111-602: The Football League Centenary Tournament (also known as the Mercantile Credit Football Festival ) was a friendly tournament held from 16 to 17 April 1988 at Wembley Stadium to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Football League . The tournament was won by First Division Nottingham Forest , who beat Sheffield Wednesday in the final on penalties. Their success was achieved despite manager Brian Clough not attending
222-751: A Rest of the World XI (featuring Diego Maradona and Gary Lineker ) in August 1987, Football League champions Everton facing Bayern Munich in a mid-season challenge match (at a time when English clubs were banned from UEFA competitions) with Everton winning 3–1, and the Football League Centenary Trophy between leading teams held at the start of the 1988–89 season (the final was won by Arsenal against Manchester United in October 1988). Other announced events, however, including
333-521: A "clever free kick" past the "startled" Herbert Lock in the Saints' goal. In the semi-finals, West Ham took on Derby County at Stamford Bridge , home of Chelsea , and won 5–2. Brown scored two more goals and Billy Moore also scored twice. All five of the teams that West Ham defeated on their way to Wembley played in the Second Division or lower. This made West Ham the first team since
444-405: A Bolton fan at pitchside had kicked the ball towards Vizard, but Asson disregarded these claims as well and confirmed Bolton's second goal. At this point, the crowd began to sense that Bolton would emerge victorious and many began heading towards the exits. Neither team had any more serious chances to score, and the remainder of the match was largely a stalemate with little inspired play. Late in
555-438: A West Ham supporter. Pathe's bid had failed to win the rights to film the event, but they sent a disguised cameraman anyway, wearing fake spectacles, a false moustache and carrying a camera hidden in a large cardboard hammer. Many of the day's moving images were taken among the crowds in this way. The gates were opened at 11:30 am as advertised, three and a half hours before the match was due to begin, and until 1:00 pm
666-413: A better position; some supporters found a ladder and then shimmied up a drainpipe to secure a position on the roof, while reporters complained that more than three-quarters of people in the press box, suspended under the roof high above the stands, were fans with no right to be there. As the crowds outside the stadium continued to grow, local police stations were mobilised, but by the time officers arrived
777-432: A centre-forward. West Ham's game plan initially centred on the two fast-moving outside-forwards Dick Richards and Ruffell, but Bolton set out from the start to keep the two players contained, rushing at them whenever they got the ball. After just two minutes, West Ham half-back Tresadern became entangled in the crowd after taking a throw-in and was unable to return to the pitch immediately. This gave Bolton's David Jack
888-748: A gang of girls who worked the fish at Barking. As we walked through the East End, hordes joined us from Whitechapel and Limehouse . At Bethnal Green a big bunch of Jewish lads of the Hakoah football team, marching like soldiers came out of the Cambridge Heath Road. Tens of thousands of boots and shoes, many holed and worn, trudged towards the Empire Stadium. Veterans from the great war on crutches, small boys pulling and pushing each other on every species of cart...a sea of claret and blue
999-437: A goal-line cleared. I told them in front to join hands and heave and they went back step by step until we reached the line. Then they sat down and we went on like that ... it was mainly due to the horse. Perhaps because he was white he commanded more attention. But more than that, he seemed to understand what was required of him. The other helpful thing was the good nature of the crowd. –George Scorey in an interview with
1110-437: A great lure and drew a large number of casual observers. The fact that a London-based team was competing meant that many football fans from all parts of the city chose to attend. The morning newspapers on the day of the match reported that around 5,000 fans were travelling from Bolton and that they were expected to be joined by "at least 115,000 enthusiasts from London and other parts of the country". The easy accessibility of
1221-670: A jump over 13 single decker city buses, an accident which resulted in his initial retirement from his daredevil life. In 1992, the World Wrestling Federation (now known as WWE) drew a sellout of 80,355 when SummerSlam was hosted at Wembley Stadium. In the main event, English wrestler Davey Boy Smith won the Intercontinental Championship from Bret Hart . As of April 2023, WWE considers this to be their seventh largest live gate in history behind only WrestleMania 32 (2016), which drew
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#17327870593691332-520: A large number of fans encroached onto the pitch, leading to the suspension of play while the mounted police again cleared the playing area. A number of fans, many unconscious, required first aid from members of the British Red Cross on the pitch near the Bolton penalty area. After play resumed, policemen patrolled the perimeter of the pitch to try to keep it clear for the linesmen , after play
1443-481: A nationwide series of fun runs, a gala classical music concert at the Royal Albert Hall , and a pop music event at Wembley Arena , never took place. The celebrations, which were sponsored by Mercantile Credit, were criticised for being overly drawn-out and uninspiring. The Football League Centenary Tournament was originally announced as a six-a-side tournament involving all 92 League teams, affording many
1554-625: A record for the continent's top football tournament until the inauguration of the new Wembley Stadium in 2007. The first two were 1963 final between Milan and Benfica , and the 1968 final between Manchester United and Benfica. In 1971 , it again hosted the final, between Ajax and Panathinaikos , and once more in 1978 , this time between Liverpool and Club Brugge , another in 1992 , when Barcelona played Sampdoria . Wembley has also hosted two European Cup Winners' Cup finals : in 1965 , when West Ham United defeated 1860 Munich , and in 1993 , when Parma defeated Royal Antwerp . It
