Wembley Stadium
The Venue of Legends
‎
Location	London, United Kingdom
Broke ground	2003
Opened	2007
Owner	The Football Association
Operator	Wembley National Stadium Limited
Surface	Grass
Construction cost	GBP £778 million (2007)
Architect	Foster and Partners HOK Sport Venue Event
Tenants	England national football team
Capacity	90,000 (football, rugby league) 86,000 (American football) 75,000 to 90,000 seated and 15,000 standing (concerts) 68,400 to 72,000 (athletics)

Wembley Stadium is a stadium in Wembley, located in the London Borough of Brent in London, England. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey Grass is the common word that generally describes Monocotyledonous green Plants The family Gramineae ( Poaceae) are the "true grasses" and include The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency Foster + Partners is a leading Architectural firm in the United Kingdom. HOK Sport Venue Event is an architectural firm specializing in the design of public assembly spaces and planning of major special events The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with A concert is a live Performance, usually of Music, before an Audience. A modern stadium (plural stadiums or stadia in English is a place or venue for (mostly outdoor Sports Concerts or other events consisting Wembley is an area located in North-West London, England which forms the northern part of the London Borough of Brent. The London Borough of Brent ( is a London borough in north west London, UK and forms part of Outer London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland It is owned by The Football Association (FA) via its subsidiary Wembley National Stadium Limited, and its primary use is for home games of the England national football team, and the main English domestic football finals. The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered It is also used for pop concerts and other sporting events.

With 90,000 seats the stadium has the second largest capacity in Europe (after the Camp Nou), and the largest in the world with every seat under cover^[1]. The following is an incomplete list of the largest sports stadia in Europe. The Camp Nou (kam ˈnɔw Catalan for "new field" often erroneously called the Nou Camp in both Spanish and English) is a football Immediately following its opening, it was often referred to as the "new Wembley Stadium" to distinguish it from the original stadium. original Wembley Stadium was a football Stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the The stadium is also the most expensive stadium ever built. ^[2]

The previous Wembley Stadium (originally known as the British Empire Exhibition Stadium or Empire Stadium) was one of the world's most famous football stadia, being England's national stadium for football, and because of the geographical origins of the game was often referred to as "The Home of Football". original Wembley Stadium was a football Stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football A national stadium is a Stadium that typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered ^[3] It hosted the European Cup (now the UEFA Champions League) final a record five times, and is one of seventeen stadia to have held a FIFA World Cup final. The European Champion Clubs' Cup, or simply the European Cup, is a Trophy awarded annually by UEFA to the football club that wins the UEFA See also List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup is a seasonal club The FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international Association football In 2003, the original structure was demolished and construction began on the new stadium, originally intended to open in 2006. This was later delayed until early 2007. The final completion date of the stadium came on 9 March 2007, when the keys to the stadium were handed over to the FA. Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[4]

Contents 1 Building 1.1 Structure 1.2 Pitch 1.3 Roof 2 Tenants 3 Music 4 Firsts at the new Wembley Stadium 4.1 Football 4.2 Rugby league 4.3 Rugby union 4.4 NFL 4.5 Music 4.6 Wrestling 5 References 6 External links

Building

Wembley was designed by architects HOK Sport and Foster and Partners with engineers Mott MacDonald, built by Multiplex and funded by Sport England, WNSL (Wembley National Stadium Limited), the Football Association, the Department for Culture Media and Sport and the London Development Agency. HOK Sport Venue Event is an architectural firm specializing in the design of public assembly spaces and planning of major special events Foster + Partners is a leading Architectural firm in the United Kingdom. The Mott MacDonald Group is a UK based employee-owned company that provides engineering consultancy design planning project management and consulting services to the global market Multiplex is a large Australian-based group of property and construction companies notable for its involvement in large scale projects Sport England is the brand name for the English Sports Council and is a Non-departmental public body under the Department for The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey The Department for Culture Media and Sport ( DCMS) is a department of the United Kingdom government, with responsibility for culture and sport The London Development Agency ( LDA) is the Regional Development Agency for Greater London, England. It is the most expensive stadium ever built^[2] at a cost of £798 million (roughly US$1. 57 billion)^[2] and has the largest roof-covered seating capacity in the world.

