Wembley Stadium is considered to be the most famous ground in world football. Even though the first stadium was demolished in 2003, the current option of the home of England's international team was constructed on the same site and opened to the public in 2007. HOK Sport and Fosters and Partners developed the project for the current version of Wembley. There is a retractable roof on top of the ground and the famous Wembley Arch. Ironically, despite being one of the icons of Britain, the facility was built by an Australian firm called Multiplex, and it cost about £798 million.
Wembley does not just house the England international team. It also represents the ground where the finals of the most critical domestic club competitions in the country are hosted.
Interesting facts
- The first Wembley Stadium was often referred to as the Empire Stadium and was constructed as the centerpiece of a British Empire Exhibition at the end of the First World War.
- The circumference of the stadium is 1 kilometer.
- The new pitch is about four meters lower than the previous one
- There are 107 steps in the trophy presentation route – when the old version had 39 steps.
- At Wembley, Stadium trophies are presented to the winning team from the Royal Box rather than on the pitch. The Royal Box represents the traditional position - in the middle of the north stand - as in the case of the old Wembley Stadium.
- Each of the two enormous screens in the new stadium is the size of 600 domestic television sets.
- Wembley Stadium's concerts can hold over three times more people than the O2 London Arena or over thirteen times more people than the Royal Albert Hall.