Official Wembley Stadium book published
Wembley Stadium: Venue of Legends book is published.
Today, Wednesday 6 February 2008, the stadium's official book Wembley Stadium: Venue of Legends by Patrick Barclay and Kenneth Powell is published.
In this, the only authorized history of the historic sports venue, popular broadcaster and football correspondent for the Sunday Telegraph, Patrick Barclay and respected architecture critic Kenneth Powell chart Wembley’s rebirth. Wembley Stadium: Venue of Legends is illustrated with a wealth of historic images beneath the twin towers and specially commissioned photography of the new stadium, including its first match, the May 2007 FA Cup Final.
Capturing the emotion of Wembley, Patrick Barclay’s Venue of Legends describes the high (and low) points of The FA Cup, European Cup and World Cup football played in the old stadium. Barclay's renowned infectious writing conjures up the excitement of the historic football games that were played there; from the first Cup Final in 1923 "under the twin towers", when 200,000 had try to cram into the stadium, (and disaster was famously averted by a white police horse), through England's unbroken international domination of the game at home, until its fall to the Hungarian team in 1953 – and back up through the euphoria of the 1966 World Cup - to the last match played in 2000, against Germany. He considers the other sports played there, Rugby League, Speedway, greyhound racing, but for Barclay, "overwhelmingly the Wembley story is of a wealth - an almost unfathomable wealth - of football".
In his first essay, The Road to Wembley, Kenneth Powell traces the history of the twin towers and its importance in the public imagination, from a small element of the complex created for the Empire Exhibition of 1924 to a major venue for sporting and entertainment events for over 80 years, including the 1948 Olympics, the original LiveAid concert of 1985 and the World Cup Final in 1966. The stadium, built in just 300 working days, accommodated 126,500 spectators, most of them standing. Although refurbished, and latterly an all-seater stadium, by the 1980s the stadium remained a period piece in a changing world.
In A New National Stadium, Kenneth Powell, examines the story of how the dream of a new Wembley became a reality. The National Lottery, established in 1993, gave new hope to the building of a state-of-the-art stadium, and although the twin towers were maintained well into the final planning of the new building, it is fascinating to read the inside story of how they were eventually replaced by the symbolic 133-metre high arch which became an integral part of the structure. Designed by HOK Sport and Foster + Partners, the building was seen as a challenge to design. It had to build on the heritage of the old Wembley but be ‘magical in its own right’, to pass the test it had to be, in Foster’s own words, “a building that bottles emotion”.
Wembley Stadium: Venue of Legends provides absorbing information about the new stadium and its design. A chronology of key events, lists of winners in the 1948 Olympics and winners of international, European and FA Cup winners are also included. Over 330 illustrations, drawings and photographs are used to document the old stadium’s greatest moments as well as the rebirth of the new Wembley – including action shots from its first few events.
Wembley Stadium: Venue of Legends, priced £30 in hard cover, can be purchased through all good bookshops and via Wembley Stadium's Online Store.
In this, the only authorized history of the historic sports venue, popular broadcaster and football correspondent for the Sunday Telegraph, Patrick Barclay and respected architecture critic Kenneth Powell chart Wembley’s rebirth. Wembley Stadium: Venue of Legends is illustrated with a wealth of historic images beneath the twin towers and specially commissioned photography of the new stadium, including its first match, the May 2007 FA Cup Final.
Capturing the emotion of Wembley, Patrick Barclay’s Venue of Legends describes the high (and low) points of The FA Cup, European Cup and World Cup football played in the old stadium. Barclay's renowned infectious writing conjures up the excitement of the historic football games that were played there; from the first Cup Final in 1923 "under the twin towers", when 200,000 had try to cram into the stadium, (and disaster was famously averted by a white police horse), through England's unbroken international domination of the game at home, until its fall to the Hungarian team in 1953 – and back up through the euphoria of the 1966 World Cup - to the last match played in 2000, against Germany. He considers the other sports played there, Rugby League, Speedway, greyhound racing, but for Barclay, "overwhelmingly the Wembley story is of a wealth - an almost unfathomable wealth - of football".
In his first essay, The Road to Wembley, Kenneth Powell traces the history of the twin towers and its importance in the public imagination, from a small element of the complex created for the Empire Exhibition of 1924 to a major venue for sporting and entertainment events for over 80 years, including the 1948 Olympics, the original LiveAid concert of 1985 and the World Cup Final in 1966. The stadium, built in just 300 working days, accommodated 126,500 spectators, most of them standing. Although refurbished, and latterly an all-seater stadium, by the 1980s the stadium remained a period piece in a changing world.
In A New National Stadium, Kenneth Powell, examines the story of how the dream of a new Wembley became a reality. The National Lottery, established in 1993, gave new hope to the building of a state-of-the-art stadium, and although the twin towers were maintained well into the final planning of the new building, it is fascinating to read the inside story of how they were eventually replaced by the symbolic 133-metre high arch which became an integral part of the structure. Designed by HOK Sport and Foster + Partners, the building was seen as a challenge to design. It had to build on the heritage of the old Wembley but be ‘magical in its own right’, to pass the test it had to be, in Foster’s own words, “a building that bottles emotion”.
Wembley Stadium: Venue of Legends provides absorbing information about the new stadium and its design. A chronology of key events, lists of winners in the 1948 Olympics and winners of international, European and FA Cup winners are also included. Over 330 illustrations, drawings and photographs are used to document the old stadium’s greatest moments as well as the rebirth of the new Wembley – including action shots from its first few events.
Wembley Stadium: Venue of Legends, priced £30 in hard cover, can be purchased through all good bookshops and via Wembley Stadium's Online Store.