The stadium, mighty as it is, seems crowded out by the flats, hotels and shopping options, a constant building site. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'stadiumfreak_com-leader-2','ezslot_3',158,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-stadiumfreak_com-leader-2-0');Before the old Wembley was constructed in the early 1920s, another project had been constructed on the location of the stadium. In 1994, there were rumours that Wembley Stadium would be redeveloped to build a new English national stadium. Inside are sketches of the Wembley Arch by its architect Norman Foster, 2012 Olympic bid memorabilia and a chunk of the stadiums demolished twin towers. [22] It featured a hat-trick by Blackpool's Stan Mortensen in his side's 43 win, with Matthews almost single-handedly turning the match around for Blackpool, who had trailed 31 to Bolton Wanderers before fighting back to win the match. 90,000cubic meters(120,000cubicyards) of concrete were used during construction. Its the biggest football stadium in the United Kingdom and holds a remarkable spot in sports history. The plans were delayed though due to various legal and financial problems, and the demolition of the iconic twin towers of the old stadium started in December 2002. [3], The Twin Towers were granted Grade II listed status in 1976. Queen: The Definitive Biography. The London 2012 Olympic Legacy is the longer-term benefits and effects of the planning, funding, building and staging of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in summer 2012. The stadium, mighty as it is, seems crowded out by the flats, hotels and shopping options, a constant building site. Up until today, the pitch is being criticized as there seems to be no solution to recreate the perfect pitch that the old stadium was famous for.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'stadiumfreak_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_0',157,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-stadiumfreak_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'stadiumfreak_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_1',157,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-stadiumfreak_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0_1');.large-mobile-banner-1-multi-157{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:15px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:15px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. Lionel Van Praag (1936), Tommy Price (1949), and Freddie Williams (1950 and 1953), all won World Championships whilst riding for Wembley. In 1996, it was the principal venue of UEFA Euro 1996, hosting all of England's matches, as well as the tournament's final, where Germany won the UEFA European Championship for a third time after defeating the Czech Republic 21 with the first international golden goal in football history. The stadium's first turf was cut by King George V, and it was first opened to the public on 28 April 1923. The remains of the old Wembley Stadium lie buried in an unassuming park next to the A40 called Northala Fields. However, the final match at Wembley was the opening qualifier for the 2002 World Cup, and defeat prompted the resignation of England manager Kevin Keegan at the end of the match after just 18 months in charge. The small village of Wemb Lea, as it was first known, was founded in 825. The old Wembly Stadium was closed and remained locked for two years before the demolition process began in December 2002. Construction of the new stadium began in 2002. The old stadium is expected to be completely demolished by March. Hidden In A North London Park. Four lifts and a new series of steps will transport supporters up to the main entry level in future. The headquarters of the FA is located within Wembley Stadium.The FA logo is outside of its office inside Wembley Stadium. Demolition work on one of the most famous landmarks in world football was beginning today at Wembley stadium in north-west London. Because of this, they played their home matches during the entire 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 seasons at Wembley during the construction phase of their new home.