Wembley: A history

There are two stadiums that have stood on the site, the current (new) Wembley was completed in 2007 after the previous stadium was demolished. 

The Old Wembley was opened in 1923 as the Empire Stadium and became one of the most famous venues in world football. Its twin towers were an iconic sight for fans and it played host to some of the most well known games in history. 

Perhaps the most famous story comes in the first match that the stadium hosted - the 1923 FA Cup final. The match took place just four days after construction work was completed and as such the FA did not consider selling tickets for the event. They grossly underestimated the amount of fans who would show up. 

The official attendance was put at 126,047 but many estimates have the crowd at well over 200,000 - the highest attendance ever at a football match. Pictures of the event show fans on the edges of the pitch with all seating capacity taken up, watching on as Bolton beat West Ham 2-0. 

The stadium went on to host the FA Cup final every year until its demolition, as well as becoming the spiritual home of the England national team. It hosted five European Cup finals, and England won the World Cup on home soil in 1966 with Wembley the location for the final against West Germany.

Capacity was later reduced to around 80,000 as stadiums became all seater in the 90s, and the FA began to search for an alternative as their showpiece stadium became dated and not fit for the job. It was demolished in 2003 and a new ground built on the same sight. Many were still sad to see the old ground go, with protests taking place against the demolition of the 'Home of Football'. 

All major English cup finals moved to Cardiff in the interim period, being played at the Millenium Stadium, while international matches moved up and down the country. 

The walk down Wembley Way now presents the fan with an altogther different sight. The iconic twin towers have been replaced by the Wembley arch, which supports the roof of the 90,000 seat arena. 

It has hosted two Champions League finals, most recently when Bayern Munich beat Borussia Dortmund. It has also hosted the final of the Olympic football tournament and is due to be the venue for the semi-finals and final of Euro 2020.