1665-424: A replay which Bolton won 1–0. In the fourth round Bolton defeated Charlton Athletic by a single goal, and in the semi-final beat Sheffield United by the same score in a match played at Old Trafford , home of Manchester United . Although ticket prices were considered to be extremely high, a crowd of 72,000 attended the match, a new record for an FA Cup semi-final. The conditions at the semi-final foreshadowed
1776-416: A reported 101,763, WrestleMania III (1987), which drew a reported 93,173, WrestleMania 35 , which drew 82,265, WrestleMania 39 (2023) Night 2 and Night 1, which drew 81,395 and 80,497, respectively, and WrestleMania 29 (2013), which drew 80,676 fans. 1923 FA Cup final The 1923 FA Cup final was an association football match between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United on 28 April 1923 at
1887-557: A ticket and those who reached the stadium by road or on foot. The London buses were overwhelmed with the controller of the London General Omnibus Company describing the situation as "absolutely abnornal" and in the East End, the worst affected area, as "absolutely terrific", while large crowds, possibly tens of thousands, walked ten to fifteen miles or more each way from east to west London. Significant number of Bolton supporters (5,000 had been expected before
1998-550: A track that was difficult to pass on which often led to processional racing. Among those who never performed well there despite their credentials include 1973 World Champion Jerzy Szczakiel (who won his title at home in Poland and two weeks later under difficult circumstances failed to score in the World Team Cup Final at Wembley), while others such as Ivan Mauger and Ole Olsen often seemed to find their best form at
2109-462: Is best known for hosting football matches, having hosted the FA Cup Final annually as well as numerous England International fixtures. The Empire Stadium was built in exactly 300 days at the cost of £750,000. Described as the world's greatest sporting arena, it was ready only four days before the "White Horse" final in 1923. The FA had not considered admission by ticket, grossly underestimating
2220-661: Is not known; the official attendance (those who paid for a ticket) was 126,047, but estimates of the actual number of fans in attendance range from 150,000 to the official Police estimate of just under 300,000, with other estimates putting it higher than 300,000. The 126,047 official attendance at Wembley is below the 173,850 official attendance of the Brazil v Uruguay World Cup match at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil in 1950. The official attendance statistic for
2331-457: The 1992 Rugby League World Cup final between Great Britain and Australia (since beaten by the 74,468 attendance for the 2013 RLWC Final at Old Trafford ). The Mal Meninga -led Australian team won the game 10–6 on the back of a Steve Renouf try in the north-east corner and Meninga's goal kicking. The 1995 World Cup Final between England and Australia was also played at Wembley with 66,540 spectators watching Australia win 16–8. The final of
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#17327870593692442-447: The 1999 Challenge Cup was the last to be played at the stadium and was attended by 73,242 fans, with the annual fixture moving to other grounds ( Murrayfield Stadium , Millennium Stadium and Twickenham ) before returning to the new Wembley upon its completion in 2007. Wembley was the main venue for the 1948 Summer Olympics , with Fanny Blankers-Koen and Emil Zátopek among the notable winners in athletics . The Stadium also hosted
2553-462: The BBC . While the pitch was being cleared, the event choir, St Luke’s, sang " Abide with Me "; the crowds of West Ham supporters walking back to the East End are also said to have sung the song. The choir’s spontaneous recital may be the origin of the tradition of singing the song before cup finals, a practice which has been in place since at least 1927. Eventually the police, assisted by appeals from
2664-530: The British Empire Exhibition of 1924–25. First known as the "British Empire Exhibition Stadium" or simply the "Empire Stadium", it was built by Sir Robert McAlpine for the British Empire Exhibition of 1924 (extended to 1925). The stadium cost £750,000 (equivalent to approximately £46 million in 2020) and was constructed on the site of a folly called Watkin's Tower . The architects were Sir John Simpson and Maxwell Ayrton and
2775-475: The Czech Republic 2–1 with the first international golden goal in football history. Germany had earlier defeated England on penalties in the semi-final after a 1–1 draw, with Gareth Southgate having his penalty saved against England in the shoot-out. England's final two competitive matches played at the stadium resulted in 0–1 defeats for England to Scotland and Germany respectively. The first defeat
2886-651: The Empire Stadium ) was a football stadium in Wembley , London , best known for hosting important football matches. It stood on the same site now occupied by its successor and by its predecessor, Watkin's Tower . Wembley hosted the FA Cup final annually, the first in 1923 , which was the stadium's inaugural event, the League Cup final annually, five European Cup finals, the 1966 World Cup final , and
2997-485: The First Division and Second Division respectively, and both entered the competition at the first round stage, under the tournament format in place at the time. Bolton had appeared in the final twice before, in 1894 and 1904 , but West Ham, who had only joined The Football League in 1919, had never previously progressed further than the quarter finals. In the first round, Bolton defeated Norwich City of
