The development of the Wembley site dates back to the Victorian era. In 1889 the leader of the Metropolitan Railway sir Watkins, decided to build a main attraction for the Wembley Park that already included cricket and football pitches, a running track, fountains and waterfalls, walkways and flower beds.
With the ending of the Great War, there were put in by the government plans for a British Empire Exhibition with a stadium to be "a great National Sports Ground" as its center part. It took just 300 days to complete. It was built from 25,000 tons of concrete. The building, which cost £750,000 had a capacity of about 70000. The architects were Sir John Simpson, Maxwell Ayerton.
Sport became Wembley's main attraction. Boxing, rugby, speedway and the many sporting and entertainment events staged in the stadium, which was renamed Wembley Arena in 1970's.
Naturally, Wembley holds many great soccer memories, from the FA Cup to other top matches such as the European Cup Final. It is the home of the English national football team and its greatest moment was certainly 1966, when English team proudly held the World Cup in the air.
Through the years the Stadium has been a host to many of the greatest names in music, for example Michael Jackson, Madonna, U2, the Rolling Stones.
1996 was one of the busiest ever years for Wembley as Euro '96, soccer's European Championship. It was the biggest sporting event to be held in England since the 1966 World Cup.
Over the years, the stadium was regularly updated and improved but the structure of the stadium stayed the same as it was in 1924 and the old stadium was finally closed in 2000. Now it is being rebuild.
For Poles Wembley stadium is connected with memories of a football match between England and Poland in 1973. England needed to beat Poland to secure a place in the World Cup finals the following year. Unfortunately Tomaszewski had an inspired game in goal, blocking English work with every part of his body. Even the match ends with score 1:1 it was a great victory of polish football.
Wembley's brilliant future is built upon a glorious past with many sport and music fans having their own loved Wembley memory.