The all-seater stadium is based around a bowl design with a capacity of 90,000, protected from the elements by a sliding roof that does not completely enclose it. It can also be adapted as an athletic stadium by erecting a temporary platform over the lowest tier of seating. The stadium's signature feature is a circular section lattice arch of 7 m (23 ft) internal diameter with a 315 m (1,033 ft) span, erected some 22° off true, and rising to 140 m (459 ft) tall. It supports all the weight of the north roof and 60% of the weight of the retractable roof on the southern side. ^[5] The archway is the world's longest unsupported roof structure. ^[6] Instead of the 39 steps climbed, in the original stadium, to enter the Royal Box and collect a trophy, there are now 107. ^[7]

A "platform system" has been designed to convert the stadium for athletics use, but its use would decrease the stadium's capacity to approximately 60,000. No athletics events have taken place at the stadium, and none are scheduled.

The stadium is linked to Wembley Park Station on the London Underground via Olympic Way, and Wembley Central via the White Horse Bridge. Wembley Park tube station is a London Underground station in Wembley Park, Greater London. The London Underground is a Metro system serving a large part of Greater London and neighbouring areas of Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire Wembley Central is a Network Rail station served by London Underground, London Overground and National Rail services The White Horse Bridge is the name of the new (2006 footbridge that crosses Wembley Stadium railway station leading up to Wembley Stadium. It also has a rail link—provided by the Wembley Stadium railway station—to London Marylebone and Birmingham. Wembley Stadium railway station is a Network Rail station in Wembley, Greater London on the Chiltern Main Line. Marylebone station or London Marylebone station is a National Rail and London Underground station in central London, England. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um

The initial plan for the reconstruction of Wembley was for demolition to begin before Christmas 2000, and for the new stadium to be completed some time during 2003, but this work was delayed by a succession of financial and legal difficulties. It was scheduled to open on 13 May 2006, with the first game being that year's FA Cup Final. Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. However, worries were expressed as to whether the stadium would actually be completed on time. ^[8] The new stadium was completed and handed over to the FA on 9 March 2007, with the total cost of the project (including local transport infrastructure redevelopment and the cost of financing) estimated to be £1 billion (roughly US$1. Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. 97 billion).

In October 2005, Sports Minister Richard Caborn announced: "They say the Cup Final will be there, barring six feet of snow or something like that". wemjpg|right|thumb|275px|A view of the old Wembley Stadium from Wembley Way]] Wembley Way is the name often mistakenly used for the road called Olympic Way that links Wembley Richard George Caborn (born 6 October 1943) is a British Politician. However in December 2005, the builders admitted that there was a "material risk" that the stadium might not be ready in time for the Cup Final^[9] and in February 2006, these worries were confirmed by the FA moving the game to Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. The Millennium Stadium (Stadiwm y Mileniwm is the National stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff.

The delays started as far back as 2003. In December 2003, the constructors of the arch, subcontractors Cleveland Bridge, warned Multiplex about rising costs and a delay on the steel job of almost a year due to design changes which Multiplex rejected. Cleveland Bridge were removed from the project and replaced by Dutch firm Hollandia with all the attendant problems of starting over. On 20 March 2006, a steel rafter in the roof of the new development fell by a foot and a half, forcing 3,000 workers to evacuate the stadium and raising further doubts over the completion date which was already behind schedule. Events 1600 - The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[10] On 23 March 2006, sewers beneath the stadium buckled due to ground movement. Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[11] GMB Union leader Steve Kelly said that the problem had been caused by the pipes not being properly laid, and that the repair would take months. Template talkInfobox Union for usage -->The GMB is a general Trade union in the United Kingdom A spokesman for developers Multiplex said that they did not believe this would "have any impact on the completion of the stadium", which was then scheduled to be completed on 31 March 2006. Multiplex is a large Australian-based group of property and construction companies notable for its involvement in large scale projects Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