3108-580: The RFL held its Challenge Cup Final at Wembley from 1929 onwards. The stadium was also regularly used by the sport for major international matches, such as Great Britain versus Australia . In 1949 the France national rugby league team became the first France national team of any sport to win at Wembley. The largest crowd for a Challenge Cup Final at Wembley was set in 1985 when Wigan beat Hull F.C. 28–24 in front of 99,801 spectators, which as of 2017 remains
3219-670: The St. Louis Cardinals played the first game on 6 August 1983. The Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys played the last game on 8 August 1993. The United States Football League also played an exhibition game there on 21 July 1984 between the Philadelphia Stars and Tampa Bay Bandits . The London Monarchs of the World League of American Football played at the venue in 1991 and 1992. Wembley hosted World Bowl '91 ,
3330-552: The Third Division South , in the process recording the club's first away win in the competition since a second round victory over Manchester City in the 1904–05 season . After a home win over Leeds United in the second round, Bolton faced one of the First Division's top teams, Huddersfield Town , in the third round. The initial match at Huddersfield's Leeds Road ground ended in a draw, necessitating
3441-447: The final of Euro 1996 . Brazilian footballer Pelé once said of the stadium: "Wembley is the cathedral of football. It is the capital of football and it is the heart of football", in recognition of its status as the world's most famous football stadium. The stadium also hosted many other sports events, including the 1948 Summer Olympics , rugby league's Challenge Cup final, and the 1992 and 1995 Rugby League World Cup finals . It
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3552-418: The "white" horse, as the most visible in the news footage, became the defining image of the day and the final is often known as the "White Horse Final". As my horse picked his way onto the field, I saw nothing but a sea of heads. I thought, "We can't do it. It's impossible." But I happened to see an opening near one of the goals and the horse was very good – easing them back with his nose and tail until we got
3663-496: The 104 turnstiles into the stadium, far exceeding its official 127,000 capacity. The crowds overflowed onto the pitch as there was no room on the terraces. Estimates of the number of fans in attendance range from 240,000 to well over 300,000. It was thought that the match would not be played because of the number of spectators inside the stadium that had spilled onto the pitch, until mounted police, including Police Constable George Scorey and his white horse, Billy , slowly pushed
3774-653: The 39 steps needed to be climbed to reach the Royal box and collect a trophy (and winners'/losers' medals). In 1934, the Empire Pool was built nearby. The "Wembley Stadium Collection" is held by the National Football Museum . The stadium closed in October 2000 and demolition commenced in December 2002, completing in 2003 for redevelopment . The top of one of the twin towers was erected as a memorial in
3885-435: The Bolton players were forced to abandon their coach a mile from the stadium and make their way through the crowds. The stadium authorities were considering calling the game off, but feared the consequences of an angry response to such a decision. I was hoisted to the front of the crowd, but had lost contact with my brothers...there were plenty of other kids in the same position. I saw the king, near enough to touch he was. He
3996-527: The Final of the Speedway World Team Cup in 1968 , 1970 and 1973 won by Great Britain (1968 and 1973) and Sweden (1970). The speedway track at Wembley Stadium was 345 metres (377 yards) in length and was notoriously difficult to ride for those not used to it. Despite regularly being used for World Championship and other British championship meetings, Wembley long had a reputation as
4107-550: The Football League , the Argonauts . In March 1998, Arsenal made a bid to purchase Wembley in the hope of gaining a larger stadium to replace their Highbury ground , which had a capacity of less than 40,000 and was unsuitable for expansion. However, the bid was later abandoned in favour of building the 60,000 capacity Emirates Stadium , which was opened in 2006. On 20 May 2000, the last FA Cup final to be played at
4218-468: The Saturday. Arguably the biggest success story was Division Four side Tranmere Rovers , who a year earlier had almost been relegated out of the Football League. They defeated top-flight sides Wimbledon and Newcastle United , before taking Forest to a penalty shoot-out in the semi-finals. Despite the hopes of the Football League, the tournament was poorly attended, with attendance figures of 41,500 on
4329-724: The St Leger from 1928 until 1998 after which it moved to Wimbledon Stadium and the Trafalgar Cup from 1929 until 1998 after which it moved to Oxford Stadium . In 1931 the famous greyhound Mick the Miller won the St Leger. Wembley's owners' refusal to cancel the regular greyhound racing meant that the match between Uruguay and France in the 1966 FIFA World Cup was played at White City . The National Football League (NFL) held nine preseason American football games at Wembley between 1983 and 1993. The Minnesota Vikings and
4440-596: The all-encircling roof, made from aluminium and translucent glass, were added in 1963. In 1977 fences were erected around the pitch following the England vs Scotland match when Scotland fans invaded the pitch and vandalised the pitch and goalposts. These fences were taken down following the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. The stadium's distinctive Twin Towers became its trademark and nickname. Also well known were
4551-411: The ball into a central position and Jack Smith hit the ball past Hufton. West Ham's players claimed that the ball had not entered the goal but rebounded into play from the goalpost, but referee D. H. Asson overruled them, stating that in his view the ball had entered the goal but then rebounded off a spectator standing behind the goal. West Ham also claimed that Bolton had received an unfair advantage, as
