The new Wembley stadium (2)
Last weekend, I blogged about the construction of the new Wembley Stadium. Yesterday was Wembley Stadium Community Day when some 35,000 local residents were given the chance to visit the stadium free of charge and the owners were given the opportunity to test various systems. By entering an absurdly simply quiz in our local newspaper, I was able to obtain four free tickets for the event, so Vee and I went along with our good Chinese friends Hua & Zhihao to experience this tiny piece of history.
Security was very tight and, for some unexplained reason, I was told that I could not take photographs, but ….
Roger before the iconic 133-metre Wembley arch
Vee, Zhihao, Hua & Roger at one of the bases of the Wembley arch
Roger & Zhihao inside the 90,000-seat Wembley stadium
BBC on-line reported:
“The community day may not have been quite the all-singing, all-dancing fanfare many people had expected, but it seemed to be well-received and any problems were taken in good humour.”
One Sunday newspaper reports:
“The stadium looks stunning, most visitors agreed. Many remarked on the fact that the FA, builders Multiplex and architects Norman Foster and HOK Sport, managed to retain many of the old Wembley’s key characteristics – like the Royal Box and Wembley Roar-inducing good acoustics – in a futuristic building.”
It certainly has more toilets. The old venue had under 400 lavatories, whereas the new one has no fewer than 2,618. However, the blow dryers in the women’s toilets are deafening.
March 18th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Loved the pictures and felt envy at you sitting in a brand new red seat.
Hope Bejing has stadiums as good, but without the length of time it has taken to get it. Although they do so all good things are worth waiting for.