On 30 March 2006, the developers announced that Wembley Stadium would not be ready until 2007. Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[12] All competitions and concerts planned were to be moved to suitable locations. On 19 June 2006 it was announced that the turf had been laid. Events 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. On 19 October 2006 it was announced that the venue was now set to open in early 2007 after the dispute between The Football Association and Multiplex had finally been settled. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey WNSL, a subsidiary of The Football Association, is expected to pay around £36m to Multiplex, as well as the amount of the original fixed-price contract. A subsidiary, in business matters is an entity that is controlled by a bigger and more powerful entity The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey This meant that the Wembley Stadium was ready for the 2007 FA Cup Final on 19 May 2007. The 2007 FA Cup Final was played on Saturday 19 May 2007 between Chelsea and Manchester United, who had come up against Premier League Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The official Wembley Stadium website announced that the stadium would be open for public viewing for local residents of Brent on 3 March 2007, however the event was delayed by two weeks and instead happened on 17 March. Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger The keys to the new Wembley stadium were finally handed over to the owners on 9 March 2007 ready to be open and used for upcoming FA Cup football matches, concerts and other events. Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

A short documentary of its redevelopment can be found on the Queen Live at Wembley 1986 DVD. DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is The reconstruction of the stadium is part of the wider regeneration of Wembley. The regeneration of Wembley is one of the major development projects in London in the early 21st Century, as specified in the London Plan published by the Mayor

Although not completed or opened at the time, EA Sports added Wembley Stadium into the video game FIFA 07. EA Sports is a brand name used by Electronic Arts since 1993 to distribute games based on Sports Formerly a gimmick inside Electronic Arts sports FIFA 07 (also known as FIFA Football 07 and FIFA Soccer 07) is the 2007 edition of the Electronic Arts ' series

A statue of Bobby Moore—the captain of the England national football team when they won the 1966 Football World Cup at Wembley—was unveiled outside the stadium on Friday May 11, 2007. Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE (12 April 1941 - 24 February 1993 was an English footballer. The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup was held in England from 11 July to 30 July Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[13]

Structure

• With 90,000 seats, the new Wembley is the largest stadium in the world with every seat under cover. This capacity is separated into 3 tiers of seating, with the lower tier holding 34,303 spectators, the middle one 16,932 and the upper one 39,165^[14]
• The stadium contains 2,618 toilets, more than any other venue in the world. ^[15]
• The stadium has a circumference of 1 km (0. 6 mi). ^[1]
• At its peak, there were more than 3,500 construction workers on site. ^[16]
• 4,000 separate piles form the foundations of the new stadium,^[1] the deepest of which is 35 m (115 ft). ^[1]
• There are 56 km (35 miles) of heavy-duty power cables in the stadium. ^[1]
• 90,000 m³ (120,000 cu yds) of concrete and 23,000 tonnes (25,000 short tons) of steel were used in the construction of the new stadium. ^[1]
• The total length of the escalators is 400 m (¼ mi). ^[1]
• The Wembley Arch has a diameter greater than that of a cross-channel train. Eurostar is a High-speed train service in Western Europe connecting London and Kent in the United Kingdom, with Paris ^[17][18]

Pitch

The new pitch is 13 ft lower than the previous pitch. The pitch size is 115 yards long by 75 yards wide, slightly narrower than the old Wembley^[19] Since the completion of the new Wembley, the pitch has come into major disrepute when it was commented on being "no good" and "not in the condition that Wembley used to be known for" by Slaven Bilić before the game between England and the team he managed, Croatia. Slaven Bilić ˈbiːlitɕ}} (born 11 September 1968 in Split, Croatia) is a former Croatian footballer and current head coach of the Croatian The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football The Croatian national football team ( Croatian pronunciation: Hrvatska nogometna reprezentacija) is the national side representing Croatia ^[20] It was confirmed when the pitch was terribly cut up during the game, which was blamed by some^[21] as the reason England did not qualify for UEFA Euro 2008 despite previous results also being blamed by others. The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Football Championship, a quadrennial football ^[22]

Roof

The new 6,350 tonne roof covers an area of over 45,000 square metres (11 acres), four acres of which are movable and rise to 52 m (170 ft) above the pitch. ^[1] With a span of 317 m (1040 ft), the arch is the longest single span roof structure in the world and is 134 m (440 ft) above the level of the external concourse,^[18] and is designed not to cast a shadow on the pitch. ^[23] Contrary to popular belief, the stadium's roof is not fully retractable, meaning it cannot cover the playing surface in inclement weather. ^[24]

