For football fans, this name alone has a special ring to it, behind which lie myths, legends and a lot of history: Wembley. The famous English stadium in London was opened a hundred years ago, was no longer used after 2000 and was finally demolished in 2002/03. During that time, great drama and entertainment took place there, heroes were born, history was made. In our photo series we show the most memorable moments from the history of the old Wembley Stadium.
When Wembley Stadium opened its doors in 1923, it was a real bargain from today’s perspective: it cost just £750,000 to build and was completed in 300 days. It was built for the British Empire Exhibition in 1924/25 – and it was originally planned to demolish the building immediately after the end of the exhibition. So not very sustainable. The organizing committee of the exhibition, which successfully campaigned for the preservation of the stadium, probably thought so too.
Wembley: Living room of the England national team
This is how Wembley became a legend of English and international sport. English football’s big finals were played there, it was the living room of the England national team and, fittingly, the site of their greatest triumph. It was at Wembley of all places that England won their only title so far. In 1966, the “Three Lions” became world champions in their own country by beating Germany 4:2 after extra time in the final. Crucial here: the “Wembley goal”, another standing term in football that was coined by this stadium.
The memory of Wembley initially had a rather bitter aftertaste for German football, but that later changed: the German national team first celebrated the European Championship title there in 1966. Then it was actually a German who scored the last goal in the stadium before it was demolished in an international match against England. At the time, Dietmar Hamann was dubbed the “Wembley wrecking ball” by the English media.
Other sports have also found a stage at Wembley, notably rugby and the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1948 Olympic Games. It has also hosted iconic music events such as the 1985 Live Aid benefit concert. The newly built Wembley Stadium opened in the same place in 2007 – since then it has been referred to as “old Wembley” with a touch of nostalgia.