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4662-468: The crowd and came back into play, and only call a throw-in if the ball went off over the heads of the crowd. George Davis of the West Ham board observed that every one of the game's throw-ins was taken from inside the field of play. The players feared injuring the spectators on the pitch, while the players were put in danger by some of the fans. Some spectactors would stick their feet out to try and trip
4773-427: The crowd was too large for them to take any effective form of action. At 2:15 pm, the crowds outside the stadium rushed at the barriers and forced their way in. Spectators in the lower tiers had to climb the fences to escape the crush and overflowed onto the pitch itself. Spectator Terry Hickey said later that "To put it mildly, the whole thing was a bloody shambles". The roads around the stadium were blocked and
4884-507: The crowds back to the sides of the field of play to allow the match to kick off just 45 minutes late. In honour of Billy, the footbridge outside the new Wembley Stadium has been named the White Horse Bridge . The official attendance is often quoted as 126,047. The match saw a 2–0 victory for Bolton Wanderers, with David Jack scoring the first ever goal at Wembley. The 1953 FA Cup final between Blackpool and Bolton Wanderers
4995-447: The crowds that surrounded the pitch, the players were unable to reach the dressing rooms and instead remained on the pitch for five minutes before starting the second half. West Ham began the second half as the stronger team, and Vic Watson received the ball in a good goalscoring position but mis-hit his shot. Eight minutes into the second half, Bolton added a second goal in controversial circumstances. Outside-forward Ted Vizard played
5106-414: The cup final itself played at a later date. West Ham players said they learned the match would stand as a cup final during half time, while George Davis of the West Ham board said that the boards of both clubs learned this later in the game. The Times stated that at one point it seemed impossible that the match would ever be able to start, but the tide turned at 2:45pm, when King George V arrived and
5217-407: The defining photographic image of the day, had to be brought in to clear the crowds from the pitch and allow the match to take place. The match began 45 minutes late as the vast crowd was shepherded by police to clear the pitch and stand around the perimeter. Although West Ham started strongly, Bolton proved the dominant team for most of the match and won 2–0. David Jack scored a goal two minutes after
5328-597: The early decades, and continued to attract crowds of several thousand up until the early 1960s. The stadium staged its last greyhound race meeting in December 1998 with the owners, the Greyhound Racing Association , citing economic reasons and the lack of plans for a greyhound track in the stadium's redevelopment. Two of the biggest events in the greyhound racing calendar were the St Leger and Trafalgar Cup . Both were originally held at Wembley,
5439-593: The early years when this was settled on a home and away basis) and in later years the Associate Members' Cup and the Football League promotion play-off finals (in the early years of play-offs they were home and away fixtures). The 1988 final of the Middlesex Charity Cup was also played there. Prior to the 1923 Wembley stadium, international football games had been played by England at various stadia. Most early internationals (including
5550-416: The first day and 17,000 for the second in a stadium capable of holding 100,000. The attendance situation was not helped by leading London clubs such as Arsenal , Tottenham Hotspur , West Ham United and Chelsea not qualifying for the tournament. The centenary of the Football League was marked by a number of events between mid-1987 and 1988, including a match at Wembley between a Football League XI and
5661-482: The first ever international football match (1870)) were played at The Oval , which opened in 1845 as the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club and would in 1880 host the first Test match played in England. For the first 27 years, the only International England games played at Wembley were fixtures against Scotland, with other games played elsewhere until 1951. The first team other than Scotland to face England at
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#17327870593695772-484: The first three finals after the First World War at Stamford Bridge, The Football Association (The FA) was unconvinced that the match could fill the large capacity of the new stadium and undertook a major advertising campaign, for fans to attend. Despite these fears, the new national stadium , which had been advertised as the greatest venue of its kind and had an unprecedented capacity of 125,000, proved to be
5883-415: The flow of people into the stadium was orderly. By 1:00 pm, however, a vast number of people were pouring into the stadium, and after an inspection by the stadium authorities, the decision was made to close the gates at 1:45 pm. Spectator William Rose said later that the route to the stadium was "seething with people" and that "the nearer I got to the stadium the worse it got, by the time I got there
5994-535: The game ) made their way from Lancashire to Wembley, including five fans who used the Daimler Hire plane service from Manchester Aerodrome to London, with most of the remainder coming by train. Bolton fans headed to the West End to celebrate after the game, with Piccadilly Circus impassable to traffic for a time due to the number of revellers. As well as West Ham and Bolton fans, there were many neutrals at
6105-564: The game in Rio is the official world record. Some of the unofficial estimates for the Wembley match are higher than even the unofficial estimates for the game at the Maracanã, which range up to 210,000. The match was the first event of any kind to take place at Wembley Stadium , which had not been due to open until 1924 but was completed ahead of schedule. After sub-capacity crowds had attended
