Africa in November.

The Bobby Moore Club is one of the top-end hospitality options available at Wembley. Go down this route and you’ll never want to go back to a regular seat. You’ll enjoy a champagne reception, a three-course meal and a selection of wines and beers. You’ll have luxury seats on the halfway line and close to the dugouts, so you’ll get a similar view to the one experienced by the manager and his staff.

Other hospitality packages at Wembley tend to be named after precious materials. There is a Diamond package, for example, that offers a champagne reception, a three-course pre-match meal, a complimentary bar for three hours before the game and one hour afterwards and you’ll also get access to a cash bar during the match itself. There’s also a Sapphire package that will see you have access to a pre-match buffet, complimentary bar and Premium tickets on the Club Wembley Level Two section of the stadium.

Private hire

There is virtually no event that you’ll want to host that you won’t be able to host at Wembley Stadium. the Bobby Moore Room is the ground’s biggest space and offers the ability to host any occasion. Fancy having a gala event? They’ll take it in their stride. How about a fashion parade? Just tell them where to lay out the runway. T

he Bobby Moore Room is the ‘jewel in the crown’ of Wembley’s private hire options. It has two levels, a mezzanine room and sweeping staircases that link it all together. The room boasts banqueting facilities for up to 1900 people, cocktails for up to 3250 and a square metre space of 3480.

The Great Hall has a size of 2080 square metres, good proportions and a glass wall offering cracking views of the Olympic Way. It is a great space for events such as an exhibition or a dinner dance. You can have a cocktail party for 2000 people, a theatre arrangement for 1800 or use it for whatever you fancy if you have a more specific idea about how to use the space.

The Wembley Suite, meanwhile, is a smaller and more intimate space. It is a self-contained location, so you’ll get privacy as well as a classy location. It is the perfect location for things like pre-event registration, small cocktail parties, or any unique occasion that will have smaller numbers and requires a little bit more intimacy than the larger suites and rooms that Wembley Stadium has to offer.

Wembley Hotels

London is a vast, sprawling city full of numerous different suburbs that are each like a mini-city all of their own. Your hotel options, then, are plentiful. The further afield you’re happy to go the more choices you’ll have at your disposal, but we’ve picked a few of our own to make life simpler for you.

1. Ibis London Wembley – £50+. Address: South Way Wembley, Wembley, HA9 8AD. Just half a mile away from the stadium and with an address that includes the words ‘Wembley Way’, the ibis features a restaurant, a bar, self-parking and free Wi-Fi. ibis hotels aren’t the most exciting chain in the world, but they’re neat and tidy and functional places to stay.
2. Holiday Inn Wembley – £70+. Address: Empire Way, Wembley, HA9 8DS. Holiday Inn hotels are another chain that offer you a certain standard of experience. This one is less than half a mile from the stadium and has an indoor pool as well as a health club. There’s also a restaurant and bar and, like most of the hotels in London, there’s free Wi-Fi too.
3. Holiday Inn Brent Cross – £125+. Address: Tilling Road Brent Cross, London, NW2 1LP. You’ll have to travel a bit further if you want to stay, but getting away from the heart of the Wembley area isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the world. It’s 4 miles away from Wembley but you’ll be rewarded with a free shuttle bus to Brent Cross shopping centre, self-parking, a restaurant and bar and a business centre.

Pubs & Bars Near Wembley

Although there are a number of bars and pubs located within the general area around Wembley Stadium, they certainly combined do not have the capacity to house all the fans who would like a drink before the game. So bear this in mind when planning your arrival time. The closest bars to the stadium such as J.J. Moons (Wetherspoons), the Green Man (both near Wembley Stadium station) and the Torch (near Wembley Park tube station), are usually heaving many hours before kick off.

Cup and Play Off Finals the Police normally allocate pubs in a specific area to one teams supporters. This is based on which side of the stadium the fans are housed, on either the East or West side. Fulham have been allocated the East side of the stadium, whilst Aston Villa the West side. Not all of these venues are pubs as such but also include some night clubs, cafe bars and restaurants.

