WEMBLEY STADIUM
Wembley Stadium was a League ground for 3 seasons
from 1 July 2017 to 13 March 2019
and from 21 November 1930 to 7 December 1930
The 148th ground to be used for a League game
Opened: 1923
GROUND HISTORY
adapted from "The Ultimate Directory of English & Scottish Football League Grounds"
Sited in parkland, the area was selected in 1921 for the British Empire Exhibition. The stadium opened in 1923 with the FA Cup Final between West Ham United and Bolton Wanderers on April 28th when the nominal 126,500 capacity was famously exceeded with an estimated 200,000 gaining access. The venue was oval in shape with the football pitch surrounded by a running track, covered seated stands were located on the north and south sides and the remainder of the ground was open terracing.
In 1960 the covering was extended around the stadium and it was made an all-seater in 1990 with a capacity of 80,000. Wembley Stadium closed in 2000 and with its poor infrastructure and location within a residential area there was very popular support for the new national stadium to be located at a more easily accessible site. Although the Government invited other locations to bid for the new venue this proved to be no more than a public relations exercise as the Football Association had already signed a deal with the stadium owners committing itself to the Wembley site for the next 25 years and despite considerable obstacles, not least of all the price of some £750m, the project to rebuild it was given the go ahead in 2002.