Tenants

The English national football team is a major user of Wembley Stadium. The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football Given the ownership by The Football Association as of March 10, 2007, the League Cup final moved back to Wembley from Cardiff following the FA Cup final and FA Community Shield. The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition Other showpiece football matches that were previously staged at Wembley, such as the Football League promotion play-offs and the Football League Trophy final, have returned to the stadium, as has the Nationwide Conference play-off final. The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs Structure The Trophy is currently contested by just Football League One and Football League Two clubs and from season 2006-07 is played in a knock-out ( Organisation The Football Conference stands at the top of the National League System (NLS a comprehensive structure linking together over 50 different leagues under the Additionally, the Rugby League Challenge Cup final returned to Wembley Stadium in 2007. The Challenge Cup (as of 2008 known as the Carnegie Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons is a knockout cup competition for Rugby league clubs across Europe The new Wembley is a significant part of the plan for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London; the stadium will be the site of several games in both the men's and women's football tournaments, with the finals planned to be held there. The Guinness Premiership reportedly discussed staging the London Double Header, usually held at Twickenham, at Wembley during the 2007-08 season,^[25] although the game was ultimately played at Twickenham. The English Premiership (known as the Guinness Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Guinness) is a professional league competition for Rugby The London Double Header began in 2004 and opens what was the Zurich Premiership and is now the Guinness Premiership. Twickenham Stadium (usually known as just Twickenham or Twickers) is a Stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond The 2007-08 Guinness Premiership started in September 2007 and finished with the final in May 2008

On October 28, 2007, Wembley played host to the first competitive NFL regular season game ever to be played in Europe. Events 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman Emperor. 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The New York Giants defeated the Miami Dolphins 13-10. The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York City suburb of East Rutherford New Jersey. The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami Florida Metropolitan Area. The first 40,000 tickets sold out in 90 minutes. ^[26] The NFL since announced plans to stage a second UK game in 2008. Wembley will host the game, to feature the New Orleans Saints and the San Diego Chargers. The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans Louisiana. The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego California. ^[27]. The Race of Champions also staged their 2007 event at the stadium on December 16th 2007. The Race of Champions is an international Motorsport event held at the end of each year featuring some of the world's best racing and Rally drivers The 2007 Race of Champions took place on December 16 at the Wembley Stadium. ^[28]

Music

Besides football, Wembley can be configured to hold many other events, particularly major concerts. Muse performed two concerts on 16 June and 17 June, completely selling out the new venue with a capacity crowd of 134, 457. Muse are Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Events 1462 - Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II ( The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat The Concert for Diana, a memorial concert ten years after the death of the Princess of Wales, took place on July 1, 2007. Concert for Diana was a concert held at the new Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom in honour of Diana Princess of On 31 August 1997, Diana Princess of Wales died as a result of injuries sustained in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma road "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Metallica performed at the stadium on 7 July 2007 as part of the Live Earth concerts, and again the following day on 8 July. Metallica is an American heavy metal band that formed in 1981 in. Events 1456 - A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Live Earth is an annual event developed to to combat climate change. Events 939 - The Major Occultation or Ghaybat el-Kubra of Muhammad al-Mahdi 1099 - First Crusade: 15000

• George Michael - June 9, 2007 (The first concert performance at the New Wembley Stadium)
• George Michael - June 10, 2007
• Muse - June 16, 2007 (the first performance at the new stadium to sell out)
• Muse - June 17, 2007
• Concert for Diana - July 1, 2007
• Live Earth - July 7, 2007
• Metallica - July 8, 2007
• Foo Fighters - June 6, 2008
• Foo Fighters - June 7, 2008
• Madonna - September 11, 2008

In addition, the new Wembley Stadium is known for playing O Fortuna at many sporting events. Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou (Γεώργιος Κυριάκος Παναγιώτου (born 25 June 1963 best known as George Michael, is a two-time Grammy Award winning Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Muse are Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1462 - Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II ( The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Concert for Diana was a concert held at the new Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom in honour of Diana Princess of "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Running order In order of appearance: SOS Allstars (with drummers Roger Taylor of Queen, Taylor Hawkins of Events 1456 - A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Metallica is an American heavy metal band that formed in 1981 in. Events 939 - The Major Occultation or Ghaybat el-Kubra of Muhammad al-Mahdi 1099 - First Crusade: 15000 Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Foo Fighters is an American Alternative rock and Post-grunge band formed by singer/guitarist Dave Grohl in 1995 Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common O Fortuna is a poem from Carmina Burana, a collection of Latin poems written in early 13th century.

