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One could call this venue the national stadium of the United Kingdom . For decades,
Wembley Stadium, located at Wembley Park on the northwest side of London , has
served as the home of many signature sporting events, including the 1948 summer
Olympics, the 1966 World Cup and the Euro Cup finals in 1996.
In 2007, the old stadium along with its signature twin towers, which had been at this
location since 1923, was demolished, and a signature new Wembley Stadium was
built on the very same site. It is the second largest stadium in Europe , with a capacity
of over 90,000 seats, and like the old Wembley, has its own architectural signature – a
dramatic steel arch which rises to a height of 440 feet and spans the entire
circumference of the stadium itself. When lit up at night it can be seen from miles away.
Getting to the venue
Parking here at Wembley is very limited, and those driving to the game need to
prebook a parking pass by going to the stadium’s web site. Costs to park vary per
event but generally start at about £18. On street parking in the neighborhoods closest
to the stadium is not allowed and cars are ticketed and towed.
The best bet is to use public transportation. There are three rail and tube stations in
close proximity to Wembley – the Wembley Park station serves the Jubilee and
Metropolitan underground lines. Southwest from the stadium is the Wembley Central
station to handle the Bakerloo line and the London Overground rail. And the nearby
Wembley Station accesses the Chiltern train line.
Outside the venue
Wembley Park is one of the most boring and nondescript areas of London you would
ever want to see, a far contrast from the hub bub and energy of the central city. The
stadium is surrounded by warehouses and light industrial installations, and some
residential neighborhoods off in the distance. Next door is the old Wembley Arena,
opened in 1934 and recently renovated, that venue houses 12,500 seats. Areas
adjacent to the stadium have been cleared for redevelopment, with plans for a cinema,
civic center and public market.
The massive walkway from the Wembley park station to the stadium itself is called
Olympic Way, and is lined by a plethora of food and merchandise vendors and stands
in permanent kiosks, and offers the most dramatic views of the stadium as one
approaches the building. The view is so dramatic that a loudspeaker at the Wembley
Park station constantly has to inform recently arrived visitors not to stop and take
photos as they exit the station.
Architecture
The lattice arch which curves high above the stadium and supports much of the roof is
the signature of the building. The roof itself is partly retractable but this is still
considered an outdoor venue, while protecting spectators from the elements. The
entire circumference of the stadium is surrounded by a wide and spacious public
plaza, with flags and massive murals adorning the exterior walls of the venue. The
stadium cost over £798-million to build, making it the second most expensive such
facility in the world.
Concourses
The building is wrapped by a canyon wide concourse at each of the building’s three
levels, but accessing any of the levels other than the one you are sitting in is
impossible as fans are segregated from moving into any of the other levels. The
concourses feature timeline murals portraying the signature historical and sports or
events moments to happen here at Wembley Stadium, including the former venue,
and are a must see for the first time visitor. Concession points of sale line the entire
outer ring of the concourse, as well as merchandise kiosks, and yes, sports betting
parlors. Interesting too are the reinforced wire meshed barricades and gates which
can be utilized to further segregate fans from walking the entire circumference of the
venue, undoubtedly put into use when soccer matches are played, and “away” fans
need to be kept apart from those fans of the other team.
Seating Bowl
The massively huge seating bowl is divided into three levels, the 100, 200 and 500
levels, with a steep seating pitch on the uppermost deck, and an open roof which is
more like a covering than a weather protection device, offering slight adjustments to
accommodate the movement of the sun. The field is primarily configured as a soccer
pitch, which can then accommodate NFL playing surface dimensions nicely. The one
big minus here is the electronics. For the cost to build this stadium, scant attention
was paid to state of the art HD scoreboards or LED ribbon boards. The two
scoreboards in each end zone are tiny when placed within the size and mass of the
seating bowl.
Concessions
Prices inside the stadium are steep. A cheeseburger costs £5.00, which can be
upgraded to a meal with chips and a drink, bringing the cost to £8.00. You can't buy
chips alone. Similar deals include hot dogs (£4.00-£7.00), fish and chips (£7.00-£8.00
) and pies (£4.50-£6.00). Crisps are £1.50 and a coke is £3.20. A bottle of water is
£1.80. Fizzy alcohol in plastic runs from £3.50. Carlsberg is the only brand of beer sold
here. The food here runs the gamut of typical ballpark dreck, and like some of the other
sports venues we have visited in England , the concession kiosks and portable stands
outside the stadiums offer better fare at more reasonable prices.
Touchdowns, extra points, fumbles…
Extra point - a coulda, woulda, shoulda, brush with greatness. The greatest receiver in
NFL history walked by us nearly unnoticed. We'll be kicking ourselves for quite some
time as to why neither one of us walked up to Jerry Rice on our visit to Wembley.
Extra point - yes, we did see an NFL game here. As boring as one could possibly
imagine for about three quarters until San Francisco turned it on to win 24-16 over the
Denver Broncos.
Touchdown - we walked around Wembley prior to game time to see just how many
NFL teams jerseys were being worn by fans going to the game. The answer: all thirty
two teams had someone in the stands wearing their jersey. Yes, even Bills jerseys.
Wembley Stadium, located at Wembley Park on the northwest side of London , has
served as the home of many signature sporting events, including the 1948 summer
Olympics, the 1966 World Cup and the Euro Cup finals in 1996.
