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Also known as New Wembley or just Wembley, the Wembley stadium is adored by all football players across the world. Read this article to know what Wembley stadium will hold at London Olympics 2012.
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium is situated in Wembley Park, in the Borough of Brent, London, England. It will host the Football matches at London Olympics 2012. Wembley stadium came into public view in 2007 and was constructed exactly where the previous 1923 Wembley stadium was built. The New Wembley Stadium was designed by Foster and Partners and Populous (then HOK Sport) and was built by the Australian firm Brookfield Multiplex at the high cost of £798 million. It is equipped with a sliding roof to protect against bad weather. The arch of the new stadium rises over 130m into the sky amounting to four times higher than the height of the towers of old Wembley Stadium. The seating arrangement is very comfortable with an unrestricted view of the pitch and spacious leg room. It is the second largest stadium in Europe with a capacity of 90,000. Wembley Stadium is the national stadium of England and home stadium for England National Football team. English football's governing body, The Football Association (The FA), through their subsidiary Wembley National Stadium Ltd (WNSL) owns this stadium.
Fast Facts
Sport Events Football
Location In the North-western part of London
New or Existing Existing
Permanent or Temporary Permanent
Number Of Events To Be Hosted 2
Wembley Stadium - The Construction
The Empire Stadium or the "The Twin Towers" which was one of the world's most famous football stadiums was demolished in 2003. The New Wembley stadium was constructed on the site of the Empire stadium. Due to financial and legal difficulties the construction was delayed and was finally completed and handed over to the Football Association (FA) in 2007. The stadium was revealed to public on 17 March 2007 and was officially opened on 19 March 2007 showcasing the 2007 FA Cup Final. Architecturally, the Wembley stadium has a bowl design with a capacity of 90,000, protected by a sliding roof that partially encloses it. The area of the stadium roof is 40,000 m2, out of which 13,722 m2 is conveyable. This helps the grass to grow effectively in direct sunlight. Wembley stadium can also be transformed into an athletic stadium by just installing a temporary platform over the lowest tier of seating. The pitch of new Wembley stadium is 13 ft (4.0m) and is lower than the pitch of the old
Wembley stadium as required by the UEFA Stadium categories.
During The Games
The football matches are scheduled for 29, 31 July, 2012 and 1, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 11 August 2012 at the Wembley Stadium. Out of the six stadiums showcasing the London 2012 Olympic Games Football competition, the Wembley Stadium is the most spacious one. The gold medal events in both the Men's and Women's competition will occur here. According to an announcement in November 2011, both the men's and women's Great Britain teams will play group matches at Wembley stadium.
After The Games
Wembley Stadium will continue to be used as a state-of-art sports facility and will host numerous matches and other interesting events.
How To Reach The Venue
Wembley Stadium is linked with three stations and five rail lines. It is wiser to commute by London Underground if the spectators are coming from central London and by National Rail and London Overground if the spectators are coming from north and north-west. It is not advisable to travel by car as there will be no official public parking at the London Olympics 2012. Transport staff and volunteers will show you the way or directions to reach Wembley Stadium. Though the spectators should plan their journey ahead of time, still they should keep in touch with any last minute changes. Staff assistance will be provided at the step-free Wembley Park London Underground and Wembley Stadium National Rail stations. For public convenience, a shuttle service by Brent Community Transport (with drop-off and pick-up) between Wembley Park station and the stadium will be available during the games. Low floor local bus services will be at one's disposal, equipped with audio and visual information. Each bus will have one wheelchair space for the disabled spectators.
Some Interesting Facts About Wembley Stadium
- The steel arch has a span of 317 meters (1,040 ft), and it is the longest single span roof structure in the world, thus the stadium requires light beams for low flying aircraft.
- Built at the cost of £798 million, it is one of the most extravagant stadiums ever (After New Meadowlands Stadium) and has the largest roof-covered seating capacity in the world.
- The stadium has the facility of 2,618 toilets, the largest as compared to any other venue in the world.
- The huge circumference of the Wembley stadium is 1 km (0.62 mi).
Apart from football, Wembley stadium also hosts numerous interesting events particularly musical concerts. Many famous personalities have blazed the stage with their tremendous performances. The maiden concert at the new Wembley Stadium was presented by George Michael. The famous band Muse released a live DVD of their performance at the stadium. Whether it is Madonna or Foo Fighters or Metallica, they all have increased the significance of Wembley Stadium manifolds!
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