Firsts at the new Wembley Stadium

Football

• The first game was Geoff Thomas Foundation Charity XI and the Wembley Sponsors Allstars on March 17. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger The Geoff Thomas Foundation Charity XI won 2-0 (scorers Mark Bright and Simon Jordan). Mark Abraham Bright (born 6 June 1962 is a former English footballer who is now a sports pundit and BBC London 's sport presenter Simon Jordan (born 24 September 1967, Thornton Heath, United Kingdom) is the chairman of Crystal Palace Football Club, a football The first person to score at the new stadium was Mark Bright.
• The first official match involving professional players staged at the new stadium was England U21s vs Italy U21s on March 24, 2007, which finished 3-3. England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21(s is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team The Italy national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Italy and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation. Events 1401 - Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus. 1603 - James VI of Scotland Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Official attendance was 55,700 (although all of the 60,000 tickets that were made available were sold in advance). This now stands as the record for the largest under-21 attendance ever. ^[29]

• The first footballer to score in a FIFA sanctioned match was Italian striker Giampaolo Pazzini after 28 seconds of the same game between England U21 and Italy U21. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (French for International Federation of Association Football) Giampaolo Pazzini (born August 2, 1984 in Pescia) is an Italian footballer, who currently plays for Fiorentina, having Pazzini went on to score twice more in the second half of the match making him the first person to score a hat-trick at Wembley Stadium since Paul Scholes for England in 1999. Paul Aaron Scholes (born 16 November 1974) is an English football player who has spent his whole career at Manchester United. This gives Pazzini two other records, the fastest goal scored at Wembley (old or new stadium) and the first person to score a hat-trick at the new Wembley. The first English player to score in a full-scale match was David Bentley with a free kick in the same game. David Michael Bentley (born 27 August 1984 in Peterborough) is an English footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur. ^[29]

• The first penalty saved and first red card came in the Conference playoff final between Exeter City and Morecambe. Exeter City Football Club are an English football club based in Exeter, who were members of the Football League from 1920 to 2003 and rejoined Morecambe Football Club is an English football club based in Morecambe, Lancashire. The penalty was saved by Paul Jones of Exeter City from Morecambe striker Wayne Curtis. Paul Jones (born 28 June, 1986 in Snodland, England) is a professional footballer with Football League Two side Exeter Wayne Curtis (born 6 March 1980 in Barrow-in-Furness) is an English Football striker. The red card was given to Matthew Gill of Exeter for a headbutt on Craig Stanley of Morecambe. Matthew Gill (born November 8 1980 in Cambridge, England) is a professional footballer with League Two side Exeter City. Craig Stanley (born March 3, 1983 in Bedworth, England) is an English footballer. ^[30]