6216-619: The game, West Ham captain George Kay attempted to persuade Asson to abandon the match, but Bolton captain Joe Smith reportedly replied "We're doing fine, ref, we'll play until dark to finish the match if necessary". The score remained 2–0 to Bolton until the final whistle. The King presented the FA Cup trophy to Joe Smith and then left the stadium to cheers from the crowd. The players from both teams received gold commemorative medals. In
6327-659: The game, mostly people from other parts of the capital who wished to support the London underdog. Of the eleven supporters kept in overnight at the Willesden Hospital four were from Bow , Poplar , Wapping and Walthamstow in East London, four from other parts of London, two from northern England, and one from Wisbech in Cambridgeshire . Among the supporters was a Pathé News cameraman disguised as
6438-474: The hallowed turf. The pitch was surrounded by wooden beams and little damage was caused. Though the venue was not traditionally a regular host of rugby union matches, England played a friendly against Canada on 17 October 1992, as their regular home stadium at Twickenham was undergoing redevelopment. Wales played their Five Nations and autumn international home matches at Wembley (as Twickenham Stadium would not accommodate them) while Cardiff Arms Park
6549-527: The head engineer Sir Owen Williams . The original intention was to demolish the stadium at the end of the Exhibition, but it was saved at the suggestion of Sir James Stevenson , a Scot who was chairman of the organising committee for the Empire Exhibition. The ground had been used for football as early as the 1880s. At the end of the exhibition, which proved to be a financial disappointment,
6660-762: The inaugural World Bowl , where the Monarchs defeated the Barcelona Dragons 21–0. From 1958 until the mid-1970s, hurling and gaelic football tournaments known as the "Wembley Tournaments" were held at Wembley Stadium to bring the Irish sports to expatriates in Britain at the time. Several Gaelic football games were played in Wembley Stadium, most of them exhibition matches, most notably Kerry and Down in 1961. In April 1970 this show jumping event
6771-614: The introduction of multiple divisions in The Football League to reach the FA Cup final without facing opposition from the top division. Bolton played their last league match of the season on 21 April, and although West Ham had two matches left to play of their Second Division campaign, they also had a week’s rest from football before the cup final. Both teams rested and took the opportunity to prepare by visiting brine baths, Bolton going to baths at Northwich and West Ham to Southend . The total number of people in attendance
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#17327870593696882-542: The match around for Blackpool, who had trailed 3–1 to Bolton Wanderers before fighting back to win the match. It remained the only hat-trick ever scored in an FA Cup Final at the original Wembley. The FA Cup final was played there in April or May until 2000 (excluding the 1970 replay when Chelsea beat Leeds United at Old Trafford ). It was also the venue for finals of the FA Amateur Cup , League Cup (except for
6993-458: The match, and were only prevented from scoring again by a strong performance from West Ham full-back Billy Henderson . When West Ham attacked, however, Bolton were able to quickly switch to a strongly defensive formation, as players changed positions to form a line of five half-backs. This stifled West Ham's attacking style of play and ensured that the Bolton goal was not seriously threatened. The score remained 1–0 to Bolton until half-time. Due to
7104-459: The more extreme condition that followed at Wembley. Old Trafford was dangerously overcrowded, with spectators spilling over onto the touchline, and a disaster was only prevented by the good nature of the crowd. In every match from the third round onwards, Bolton's single goal was scored by David Jack , which gave him a reputation for having single-handedly steered his team into the final. In contrast to Bolton's defensive style, West Ham's cup run
7215-499: The number of fans who arrived at the 104 gates on match day. However, after this match, every event apart from the 1982 replay was ticketed. The first event held at the stadium was the 1923 FA Cup final on 28 April between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United . This is known as the White Horse Final . Such was the eagerness to attend the final at the new national stadium that vast numbers of people crammed through
7326-505: The old Wembley saw Chelsea defeat Aston Villa with the only goal scored by Roberto Di Matteo . The final competitive club match there was the 2000 First Division play-off final on 29 May, between Ipswich Town and Barnsley , a 4–2 win resulting in promotion to the Premier League for Ipswich. The last club match of all was the 2000 Charity Shield , in which Chelsea defeated Manchester United 2–0. The last international match
7437-419: The opportunity to play at the national stadium for the first time. It was subsequently changed to an 11-a-side competition featuring only 16 teams, who qualified based on points accrued from League games during a specified time window. The following teams participated in the tournament: The first day of competition consisted of the opening round and quarter-finals; matches were 40 minutes in duration. Seven of
7548-401: The opportunity to shoot for goal. His shot beat West Ham goalkeeper Ted Hufton to give Bolton the lead and hit a spectator who was standing pressed against the goal net, knocking him unconscious. Three minutes later, Vic Watson received the ball a few yards in front of the Bolton goal but his shot flew over the crossbar. Eleven minutes into the game the crowd surged forward once again and
7659-526: The original Wembley Stadium in London. The showpiece match of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup (better known as the FA Cup ), it was the first football match to be played at Wembley Stadium. King George V was in attendance to present the trophy to the winning team. Each team had progressed through five rounds to reach the final. Bolton Wanderers won 1–0 in every round from
