Wembley Stadium
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Wembley is the home of the England national team, as well as the venue for the finals of domestic cup competitions and League playoffs.
The new stadium was due to open in August 2005, but various delays meant it was not completed until March 2007, costing £737 million to construct. The most striking external feature of the stadium is “The Arch,” towering some 133 metres above it. Actually a load-bearing frame for the stands’ roofs, constructed of white tubular steel, it can be seen right across London and is particularly spectacular at night when lit.
The stadium is a totally enclosed, three-tiered structure with the sides being slightly larger than the ends. These sides are semi-circular in construction. The side stands have large upper and lower tiers. A smaller middle tier overhangs the lower tier, with executive boxes at its rear. The stadium has an all-seater capacity of 90,000. One-third of the roof is moveable to protect spectators in inclement weather.
A bronze statue of (thus far) Englands only World Cup winning skipper, Bobby Moore, overlooks Wembley Way.
How to get to Wembley Stadium
By Road:
Wembley Stadium is located in Empire Way, Wembley, Middlesex HA9 0DS.
The stadium is just off the A406 North Circular Road and is well signed from both the M1 and M40 motorways. However, Wembley is definitely a “public transport” venue, due to the large volumes of traffic in the area (see Where to Park? below).
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By Rail:
Wembley Park tube station, which is served by both the Jubilee and Metropolitan Lines, is about a 10-minute walk from the stadium.
Wembley Central station is slightly further from the stadium, but is served by both tube (Bakerloo Line) and overland trains (from London Euston). Click here to check the current train timetables
By Air:
Heathrow International is the most convenient airport. Air travellers should take the Heathrow Express to London Paddington, catch a Bakerloo Line tube to Baker Street and a Metropolitan Line tube to Wembley Park. Total journey time is just under an hour. Click here to check the current flight times
Where to Park?
There is very limited parking available at the stadium and a residents’ only parking scheme operates in the surrounding roads. Visiting fans have recommended parking at one of the tube stations on the Jubilee Line (Stanmore) or Metropolitan Line (Hillingdon, Ruislip or Uxbridge) and catching the tube to Wembley Park.
Wembley Stadium Tours
Pubs near Wembley Stadium
Pubs near the stadium become uncomfortably overcrowded on match days. Visiting fans advise that a pre-match drink in Central London may be advisable before travelling to the stadium. Pubs near Harrow on the Hill tube station (3 stops from Wembley Park) also appear popular with visitors.
A short walk away is The Green Man pub, set on a hill overlooking Wembley. They offer reasonably priced drinks and during reasonable weather also fire up a BBQ for fans to enjoy. There is a good atrmosphere leading up to the game, however it can get crowded inside therefore taking a while to get served.
Hotels near Wembley Stadium
The Quality Hotel Wembley, Empire Way, Wembley, Brent, London HA9 0NH is conveniently located just a few minutes walk from Wembley Stadium and a short walk away from Wembley Park tube station. Easily accessible from the M1 and M40, the hotel is also convenient for drivers, as free car parking is available on-site to guests. All rooms have air conditioning and are equipped with en suite bathrooms and standard 3-star facilities.
The Wembley Plaza, Empire Way, Wembley, Brent, London HA9 8DS offers a unique location next door to the Wembley Stadium and Arena. It is only a few minutes drive from the North Circular (A406) and just 10 minutes from the M1. All major routes including the M25, M4, M3, A40 and A10 are easily accessible. Central London is only 7 minutes’ train ride away and Heathrow Airport a 20 minute drive.
The Express By Holiday Inn London Park Royal, Victoria Road, North Acton, Ealing, London W3 6UP is located outside the congestion-charging zone, 2 minutes’ walk from North Acton London Underground station, which offers direct access to the centre of London in 15 minutes. Heathrow Airport is only 15 miles (24 km) away. The M40, M1, M4 and A4 motorways are within easy reach. Guest reviews note an excellent location and helpful staff.
What have other Fans said about their trip?
The vast majority of fans have been extremely impressed by Wembley Stadium, both in terms of looks and the facilities offered. All seats in the stadium reportedly offer excellent views of play. The top tier is particularly steep, but the angle ensures that the spectators feel close to the action. Concourses are spacious, with flat-screen TVs, merchandise outlets and betting facilities. Strategically positioned lighting helps to provide a modern, stylish environment.
The only reported downside is that the choice of food and drink is limited for such a prestigious venue and the products offered are very expensive.
My first visit to “New” Wembley (my only previous visit to “Old” Wembley being in 1996) was for an England friendly against Andorra, which England won comfortably 4-0.
The stadium is amazing, truly stunning, and immense – there’s a LOT more legroom than there used to be in the old stadium, but we were “up in the gods”, and although you get a great view of the play unfolding, you’re too far away to tell certain players apart (”is that Frank Lampard or Stewart downing warming up?”), and you have a strange sense of distance/angles – quite often we thought shots had skimmed the post only to see on the replay that it had gone three feet wide/over.
The food prices are criminal – you can’t buy chips on their own, only as part of a “meal deal”, which basically means handing over £8.50 for a burger and chips!! Needless to say, we went hungry!
Roads were gridlocked for nearly two hours after the game, so don’t expect to make a quick getaway!
I have been to Wembley following my club side and also Engalnd regularly – the Wembley Stadium Station is well run in terms of getting away,and I would advise travelling supporters from the North to park in Beaconsfield (Jnc 2 M40) and get a return train to Wembley stadium station (about £6 if you book early) and you can beat the motorway traffic afterwards without paying the ludicrous Wembley parking prices and there is no need to leave prior to thye final whistle to do so.
The prices for food and beer in and around the ground are ridiculous.
Went there last week for the carling cup final and what a ground.Loads of leg room very nice and polite stewards.The best pub we found was the green man its about 5 mins from wembley .It took an age to get a drink because it was so packed.They had 3 huge tents with a dj and 3 bars to serve you and they also had a bbq.Can get very rowdy in there so check what team have been given the pub.The doormen were also great.
Wembley can be a nightmare for travelling to/from. Whilst the seats are comfortable, the food and drink is barely edible and you need a bank loan to pay the high prices. The pitch is very poor and generally organisation and atmosphere inside the ground is no very good.
When compared to Cardiff, Wembley is a very poor third.