• The first club game, competitive game, and cup final held at the new Wembley took place on Saturday 12 May 2007 when Kidderminster Harriers met Stevenage Borough in the FA Trophy final. Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Kidderminster Harriers FC are an English Association football team based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire. Stevenage Borough FC are an English football team based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, currently playing in the Conference National History It was created by The Football Association in 1969 for Semi-professional teams to complement the existing FA Amateur Cup. Kidderminster striker James Constable was the first player to score a goal in a final at the new Wembley in the FA Trophy Final. James Constable (born October 4, 1984 in Malmesbury, England) is an English professional footballer who currently plays History It was created by The Football Association in 1969 for Semi-professional teams to complement the existing FA Amateur Cup. Kidderminster became the first team to play at both the old and new stadium. The game had a capped capacity of 80,000, and although allocations were between 15,000 and 20,000 for each club, the capacity reached 53,262. Stevenage Borough were the first team to win a final at the new Wembley beating Kidderminster 3-2, despite trailing 2-0 at half time. Stevenage Borough FC are an English football team based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, currently playing in the Conference National
• The first FA Vase final, featuring Truro City and AFC Totton took place on 13 May 2007, and was won by Truro 3-1. The Football Association Challenge Vase is an annual football competition for teams playing in the lower regional leagues of England. Truro City FC are a football club based in Truro, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. AFC Totton is a football club based in Totton, Hampshire, England. Its attendance of 27,754 stands as the highest in the competition's history.
• The first players to play at both the old and new Wembley stadia were Steve Guppy (for Stevenage Borough) and Jeff Kenna (for Kidderminster Harriers). Stephen Andrew Guppy (born 29 March 1969 in Winchester, Hampshire) is an English football winger, currently Stevenage Borough FC are an English football team based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, currently playing in the Conference National Jeffrey Jude Kenna (born August 27, 1970 in Dublin) is the current manager of Galway United. Kidderminster Harriers FC are an English Association football team based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire. Ex-England international Guppy was the first player to win a final at both stadia. The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football
• The first ever FA Cup Final at the new Wembley (between Manchester United and Chelsea) was on Saturday 19 May 2007. Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Chelsea won 1-0 with a goal by Didier Drogba, making him the first player to score in the FA Cup final at the new Wembley. Didier Drogba Tebily (born 11 March 1978 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire) is an Ivorian Footballer who plays for Chelsea in Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech also became the first goalkeeper not to concede a goal in a competitive game at Wembley. Petr Čech ( (born 20 May 1982 in Plzeň, Czechoslovakia, now Czech Republic is a Czech international football Chelsea were the last winners of the cup final at the old Wembley and the first winners at the new.
• The first ever Football League Cup (Carling Cup) Final at the new Wembley (between Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs) and Chelsea) was on Sunday 24 February 2008. The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition Tottenham Hotspur, ˈtɒʔnəm is an English professional football club which currently plays in the Premier League. Events 303 - Galerius, Roman Emperor, publishes his edict that begins the persecution of Christians in his portion of the 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Spurs won 2-1, with the winning goal in extra time.
• The first game involving the full English national team was an international friendly played on June 1, 2007, against Brazil. The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international The match saw captain John Terry become the first England international goal scorer at the new stadium when he scored in the 68th minute. John George Terry (born 7 December 1980 in Barking, London is an English Professional footballer. Diego became the first full international player to score for a visiting team when he scored in stoppage time, with the fulltime result being England 1-1 Brazil
• The first competitive senior international was played on September 8, 2007 between England and Israel. Not to be confused with Uruguayan footballer Diego Ribas. Diego Ribas da Cunha (born 28 February, 1985) also known as England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Events 70 - Roman forces under Titus sack Jerusalem. 1264 - The Statute of Kalisz Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football The Israeli National Football Team (נבחרת ישראל בכדורגל is the national football team of Israel and is controlled by the Israel Football Association This game ended 3-0.
• The first player to score international goals at both the old and new stadiums was Michael Owen when he scored for England against Israel in the Euro 2008 qualifier on September 8th 2007.
• League Two Playoff (between Bristol Rovers F.C. and Shrewsbury Town F.C.) took place at Wembley on May 26, 2007. Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football team based in Bristol. Shrewsbury Town Football Club are an English football club currently playing in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Bristol Rovers won the game 3-1 with goals Richard Walker 21, 35, Sammy Igoe 93. Richard Martin Walker (born November 08, 1977 in Birmingham) is an English Professional footballer. Samuel Gary Igoe (born September 30, 1975 in Spelthorne) is a Professional footballer. Stewart Drummond, Shrewsbury Town F.C. scored the first ever goal by a Football League club at the stadium after 3 minutes. Stewart Drummond (born 11 December 1975 in Preston) is an English professional footballer currently playing for Morecambe Shrewsbury Town Football Club are an English football club currently playing in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs A record League Two play off crowd of 61,589 witnessed the game, its also the highest crowd for any League Two/ fourth tier match. Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Coca-Cola Football League 2 for Sponsorship reasons is the third-highest division of Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Coca-Cola Football League 2 for Sponsorship reasons is the third-highest division of
• On August 22nd Germany beat England 2-1, becoming the last team to beat England in "Old Wembley" and the first team to beat them in the new Wembley Stadium
• The first ever Community Shield at Wembley was played on 5 August 2007 between Manchester United and Chelsea. Events 642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The score ended 1-1, but Manchester United won the first penalty shoot out at the new Wembley, 3-0.
• England's first competitive defeat at the new stadium was on November 21, 2007 when Croatia beat England 3-2. The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Croatian national football team ( Croatian pronunciation: Hrvatska nogometna reprezentacija) is the national side representing Croatia This match cost England qualification to Euro 2008 and head coach Steve McClaren his job. The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Football Championship, a quadrennial football Stephen "Steve" McClaren (born 3 May 1961 is an English football manager and former player
• Sven-Göran Eriksson is the only England manager not to lead out a team at Wembley. Sven-Göran Eriksson ( born February 5 1948 is a Swedish football manager, who is currently the manager of the Mexico national football team. The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football Fabio Capello became England's first foreign manager at Wembley in February 2008 against Switzerland. Fabio Capello (born 18 June 1946 in Pieris, San Canzian d'Isonzo, Gorizia) is an Italian football manager and former professional The Swiss national football team (also known as the Schweizer Nati in German La Nati in French is the national football team of Switzerland
• The first ever FA Cup Semi-final played at the new Wembley was between Portsmouth and West Bromwich Albion on Saturday 5th April 2008. The FA Cup Semi-finals are played to determine which teams will contest the FA Cup Final. Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the south coast city of Portsmouth. West Bromwich Albion Football Club (also known as West Brom, The Baggies, Albion, The Albion, The Throstles or WBA) are Portsmouth won the game 1-0 with a goal from former West Bromwich Albion striker Nwankwo Kanu. Nwankwo Kanu (born 1 August 1976 in Owerri, Nigeria) usually known simply as Kanu and nicknamed Papilo, is a professional The game was a controversial one, with replays since showing that Portsmouth striker Milan Baros seemingly handballed in the build up to the goal after West Bromwich Albion had been on top for the first half. However Portsmouth rallied in the second half and the winner from Kanu came in the 54th minute.