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'stadiumfreak_com-narrow-sky-1','ezslot_9',162,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-stadiumfreak_com-narrow-sky-1-0');The New Tottenham Stadium / Bluejam / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en. The main contractor of the stadium was the Australian construction company Multiplex. Their most famous projects are The Emirates Towers in Dubai, and Australia 108 in Melbourne, the tallest building in Australia. In April 1970 this show jumping event was held at Wembley Stadium. [14], However, facing personal bankruptcy, White suddenly killed himself at his home, King Edward's Place, in 1927. RM2D32RBY - The crown is removed from the flag pole as the demolition of the famous twin towers of Wembley Stadium begins in London. The old Wembley Stadium got demolished in 2003, after which construction of the new stadium started. With new employment, houses, and infrastructure all fitting along to create a new environment, regeneration continues to produce revolutionary change in the neighborhood. Up close? Its dramatic looking too. But the site of the new Wembley is slightly different to that of the old, and the landmark would have ended up in the middle of the pitch. On July 13, 1985, the British Live Aid concert was held. The first defeat was in the play off for the Euro 2000 qualifiers in November 1999, but England still went through as they won the other leg 20 at Hampden Park. The stadium became a musical venue in August 1972 with The London Rock and Roll Show, an all star concert. The FA Cup Finals were heldin Wembley in 1923. [35], In the sport of rugby league, the RFL held its Challenge Cup Final at Wembley from 1929 onwards. A number of rugby games were also held, such as the 1999 Challenge Cup. Multiple famous artists have performed at Wembley Stadium, Top 10 Great Facts about the JordanHare Stadium, Top 8 Great Facts About The Westfalenstadion, 10 Great Facts About the Veltis-Arena (Arena AufSchalke), 17 Facts About The History of The Rose Bowl Stadium, Top 10 Amazing Ohio Stadium History Facts, Top 10 Amazing Neyland Stadium History Facts, 10 Huge Facts About The Arthur Ashe Stadium, 10 Fun Facts About The BryantDenny Stadium. Nothing else mattered. The real lost architecture on this site - where the pitch now is i believe - was the only partially completed Watkins Tower/ eiffel tower clone. A year later, the stadium was completely gone. A short lived revival saw the Lions in the British League in the 1970 and 1971 seasons. Keeping the facade would be a blessing, but alas we end up with some soulless structure with no sense of history. When building the new stadium, a time capsule was buried under the pitch. The stadium is actually owned by the FA (Football Association), which is the governing body of Association Football in England. Omissions? To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. It was the first sport Sir Arthur Elvin introduced to the stadium. But there's another spot in London, where an original piece of England's former . The track record at Wembley will forever be held by Denmark's World Champion of 1984, 1985 & 1988 Erik Gundersen. 2015: Wembley in Union - the stadium is one of the venues for . The new 90,000-seater stadium in north London is due to open in 2006. The FA Cup final was played there in April or May until 2000 (excluding the 1970 replay when Chelsea beat Leeds United at Old Trafford). First known as the "British Empire Exhibition Stadium"[4] or simply "Empire Stadium", it was built by Sir Robert McAlpine[5] for the British Empire Exhibition[6] of 1924 (extended to 1925). [38] The Mal Meninga-led Australian team won the game 106 on the back of a Steve Renouf try in the north-east corner and Meninga's goal kicking. The stadium can hold 90,000 spectators and has 166 executive suites. By that I mean they are grim and soulless structures totally determined by the market's bottom line while being totally devoid of sentiment or locality. William A. Shea Municipal Stadium. The project was shelved after the company that had started it failed financially in 1899, and the Old Wembley Stadium was eventually built on top of its foundations.The Watkins Tower never reached its full height and was demolished at 47 meters. The Twin Towers were the last structure of Wembley to be demolished. European Cup Finals, with Liverpool,Barcelona - twice - and Bayern Munich lifting 'Ol' Big Ears'. England were defeated 01 by Germany, with Dietmar Hamann scoring the last goal at the original Wembley. Previously, the park was once the location of the folly Watkins Tower. The stadium has a special design feature, 9. Time capsule. It is owned by a subsidiary of the Football Association and is used for football (soccer), rugby, and other sports and also for musical events. And it as. Despite regularly being used for World Championship and other British championship meetings, Wembley long had a reputation as a track that was difficult to pass on which often led to processional racing. / Source. The total cost to build Wembley Stadium, excluding the loss made by Multiplex, is estimated to have been 789million, which is the equivalent of over 1.2 billion today! [26] Seven years later, Wembley was the venue for a specially arranged friendly between teams called "The Three" and "The Six" to celebrate the United Kingdom joining the European Economic Community. Play