In 2007, the old stadium along with its signature twin towers, which had been at this
location since 1923, was demolished, and a signature new Wembley Stadium was
built on the very same site. It is the second largest stadium in Europe , with a capacity
of over 90,000 seats, and like the old Wembley, has its own architectural signature – a
dramatic steel arch which rises to a height of 440 feet and spans the entire
circumference of the stadium itself. When lit up at night it can be seen from miles away.
Getting to the venue
Parking here at Wembley is very limited, and those driving to the game need to
prebook a parking pass by going to the stadium’s web site. Costs to park vary per
event but generally start at about £18. On street parking in the neighborhoods closest
to the stadium is not allowed and cars are ticketed and towed.
The best bet is to use public transportation. There are three rail and tube stations in
close proximity to Wembley – the Wembley Park station serves the Jubilee and
Metropolitan underground lines. Southwest from the stadium is the Wembley Central
station to handle the Bakerloo line and the London Overground rail. And the nearby
Wembley Station accesses the Chiltern train line.
Outside the venue
Wembley Park is one of the most boring and nondescript areas of London you would
ever want to see, a far contrast from the hub bub and energy of the central city. The
stadium is surrounded by warehouses and light industrial installations, and some
residential neighborhoods off in the distance. Next door is the old Wembley Arena,
opened in 1934 and recently renovated, that venue houses 12,500 seats. Areas
adjacent to the stadium have been cleared for redevelopment, with plans for a cinema,
civic center and public market.
The massive walkway from the Wembley park station to the stadium itself is called
Olympic Way, and is lined by a plethora of food and merchandise vendors and stands
in permanent kiosks, and offers the most dramatic views of the stadium as one
approaches the building. The view is so dramatic that a loudspeaker at the Wembley
Park station constantly has to inform recently arrived visitors not to stop and take
photos as they exit the station.
Architecture
The lattice arch which curves high above the stadium and supports much of the roof is
the signature of the building. The roof itself is partly retractable but this is still
considered an outdoor venue, while protecting spectators from the elements. The
entire circumference of the stadium is surrounded by a wide and spacious public
plaza, with flags and massive murals adorning the exterior walls of the venue. The
stadium cost over £798-million to build, making it the second most expensive such
facility in the world.
Concourses
The building is wrapped by a canyon wide concourse at each of the building’s three
levels, but accessing any of the levels other than the one you are sitting in is
impossible as fans are segregated from moving into any of the other levels. The
concourses feature timeline murals portraying the signature historical and sports or
events moments to happen here at Wembley Stadium, including the former venue,
and are a must see for the first time visitor. Concession points of sale line the entire
outer ring of the concourse, as well as merchandise kiosks, and yes, sports betting
parlors. Interesting too are the reinforced wire meshed barricades and gates which
can be utilized to further segregate fans from walking the entire circumference of the
venue, undoubtedly put into use when soccer matches are played, and “away” fans
need to be kept apart from those fans of the other team.
Seating Bowl
The massively huge seating bowl is divided into three levels, the 100, 200 and 500
levels, with a steep seating pitch on the uppermost deck, and an open roof which is
more like a covering than a weather protection device, offering slight adjustments to
accommodate the movement of the sun. The field is primarily configured as a soccer
pitch, which can then accommodate NFL playing surface dimensions nicely. The one
big minus here is the electronics. For the cost to build this stadium, scant attention
was paid to state of the art HD scoreboards or LED ribbon boards. The two
scoreboards in each end zone are tiny when placed within the size and mass of the
seating bowl.
Concessions
Prices inside the stadium are steep. A cheeseburger costs £5.00, which can be
upgraded to a meal with chips and a drink, bringing the cost to £8.00. You can't buy
chips alone. Similar deals include hot dogs (£4.00-£7.00), fish and chips (£7.00-£8.00
) and pies (£4.50-£6.00). Crisps are £1.50 and a coke is £3.20. A bottle of water is
£1.80. Fizzy alcohol in plastic runs from £3.50. Carlsberg is the only brand of beer sold
here. The food here runs the gamut of typical ballpark dreck, and like some of the other
sports venues we have visited in England , the concession kiosks and portable stands
outside the stadiums offer better fare at more reasonable prices.
Touchdowns, extra points, fumbles…
Extra point - a coulda, woulda, shoulda, brush with greatness. The greatest receiver in
NFL history walked by us nearly unnoticed. We'll be kicking ourselves for quite some
time as to why neither one of us walked up to Jerry Rice on our visit to Wembley.
Extra point - yes, we did see an NFL game here. As boring as one could possibly
imagine for about three quarters until San Francisco turned it on to win 24-16 over the
Denver Broncos.
Touchdown - we walked around Wembley prior to game time to see just how many
NFL teams jerseys were being worn by fans going to the game. The answer: all thirty
two teams had someone in the stands wearing their jersey. Yes, even Bills jerseys.
WEMBLEY
STADIUM
London,
United
Kingdom
NFL:
Denver
Broncos
vs
San
Francisco
49ers
October 31,
2010
STADIUM
London,
United
Kingdom
NFL:
Denver
Broncos
vs
San
Francisco
49ers
October 31,
2010
| London, United Kingdom |
Wembley Stadium