Rugby league

• When Catalans Dragons played St Helens in the 2007 Challenge Cup Final on 25 August, they became the first non-English rugby league team to play in the final. History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games The Catalans Dragons (sometimes referred to as Les Catalans or the Dragons) are a professional Rugby league Club based in Perpignan The 2007 Carnegie Challenge Cup began in February 2007 The Challenge Cup is the most prestigious knock-out competition in the Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games The result saw St Helens retain the cup by a score of 30-8.
• The first Rugby League team to win a game at the new Wembley Stadium, were in fact Castleford High School. Castleford is one of the five towns within the Metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, England. The West Yorkshire secondary school beat Normanton in the Year 7 Carnegie Champion Schools final, which was played immediately prior to the 2007 Challenge Cup Final. West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational Institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling known as Secondary education, takes Normanton is the name of several places In England: Normanton Derby City Normanton Leicestershire Normanton The two West Yorkshire sides played in front of a crowd largely made up of people from their own county as thousands of Leeds Rhinos, Bradford Bulls, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats and Huddersfield Giants fans turned up despite their teams failing to qualifying for the final. West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of Leeds Rhinos, or informally Leeds or Rhinos, are an English professional Rugby league football club based in Leeds The Bradford Bulls are a professional Rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, England. Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional Rugby league club that plays in the National Leagues. Huddersfield Giants are a professional Rugby league club (from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire) who play in the Super League.
• The first official try at Wembley was scored by James Roby of St Helens, although there had been several tries scored in the schools game that took place before the 2007 Challenge Cup final. James Roby (born November 22, 1985 in Whiston, Knowsley, Merseyside) is a Rugby league player who plays for St

Rugby union

The first rugby union International at the new Wembley stadium will be between the Barbarians and Australia on 3 December 2008. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short The Barbarian Football Club, typically referred to as Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas" is an invitational Rugby union team based in Britain The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in Rugby union. Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

NFL

• On October 28, 2007, the New York Giants defeated the Miami Dolphins by a score of 13-10 in the first NFL regular-season game to be played outside of North America. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. Events 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman Emperor. 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York City suburb of East Rutherford New Jersey. The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami Florida Metropolitan Area. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The original Wembley was an annual stop on the pre-season American Bowl series between 1986 and 1993. The American Bowl was a series of National Football League pre-season exhibition games that were held at sites outside the United States between 1986 and ^[31] The spectators to the event, according to NFL on FOX, wore jerseys representing practically every NFL team, not just the Giants' and Dolphins' jerseys. NFL on FOX is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company 's coverage of the National Football League 's National Football Conference games ^[32]
• On October 15, 2007, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said that someday in the future, Wembley Stadium could host the Super Bowl. Events 533 - Byzantine General Belisarius makes his formal entry into Carthage, having conquered it from the Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Roger S Goodell (born February 19, 1959, in Jamestown New York) is the Commissioner of the National Football League (NFL professional American football, the Super Bowl is the Championship game of the National Football League (NFL ^[33]
• On October 26, 2008, the New Orleans Saints are scheduled to play host to the San Diego Chargers. Events 740 - An Earthquake strikes Constantinople, causing much damage and death 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans Louisiana. The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego California. ^[27]