7770-456: The park on the north side of Overton Close in the nearby Saint Raphael's Estate. The cities of Birmingham and Coventry launched bids to become the new home of England's football team following disputes and a political row regarding the new Wembley's construction. These bids were ultimately unsuccessful as the FA chose in 2002 to keep the national team at the new Wembley once completed. Wembley
7881-416: The place, tripping up in great ruts and holes". The Bolton Evening News described the state of the playing surface: The beautiful stretch of turf, which until two o'clock on Saturday was as green and level as a billiards table, is now a broken and uneven pitch, littered with almost every kind of rubbish, and broken into holes by the hooves of the horses of the mounted police. It is a wonder that none of
7992-433: The players for the crowd to calm, were able to manoeuvre the spectators to just beyond the touchline, and the game began approximately 45 minutes late, while fans stood around the perimeter of the pitch. Both teams employed the 2-3-5 formation typical of the era: two full-backs , three half-backs , comprising one centre-half and two wing-halves, and five forwards , comprising two outside-forwards, two inside-forwards and
8103-408: The players were seriously injured for the game took place on a field sown thick with splinters of shattered glass. For two or three yards around the edges, practically all the grass has disappeared. It has been trodden down by thousands of feet into wet and sticky mud" The referee had to adapt to having a crowd inside the field of play; the approach taken was to allow play to continue if the ball struck
8214-437: The police in asking the crowd to withdraw so that the game could be played, however the players were soon mobbed by enthusiastic supporters and found themselves trapped on the pitch. Players were tired and shaken as a result of well-intentioned backslapping and vigorous handshaking of the crowd, and as most of the crowd were supporting West Ham, this impacted them much more than Bolton, with Jack Tresadern and Jimmy Ruffell , who
8325-410: The second highest rugby league attendance in England behind only the 1954 Challenge Cup Final replay at Bradford 's Odsal Stadium when a then world record attendance of 102,575 saw Warrington defeat Halifax 8–4 (the original 1954 cup final at Wembley, drawn 4–4, was played in front of 81,841 fans). The stadium set the international record crowd for a rugby league game when 73,631 turned out for
8436-513: The semifinals and finals of the Olympic hockey and football tournaments, the Prix des Nations event in the equestrian competition, and a demonstration match of lacrosse. Motorcycle speedway first took place at Wembley in 1929, and operated until the outbreak of World War II in 1939, a few days before the 1939 World Championship Final was due to be held, but it was cancelled as a result of
8547-407: The site at Wembley was considered by many to be a vast ' white elephant '. It was bought by a property speculator, James White , who planned to sell off the buildings for redevelopment, including the stadium which had been the centrepiece of the exhibition. Arthur Elvin , an ex- RFC officer who had worked in a tobacco kiosk at the exhibition and had previous experience working for a scrap metal firm,
8658-613: The speedway track were supplied by Richard Biffa Ltd whose operating base at the time was in Wembley Hill Road. Richard Biffa later became Biffa Waste Services. The Lions were formed by the Wembley Stadium chairman Sir Arthur Elvin . Between 1936 and 1960 Wembley hosted all of the first 15 finals of the Speedway World Championship . It hosted another nine World Finals before the last one at Wembley took place in 1981 in front of 92,500 fans, just shy of
8769-495: The stadium before it too was demolished. He was able to finance this by forming the 'Wembley Stadium and Greyhound Racecourse Company'. He raised the money to buy the stadium at the original price he had agreed with White, then immediately sold it back to the company, leaving him with a healthy personal profit. Instead of cash, he received shares in the company, which gave him the largest individual stake in Wembley Stadium, and subsequently became chairman. The electric scoreboard and
8880-520: The stadium by public transport and the fine weather were also factors which contributed to the enormous crowd. About a dozen of us started out from the top of the Victoria Dock Road. It was like a pilgramage. We spoke to farm boys who had already tramped from Romford , Hornchurch and Dagenham . I chatted for a while with a group of fishermen from Southend who had moored at Barking and tramped on from there. My brothers tried to chat up
8991-444: The stadium. The track itself was located inside of the greyhound racing track, but intersected the stadium's playing field at the corners. The pits were located in the tunnel at the eastern end of the stadium. The track record at Wembley will forever be held by Denmark's World Champion of 1984 , 1985 & 1988 Erik Gundersen . In Heat 6 of the 1981 World Final, Gundersen set the 4-lap record (clutch start) of 66.8 seconds. As this
9102-487: The start of the match and Jack Smith added a controversial second goal during the second half. The pre-match overcrowding prompted discussion in the House of Commons and led to the introduction of safety measures for future finals. The match is often referred to as the " White Horse Final " and is commemorated by the White Horse Bridge at the new Wembley Stadium . Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United were playing in
9213-483: The third onwards, and David Jack scored the lone goal each time. West Ham United faced opposition from the Second Division or lower in each round, the first time this had occurred since the introduction of multiple divisions in the Football League. West Ham took three attempts to defeat Southampton in the fourth round but then easily defeated Derby County in the semi-final, scoring five goals. The final