ball! This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. The reasons given to English Heritage were that they would be in the middle of the pitch of the new stadium plans and served no practical purpose. Why is Wembley Stadium so famous? The pitch size is 115yards (105meters) long by 75yards (69meters) wide.Wembley Stadium overview / Jbmg40 / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en, 2. It holds the record for most toilets in any venue, with a total of 2,618. It would've been situated in Nuremberg with a monumental capacity, and it was architected by Albert Speer, a close ally of Hitler himself. On June 11, 1988, there was a concert dedicated to Nelson Mandelas 70th birthday. Much like professional sports teams in fact. Just as Manchester United commemorates football legends with statues just outside of Old Trafford, so does the FA regarding a legend who played in the English football shirt. / Jackardsiffant / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0. Your body is trying to tell you something. The reasons given to English Heritage were that they would be in the middle of the pitch of the new stadium plans and served no practical purpose. Construction of the current stadium, which bears the same name, began in 2003 and it was officially opened in 2007. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Since then the stadium has stood empty. He stopped Cooper in the very next round, as predicted. It wasnt long before the Wembley Company changed their minds and bought it back. The concert of Adele in June 2017 was visited by 98,000 people which is the highest attendance ever in the stadium. Press J to jump to the feed. What is buried under old Wembley Stadium? The first event held at the stadium was the 1923 FA Cup Final on 28 April between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United. The first two were 1963 final between Milan and Benfica, and the 1968 final between Manchester United and Benfica. As of April 2016, the WWE considers this to be their fourth largest live gate in history behind only WrestleMania 32 (2016) which drew a reported 101,763, WrestleMania III (1987) which drew a reported 93,173 and WrestleMania 29 (2013) which drew 80,676 fans. Riders who won the World Championship at Wembley include; inaugural champion Lionel Van Praag (Australia), Jack Milne (United States), Bluey Wilkinson (Australia), Tommy Price (England), Freddie Williams (Wales), Jack Young (Australia the first two-time winner, first back-to-back winner and the first second division rider to win the title), Ronnie Moore (New Zealand), Ove Fundin (Sweden), Barry Briggs (New Zealand), Peter Craven (England), Bjrn Knutsson (Sweden), Ole Olsen (Denmark), Bruce Penhall (United States the winner of the 1981 World Final), and legendary New Zealand rider Ivan Mauger. It emerged in November 1998 that the famous towers would be demolished as part of a new 757m, 90,000-seater stadium, scheduled to open in 2006. [43] Both were originally held at Wembley, the St Leger from 1928 until 1998 after which it moved to Wimbledon Stadium and the Trafalgar Cup from 1929 until 1998 after which it moved to Oxford Stadium. The movable stadium roof does not close completely but can shelter all the seats. Old Wembley Stadium, London. The circumference of the stadium is approximately 1 kilometer (0.62 miles). One of the most prominent features of the stadium is its circular section lattice arch which supports 100% of the roof on the north side and 60% of the retractable roof on the south side. He was able to finance this by forming the 'Wembley Stadium and Greyhound Racecourse Company' He raised the money to buy the stadium at the original price he had agreed with White, and then immediately sold it back to the company, leaving him with a healthy personal profit. They were constructed in 1923 on the site of Watkin's Towerin Wembley, and came to be recognised as one of the iconic symbols of English football in general and of Wembley Stadiumin particular. [9] English Heritage also withdrew their objections, thus paving the way for the Twin Towers to be demolished. At the time, football personalities including World Cup hero Sir Geoff Hurst still expressed hope they could be included in the designs for the new stadium. [12] The original foundations of Watkin's Tower were rediscovered during the demolition. It was also the venue for numerous music events, including the 1985 Live Aid charity concert. In what was the first major WWF (now WWE) pay-per-view to take place outside North America, it hosted the 1992 SummerSlam. / Source. What is the biggest concert at Wembley Stadium? [20], It was thought that the match would not be played because of the number of spectators inside the stadium that had spilled onto the pitch. The sliding roof has a special function, 14. The construction company hired for the build was Sir Robert McAlpine. American (gridiron) football is played at the stadium in the National Football League International Series. Were going to Wembley! News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Built in 1923, the old Wembley Stadium was dubbed "the cathedral of football" by Brazillian footballer Pele. 26. The ground had been used for football as early as the 1880s.