Music

• George Michael became the first artist to perform at the new Wembley Stadium when he played two shows at the venue on June 9, 2007 and June 10, 2007. Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou (Γεώργιος Κυριάκος Παναγιώτου (born 25 June 1963 best known as George Michael, is a two-time Grammy Award winning Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[34]
• Muse became the first band to perform at Wembley when they played two shows on June 16, 2007 and June 17, 2007. Muse are Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1462 - Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II ( The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. They were also the first artists to sell out Wembley Stadium, for the first of their two performances.
• Foo Fighters played two sold out dates at Wembley on 6 June and 7 June 2008, the latter of which saw them joined by members of Led Zeppelin. Foo Fighters is an American Alternative rock and Post-grunge band formed by singer/guitarist Dave Grohl in 1995 Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Led Zeppelin were

Wrestling

• WWE chairman Vince McMahon has stated that some day the stadium could play host to Wrestlemania or one of their other annual pay-per views. World Wrestling Entertainment Inc ( WWE) is a publicly traded privately controlled integrated media (focusing in Television, Internet, Vincent Kennedy McMahon (born August 24 1945 popularly known by his Ring name Mr This article is about the WrestleMania PPV series in general for the first WrestleMania itself see WrestleMania (1985.

References

External links

• Wembley Stadium Tours
• Official site
• Online shop
• Wembley Stadium Forum for all Past, Present and Future events
• Description at sportsvenue-technology.com
• Wembley trivia
• Wembley Stadium Pictures on Flickr
• NFL at Wembley Stadium photos
• Getting to Wembley by bus, tube and train quickmap mapmovies

Preceded by Millennium Stadium Cardiff	FA Cup Final Venue 2007- Present	Succeeded by incumbent
Preceded by Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals 2 October, 2005	National Football League Host stadium of international regular season game New York Giants at Miami Dolphins 28 October, 2007	Succeeded by same stadium San Diego Chargers at New Orleans Saints 26 October, 2008
Preceded by same stadium New York Giants at Miami Dolphins 28 October, 2007	National Football League Host stadium of international regular season game San Diego Chargers at New Orleans Saints 26 October, 2008	Succeeded by Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills 7 December,2008

Flickr is an image and video hosting Website, Web services suite and Online community platform The Millennium Stadium (Stadiwm y Mileniwm is the National stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The 2007 FA Cup Final was played on Saturday 19 May 2007 between Chelsea and Manchester United, who had come up against Premier League Estadio Azteca is a Stadium in Mexico City Mexico. It is the official home stadium of the Mexico national football team and the Mexican team Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale Arizona, just outside of Phoenix. Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule The 2005 season of the National Football League (NFL was the 86th season played by the major professional American football league in the United States The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York City suburb of East Rutherford New Jersey. The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami Florida Metropolitan Area. Events 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman Emperor. 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine The 2007 season of the National Football League (NFL was the 88th season played by the major professional American football league in the United The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego California. The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans Louisiana. Events 740 - An Earthquake strikes Constantinople, causing much damage and death The 2008 NFL Season is the 89th season of the National Football League, the major professional American football league in the United States The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York City suburb of East Rutherford New Jersey. The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami Florida Metropolitan Area. Events 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman Emperor. 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine The 2007 season of the National Football League (NFL was the 88th season played by the major professional American football league in the United The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego California. The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans Louisiana. Events 740 - An Earthquake strikes Constantinople, causing much damage and death The 2008 NFL Season is the 89th season of the National Football League, the major professional American football league in the United States SkyDome redirects here for other uses see SkyDome (disambiguation Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami Florida Metropolitan Area. The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo New York Metropolitan area, playing seven of their home games in the suburb Events 43 BC - Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated 1696 - Connecticut Route 108, one of the oldest highways The 2008 NFL Season is the 89th season of the National Football League, the major professional American football league in the United States

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