These venues throw their doors open when there is a big event going on at Wembley. So you may wish to so a little homework beforehand as to where you wish to head for. A list of the allocated pubs is below, please also check out a map showing the location of these pubs further down this page. Alcohol is also available inside the stadium. Also Wembley Stadium have now started having fan zones, one each outside the East and West sides of the stadium for respective Club’s fans to use. Although fairly small they do serve alcohol and these may well be developed further for future events.

Pubs on the East side include:

• Blue Check Cafe – 12/13 Empire Way, Wembley, HA9 0RQ;
• Crock of Gold – 23 Bridge Road, Wembley, HA9 9AB;
• Crystal Club (Silverspoon) – South Way, Wembley, HA9 0HB;
• Double 6 Sports Bar – 125 Wembley Park Drive, Wembley HA9 8HQ;
• Flyer’s Bar – 45 Blackbird Hill, NW9 8RS;
• St Joseph’s Social Club – Empire Way Wembley HA9 0RJ;
• The Parish – 120 Wembley Park Drive, Wembley, HA9 8HP;
• The Torch – Bridge Road, Wembley, HA9 9AB;
• Watkins Folly – 1 Empire Way, Wembley HA9 0EW;
• Wembley Tavern – 121 Wembley Park Drive, HA9 8HG.

Pubs on the West side include:

• The Arch, 324 Harrow Road, Wembley, HA9 8LL;
• Blue Room – 53 Wembley Hill Road, Wembley, HA9 8BE;
• Copper Jug – 10 The Broadway, Wembley, HA9 8JU;
• Corner House – 313 Harrow Road, Wembley HA9 6BA;
• Flannerys – 610 High Road, Wembley, HA0 2AF;
• Fusilier Inn – 652 Harrow Road, Wembley, HA0 2HA;
• Green Man – Dagmar Avenue, Wembley, HA9 8DF;
• JJ Moons – 397 High Road, Wembley, HA9 6AA;
• Liquor Station – 379 High Road, Wembley, HA9 6AA;
• Masti’s – 576 – 582 High Road, Wembley, HA0 2AA;
• Moore Spice – Wembley Retail Park, Unit 2, Engineers Way, HA9 0EW;
• Station 31 – 299 -303 Harrow Road, Wembley, HA9 6BD;
• Thirsty Eddie’s – 412 High Road, Wembley, HA9 6AH.

In addition, there are a number of outlets selling alcohol in the nearby London Designer Outlet and Arena Square. These tend to be frequented by supporters of both teams. Further down this page there is a map showing the location of all these pubs and areas.

However, most fans tend to either drink in the centre of London before the game, or have drink near one of the London Underground stations located north of the stadium such as Harrow on the Hill or further afield such as Watford Junction or Ruislip.

Harrow on the Hill, which is three stops away from Wembley Park on the tube and has a handy Wetherspoons and an O’Neills outlet. The good thing too is that if you park out in this direction, then after the game you are heading away from the masses who are normally heading back in the direction of Central London.

Alternatively, alcohol is sold within the stadium in the form of: Carlsberg (500ml can £4.95), Tetley’s (440ml can £4.50), Various Real Ales (pint £4.95), Somersby Cider (500ml can £4.95), Red & White wine (187ml bottle £5.20) and Smirnoff Ice (275ml bottle £5).

History

The conversation surrounding Wembley can be split into two parts: before the re-build and after it. Unfortunately for the England national team and its fans the success that they have witnessed was all in the original Wembley Stadium. The new Wembley is yet to see the team it hosts win a major trophy.

The 90,000 seats in Wembley make it the second largest stadium in Europe, 9354 seats less than those boasted by Camp Nou in Barcelona. There are over 2000 toilets in the ground, 35 miles worth of heavy-duty power cables and the construction involved the use of 23,000 tonnes of steel. Another interesting fact about Wembley is that the pitch is actually 13 foot lower than the pitch was previously.

Despite its overwhelming association with football, Wembley has also been the location for numerous music events. It is unlikely the stadium will ever see any-thing as spectacular as the Live Aid concert that the old Wembley witnessed, but with around 80,000 fans in attendance at most concerts it’s fair to say that the atmosphere is impressive regardless.