[12]. From 1958 until the mid-1970s, hurling and gaelic football tournaments known as the "Wembley Tournaments" were held at Wembley Stadium to bring the Irish sports to expatriates in Britain at the time. The first team other than Scotland to face England at the venue was Argentina. The arch is 436 feet (133 metres) in height and is tilted 22 from the perpendicular. Wembley is bigger than many famous pitches in football. The march of progress is remorseless and unyielding. Wembley Stadium, stadium in the borough of Brent in northwestern London, England, built as a replacement for an older structure of the same name on the same site. I have been to the old stadium a few times. Jackson, Laura (2002). Excavations uncovered an amazing surprise, 11. 28. They became grade II listed buildings in 1976, but they were demolished in 2003 to make way for the new Wembley Stadium. The original Wembley Stadium, built to house the British Empire Exhibition of 192425, was completed in advance of the exhibition in 1923. Wembley hosted a regular-season NFL game, 16. 20. This first match was the 1923 FA Cup final, which . Wembley was a regular venue for greyhound racing. Wembley Stadium, which is located in the town of the same name in the northwest of London, is best known for hosting Association Football games (or soccer games as its called in 9 countries) of the English National team and cup finals. When the stadium was rebuilt no locomotive or carriage (or stone circle) was found, though the foundations of Watkin's tower were. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. The final of the 1999 Challenge Cup was the last to be played at the stadium and was attended by 73,242 fans, with the annual fixture moving to other grounds (Murrayfield Stadium, Millennium Stadium and Twickenham) before returning to the new Wembley upon its completion in 2007. [42], Wembley's owners' refusal to cancel the regular greyhound racing meant that the match between Uruguay and France in the 1966 FIFA World Cup was played at White City.[42]. [28] It was also to be the home of the amateur club which made several applications to join the Football League, the Argonauts. [13] The top of one of the towers was moved to be installed as a memorial at St Raphael's Estate, Neasden,[14] and the "iconic" tower flagpoles are now located at the late Sir William McAlpine's Fawley Hill estate.[15]. At this time the stadium was known as the British Empire Exhibition Stadium or the Empire Stadium due to it being the centrepiece of a British Empire Exhibition at the end of the First World War. 29. One of the sub-contractors, Cleveland Bridge, suddenly withdrew from the project and had to be replaced by Dutch firm Hollandiaif(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'stadiumfreak_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_6',115,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-stadiumfreak_com-mobile-leaderboard-1-0');.. The crowds overflowed onto the pitch as there was no room on the terraces. My first visit was in 1978 for The Salvation Armys international Congress. Much of Humphry Repton's original Wembley Park landscape was transformed in 192223 during preparations for the British Empire Exhibition of 192425. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. The pitch was surrounded by wooden beams and little damage was caused.[41]. [1] Initially they were only intended to be a temporary construction, and the plan was to demolish them after the exhibition, but the chairman of the exhibition committee Sir James Stevenson requested that they be preserved. Wembley also hosted the Final of the Speedway World Team Cup in 1968, 1970 and 1973 won by Great Britain (1968 and 1973) and Sweden (1970). In this post, youll discover the ultimate list of facts about Wembley Stadium, a sports temple that has plenty of amazing stories to tell. It was Sir Bobby Charlton who unveiled the statue of Bobby Moore on May 11, 2007, a week before the official opening of the New Wembley.Bobby Moore is just outside of the stadium. One of the most amazing facts about Wembley Stadium is that it was the venue of the first-ever regular-season NFL game to be held in Europe and even outside of North America on October 28, 2007. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'stadiumfreak_com-portrait-2','ezslot_14',166,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-stadiumfreak_com-portrait-2-0');TheNew York Giantsdefeated theMiami Dolphinsby a score of 1310 in a historical game in front of 81,176 spectators. At the end of the exhibition, which proved to be a financial disappointment, the site at Wembley was considered by many to be a vast 'white elephant'. What is the long-term legacy of the Olympic Park? With one of the most admirable football arenas in the world completed, all English football fans had something to be immensely proud of. It was one of the most expensive sports stadiums ever constructed, 7. Most early internationals (including the first ever international football match (1870)) were played at The Oval, which opened in 1845 as the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club and would in 1880 host the first Test match played in England. It served as the principal venue of the London 1948 Olympic Games and remained in use until 2000. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. [1] English Heritage opposed the demolition and Brent London Borough Council stated that they would not approve any new stadium that did not include the Twin Towers. The record attendance was set during an FA Cup Final between Portsmouth and Cardiff City on May 17, 2008, when 89,874 people watched the game. In what was being seen as the beginning of the end for Wembley's old twin towers, the concrete crowns that for 69 years had rested on top of the towers' flagpoles were being removed. The old Wembley Stadium, with its much loved twin towers stood tall as a standing memory of British sporting history until it was closed in 2000, before being demolished in September 2002. Built in 1974, to avoid fans having to plot their way through a long-disused coach park. For nearly half a century, even as everything else altered, the walkway was unchanging, a link between the old Wembley and the new. "The construction cost has been 326.5m since last September. The reason that a movable roof was installed was to allow sunlight to reach the grass of the pitch. The stadium from a far looked incredible. Opened: 1964. An estimated 300,000 spectators came in. As this was the last time the stadium was used for speedway racing, it remains the track record. Now, just like those towers, the walkway is part of history too, being demolished to create a new approach to the new home of the English game. Wham! It stood on the same site now occupied by its successor.[2]. 2824 in front of 99,801 spectators, which as of 2017 remains the second highest rugby league attendance in England behind only the 1954 Challenge Cup Final replay at Bradford's Odsal Stadium when a then world record attendance of 102,575 saw Warrington defeat Halifax 84 (the original 1954 cup final at Wembley, drawn 44, was played in front of 81,841 fans).[37]. 25. Demolished: February 2009. This caused financial complications for Elvin, necessitating him to raise money within two weeks to commit to buy the stadium before it too was demolished. The White Horse Final in 1923, and July 30 1966, Geoff Hurst, Nobby Stiles and Jules Rimet. The last international match was on 7 October,[32] in Kevin Keegan's last game as England manager. Updates? The old Wembley, with its iconic Twin Towers faade, was undoubtedly the home of the FA Cup from when it . Apart from important football matches, its also used as a venue for multiple other sports, including Rugby, American Football, and Boxing, as well as a venue for artists to hold concerts.Wembley Stadium before a Rugby game. The 660m figure came out when Wembley National Stadium Limited went to the City for funding in December, and includes the costs of the land deal, the demolition, construction of the stadium, financing and consultants' and legal fees," says a source. The new Wembley was the largest stadium in Great Britain at the time of its opening in 2007, with a seating capacity of 90,000. [13] After nine months, having earned a good sum from selling various buildings on the site, Elvin agreed to buy the stadium from White for a total of 127,000, using a 12,000 downpayment and the balance plus interest payable over ten years. Wembley Stadium was constructed by Australians (and they surely regret it), 6. What venues were used in the 2012 Olympic Games? The United States Football League also played an exhibition game there on 21 July 1984 between the Philadelphia Stars and Tampa Bay Bandits. It served as the principal venue of the London 1948 Olympic Games and remained in use until 2000. The Minister for Sport, Tony Banks described them dismissively as "concrete blocks". The then sports minister, Tony Banks, dismissed the towers as "non-functional" while the FA chief executive of the time, Graham Kelly, admitted he could "not get excited" about them as the nation was set to posses one of the best stadiums in the world. / Source. The National Football League (NFL) held nine preseason American football games at Wembley between 1983 and 1993. The stadium was erected to serve the British Empire Exhibition and at the time it was named the British Empire Exhibition Stadium thus the moniker Empire Stadium. The Lions were formed by the Wembley Stadium chairman Sir Arthur Elvin. Miraculously, a tear was discovered in Ali's glove between rounds, briefly holding up proceedings and giving him vital time to recover. [22] In the previous six years, he failed to earn a winner's medal against Manchester United in 1948 and Newcastle United in 1951. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. Brazilian footballer Pel once said of the stadium: "Wembley is the cathedral of football. It is the capital of football and it is the heart of football",[3] in recognition of its status as the world's best-known football stadium. The stadium also features in the 2001 mockumentary film Mike Bassett: England Manager. And, in the distance, rising up, the walkway, officially 'the Olympic Steps'. Known as the Empire Stadium, the old Wembley Stadium was home to countless football games, as well as the 1948 Summer Olympics, music concerts, rugby games, motorcycle speedway championships, and many other events. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'stadiumfreak_com-sky-3','ezslot_15',152,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-stadiumfreak_com-sky-3-0');Multiple lawsuits after construction were completed reduced their loss from 183 million to 148 million, which is probably not something they celebrated.Emirates Towers constructed by Multiplex. Now, in truth, you need to have laser vision to even see what you are heading towards. Tottenham used it as their home ground for nearly 2 seasons, 17. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. In 1949 the France national rugby league team became the first French national team of any sport to win at Wembley. At one point, a total of 3,500 construction workers were busy working inside the stadium.Construction of the Arch / Htmlland / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en. It took a total of 300 days to construct the stadium at a cost of 750,000. It was originally intended to demolish the stadium at the end of the Exhibition, but it was saved at the suggestion of Sir James Stevenson, a Scot who was chairman of the organising committee for the Empire Exhibition. . England began playing at the Empire Stadium in Wembley in 1924, the year after it opened. Demolition. Of the millions of fans who threaded beneath it, dreaming of glory, of a day to remember for the rest of their lives. I grew up near here, and went to matches and concerts at the stadium a few times!! Preliminary demolition work started in December 2002 with the concrete crowns being removed from the top of the flagpoles. The new surface uses the very latest turf technology with over 75,000km of artificial grass fibres stitched into the layers of sand beneath the pitch, which is composed of 97 per cent organic grass and three per cent artificial grass fibres. Current Status: Parking . We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. [7] It was also claimed that it would be impractical to move the towers elsewhere because the ferro-concrete would crumble easily and unevenly, making it impossible for them to be dismantled and reassembled somewhere else in any solid form. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. These include for example the Millennium Bridge in London, The Reichstag Building in Berlin, and the Varso Tower in Warsaw, Poland (which will become the tallest skyscraper in the European Union upon completion).if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'stadiumfreak_com-leader-3','ezslot_4',149,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-stadiumfreak_com-leader-3-0');The dome of the Reichstag Building in Berlin, a project completed by Foster and Partners. There has rightly been a shift from hiring engineers as project leads on new stadiums to architects instead, and it shows. The match finished 20 to "The Three". During this game, approximately 90,000 boxing fans saw Joshua beat Klitschko after a Technical Knockout, an absolute record attendance for a boxing match.Wembley during a boxing event. The new stadium officially opened in March 2007. Maxwell Ayrton and Sir John William Simpson were the architects behind the design. Wembley Stadium (2003) Image by Nick from Bristol under creative commons licence. Two meetings were held at Wembley in 1974 promoted by Trevor Redmond. After the games the village will become a district of the Stratford City development, a multibillion-pound development project on the former railway goods yard to the east of the Olympic Park.