9324-593: The third round, but found the fourth round tough going against Southampton . The first match at West Ham's home, the Boleyn Ground , ended in a 1–1 draw, as did the replay at The Dell in Southampton . A second replay was held at Villa Park in Birmingham, home of Aston Villa , and finally produced a winner, as West Ham won 1–0 with a goal from Billy Brown . The goal came in the 70th minute, with
9435-407: The tiers in the lower half of the stadium filled up much faster than those higher up. Dad was very nonchalant about it. He said: 'Let's see if we can get in to see the match.' When we got out at Wembley Park we were in a huge wave of humanity all going in the same direction. It was just a solid mass of people, though I don't ever remember feeling scared because the crowd were so good-natured. There
9546-435: The title), Ronnie Moore (New Zealand), Ove Fundin (Sweden), Barry Briggs (New Zealand), Peter Craven (England), Björn Knutson (Sweden), Ole Olsen (Denmark), Bruce Penhall (United States – the winner of the 1981 World Final), and legendary New Zealand rider Ivan Mauger . With four wins, Sweden's Ove Fundin won the most World Championships at Wembley, winning in 1956 , 1960 , 1963 and 1967 . Wembley also hosted
9657-506: The turnstiles had been closed". Although the information was relayed to various railway stations, thousands of people continued to arrive and mass outside the gates. Organisation within the stadium was poor, and in his report on the match the correspondent for the Daily Mail described the stewarding as "useless" and stated that officials in and around the stadium "seemed to know nothing". Fans were not directed to any specific area, and
9768-556: The twelve matches ended up drawn (five of them goalless) and required a sudden-death penalty shootout. Teams winning on penalties are indicated by a †. The semi-finals and final were played on the Sunday. Matches were 60 minutes long. Isherwood, Glen (18 September 2006). Wembley: The Complete Record 1923-2000 . Sportsbooks. p. 512. ISBN 978-1-899807-42-0 . Wembley Stadium (1923) The former Wembley Stadium ( / ˈ w ɛ m b l i / ; originally known as
9879-618: The venue was Argentina. In 1956 and 1971, it was the venue of the home matches of the Great Britain national football team for the qualification matches to the Summer Olympic Games against Bulgaria . In 1966, it was the leading venue of the FIFA World Cup . It hosted nine matches, including the final , where tournament hosts England won 4–2 after extra time against West Germany . Seven years later, Wembley
9990-492: The venue's record speedway attendance of 95,000 set at the 1938 World Final . Riders who won the World Championship at Wembley include; inaugural champion Lionel Van Praag (Australia), Jack Milne (United States), Bluey Wilkinson (Australia), Tommy Price (England), Freddie Williams (Wales), Jack Young (Australia – the first two-time winner, first back-to-back winner and the first second division rider to win
10101-520: The war. The Wembley Lions returned in 1946 and operated in the top flight until the end of the 1956 season winning a number of League titles. A short lived revival saw the Lions in the British League in the 1970 and 1971 seasons . Lionel Van Praag ( 1936 ), Tommy Price ( 1949 ), and Freddie Williams ( 1950 and 1953 ), all won World Championships whilst riding for Wembley. The ashes for
10212-458: The week before the match, West Ham manager Syd King made a radio broadcast in which he observed that the size and quality of the Wembley pitch suited his side's fast wing play and passing style; but after the match his trainer Charlie Paynter attributed his team's defeat to the damage the pitch had suffered before kick-off, saying "It was that white horse thumping its big feet into the pitch that made it hopeless. Our wingers were tumbling all over
10323-408: Was a seething mass at the entrance. Dad said: 'Look, everybody's going over the turnstiles. Let's follow them.' They were locked. The staff had obviously just locked up and left. So we climbed over the fence and the turnstile and found ourselves inside the ground. –Denis Higham, spectator. Under the conditions, gaining access to the ground did not guarantee a view of play, so many tried to find
10434-454: Was also the venue for Arsenal 's home Champions League matches in 1998–99 and 1999–2000 . It has hosted clubs' home matches on two other occasions; in 1930, when Leyton Orient played two home Third Division South matches while their Lea Bridge Stadium was undergoing urgent remedial works; and in 1930–31 for eight matches by non-League Ealing A.F.C. It was also to be the home of the amateur club which made several applications to join
10545-441: Was also the venue for numerous music events, including the 1985 Live Aid charity concert. In what was the first major WWF (now WWE ) pay-per-view to take place outside North America, it hosted the 1992 SummerSlam . The stadium's first turf was cut by King George V and it was first opened to the public on 28 April 1923. Much of Humphry Repton 's original Wembley Park landscape was transformed in 1922–23 during preparations for
10656-514: Was being rebuilt as the Millennium Stadium in the late 1990s (a deal reciprocated for FA Cups during the construction of the new Wembley Stadium). In total there were seven internationals. Wembley was a regular venue for greyhound racing . It was the first sport Sir Arthur Elvin introduced to the stadium. The opening meeting was in 1927. The greyhound racing provided the stadium with its main source of regular income, especially in
10767-480: Was characterised by fast-moving, attacking play, which won them many admirers. The London-based club began the competition away to fellow Second Division team Hull City and won 3–2. In the second round they were held to a draw by Brighton & Hove Albion of the Third Division South, but won the replay 1–0 at home. The "Hammers" defeated another Third Division South team, Plymouth Argyle , in
10878-434: Was dubbed the "Matthews final" after Blackpool's winger Stanley Matthews . At age 38, he was making his third and ultimately his final attempt at winning an FA Cup medal. In the previous six years, he failed to earn a winner's medal against Manchester United in 1948 and Newcastle United in 1951 . It featured a hat-trick by Blackpool's Stan Mortensen in his side's 4–3 win, with Matthews almost single-handedly turning
10989-618: Was employed by White to oversee the sale of the buildings and the clearance of the Wembley site. The stadium had gone into liquidation after it was pronounced "financially unviable". After nine months, having earned a good sum from selling various buildings on the site, Elvin agreed to buy the stadium from White for a total of £127,000 as a £12,000 downpayment and the balance plus interest payable over ten years. Facing personal bankruptcy, White killed himself at his home, King Edward's Place , in 1927. This caused financial complications for Elvin, requiring him to raise money within two weeks to buy
11100-517: Was escorted to the royal box. The bands of the Irish and Grenadier Guards , wedged in tightly among the crowds, played " God Save The King " at a noticeably rushed pace, and the crowds sang along with enthusiasm. This was followed by a fervent three cheers for the King and the crowd began to assist the authorities in clearing the playing area. At 3:10 pm the players entered the field of play and joined
11211-587: Was held at Wembley Stadium. This left the grass turf in poor condition for the FA Cup Final a week later. The stadium also staged women's field hockey matches in which England appeared in their annual match between 1951 and 1969 and then from 1971 to 1991. On 18 June 1963, Wembley hosted a heavyweight boxing match between London native boxer Henry Cooper and American rising star Muhammad Ali in front of 35,000 spectators. On 26 May 1975, in front of 90,000 people, Evel Knievel crashed while trying to land
11322-575: Was in the play off for the Euro 2000 qualifiers in November 1999, but England still went through as they won the other leg 2–0 at Hampden Park . However, the final match at Wembley was the opening qualifier for the 2002 World Cup , and defeat prompted the resignation of England manager Kevin Keegan at the end of the match after 18 months in charge. In all, the stadium hosted five European Cup finals,
11433-410: Was mounted on a horse named "Billie" (some sources spell the name "Billy"). PC Scorey had not actually been on duty that day but answered a call for emergency assistance as the throng of spectators in the stadium grew. Billie, a grey horse , appeared white in the ( high-contrast ) black and white newsreel footage of the era. Contrary to what is sometimes claimed, other horses were also involved, but
11544-413: Was nodding to the people as he went by 'Steady boys' I heard him say 'let's make a good show here'. He was smiling and chuckling, occasionally waving his cane in the air. He seemed to be loving it. –Jim Belton, spectator. West Ham board members and players said that the teams were persuaded to go ahead with the game by a representative of the king, on the basis that it would be a friendly match, with
11655-486: Was on 7 October, in Kevin Keegan's last game as England manager . England were defeated 0–1 by Germany, with Dietmar Hamann scoring the last goal at the original Wembley. On that day, Tony Adams made his 60th Wembley appearance, a record for any player. Adams also claimed England's final goal at the stadium, having scored in the previous home fixture against Ukraine on 31 May. In the sport of rugby league ,
11766-404: Was preceded by chaotic scenes as vast crowds surged into the stadium, far exceeding its official capacity of approximately 125,000. A crowd estimated at up to 300,000 gained entrance and the terraces overflowed, with the result that many spectators found their way into the area around the pitch and even onto the playing area itself. Mounted policemen, including one on a grey horse which featured in
11877-399: Was recovering from a shoulder injury, worst affected; with Ruffell experiencing nausea due to the intense pain. While out on the pitch, Bolton’s Scottish striker Jack Smith felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned to see his brother, whom he had not seen in six years. Eventually mounted policemen were brought in to try to clear the crowds from the pitch, including PC George Scorey , who
11988-459: Was resumed. Soon after play restarted, West Ham's Dick Richards eluded two Bolton defenders and shot for goal. Bolton goalkeeper Dick Pym fumbled the ball but managed to kick it clear before it crossed the goal-line. Later, Pym parried a Ruffell free-kick and easily saved a shot that Watson took on the rebound. Bolton's John Smith put the ball in the net in the 40th minute, but the goal was disallowed for offside . Bolton continued to dominate
12099-516: Was rising toward Wembley. A cacophany of singing, hooters, horns, klaxons and rattles filled the air. Everywhere there were hammers being waved about, some purloined from fireplaces, others six-foot creations of wood, papier mache and cardboard; white, silver and gold. The Irons were on the march! –Jim Belton, spectator. Many travelled by train with London Underground selling more than 241,000 tickets from stations within London to Wembley, but that figure does not cover those who travelled without
12210-500: Was the last time the stadium was used for speedway racing, it remains the track record. Two meetings were held at Wembley in 1974 promoted by Trevor Redmond . The first meeting held featured BriSCA Formula 1 Stock Cars and National Hot Rods . The second meeting featured the BriSCA Formula 2 Stock Cars World Final with F1s in support. Before the first meeting the Wembley groundsman threatened to resign over possible damage to
12321-644: Was the venue for a specially arranged friendly between teams called "The Three" and "The Six" to celebrate the United Kingdom joining the European Economic Community . The match finished 2–0 to "The Three". In 1996, it was the principal venue of UEFA Euro 1996 , hosting all of England's matches, as well as the tournament's final, where Germany won the UEFA European Championship for a third time after defeating
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