Wembley Stadium

[Elder Van Van Looper]

Not wanting to show off, as I know there are other visitors to this board that have gone, but I made my first visit to Wembley yesterday to see the NFL game. I don't think that I will be rushing back.
Those who visited the "old" Wembley (like me) will see the improvement 100 fold, but I was a bit dissapointed. It is hard to justify spending that amount of money on a ground, when it doesn't look like it cost that much.
Where did all that money go?? :doh:

That arch thing is a lot smaller than I though it would be, and even less inspiring - they even put some little lights on it so is lit up when it gets dark, but adds little as you can't really see it from inside.
My seat was right at the end of a section on the top tier and next to a gap infront of a giant screen, and right behind the goal. It was almost like playing a game of Madden on PS2 (that lasts 3 hours!) It also felt a little bit like being inside - the roofs on the stands were build so that only the pitch is open to the elements, hence I stayed dry for 5 hours unlike the poor but still gorgeous Cheerleaders. :p

Everything was well signed though, Females get their own turnstiles (as everyone is searched). If you want to take drinks in, you could just say you are diabetic, then you get to keep them and the screw tops. :rolleyes:

Unless you spend silly money to sit in "Club Wembley" then I don't think the average fan will see that much difference than going to any other newish ground, apart from the size. Unless of course you want a padded seat, an extra couple of inches leg room and a cup holder for your £3.50 pint.

The food is expensive and doesn't justify its own cost. £6.00 for a Beef Pie Meal Deal is OTT, especially when you realise there is no deal and the only meal is the pie and Coke. Wot no chips - only when you want Fish!
One stall never had any Hot Dogs, one ran out of beer and another ran out of cups. Teething problems I am sure, and I hope things change when I go and see Hednesford play there in the Trophy Final in May.
That of course will be different, as I will be visiting as a fan to watch a match, not as a spectator at an event.
Public Transport was of course a lot busier after the game than before, but there are plenty of nice friendly Stewards shouting the way and giving Directions to the 3 Train Stations that serve the ground.
An experience that everybody should have at least once. Now I have been there is no reason to return, unless of course its us playing. :)

[TGV]

And correct me if I am wrong, but American football is crap anyway??
;)

[rodh]

Elder

I agree with your comments on the prices etc but I disagree about the Stadium. I have been twice to watch proper football and have found the stadium to be fantastic. The view is excellent and the extra leg room is more than welcome.

I went to the old stadium before it was all seated and when it was converted and I can assure you although it cost a lot more than was planned it is worth every penny, at least you do not have anyone peeing down the terraces as they cannot or could even bothered to find a toilet.

The new stadium still has more toilets than any other stadium but at half time it still cannot cope with 90,000 wanting to go at the same time.You still get some wally peeing in the sinks but at least not in the walkways so something has improved.

I suppose you will be going wrestling next however if you want to go to a Rugby League match next season then I will like to join you because unlike American Footballers they are real men, no padding and helmets.Could you imagine Drogba and that ebouee (cant spell it but you know who i mean) from arsenal playing Rugby League, they fall over if sneezed at.

[Glyn]

Jon, you may recall I posted after watching Kidder there in last year's Trophy final, the first competitive game there - it's long past the time now when they can use "teething troubles" as an excuse - bearing in mind that they had plenty (that's an understatement) of time during the planning/building to check out all the other new stadia in the world...

Stadium MK is actually more luxurious and more physically impressive, though on a smaller scale of course.

But Wembley will never overcome its major shortcoming - IT'S 100 MILES TOO FAR SOUTH....

:mad::rolleyes:

[Nemesis3]

ELDER=while watching the match on TV yeserday it was mentioned that the cheapest seat was £65!!!
Surely a costly day out or a freebie?:rolleyes:

[dave jarvu, mystery man]

And correct me if I am wrong, but American football is crap anyway??
;)

I don't like american football.

[Elder Van Van Looper]

Don't get me wrong, Wembley is a World Class stadium, but I am glad that I haven't directly contributed to its construction. (unlike the poor people of Brent). My view was good, and much better than when I have been before, so I have to give them that. Leg room is increased, but when I never normally sit down to watch a game (unless in my armchair) then I have little to compare it too. Never went to the toilet, so I don't know what they look like, and although important, I never go to a ground because of the quality of the stadium toilets. The old ones were attrocious though, anythingf would be an improvement. PLenty of breaks in American Football, so you don't have to wait untill half-time. I was impressed with using an escalotor to get to what they call "level 5" - never done that before in a ground, but you can't use them going down - everyone has to do it the hard way down the stairs.

My ticket was £45.00 (pre-booked) not bad for over 3 hours of Entertainment, rather than 90 minutes of Cup Final Drivel.
Train was £4.50 return from Watford Junction to Wembley Central (pre-booked)
Programme was £10.00 (but my mate paid for that as he still owed for ticket)
£6.00 on food and drink - was the sumtotal spent on the day!

My Mate at work says he prefers The Emirates, but that would involve watching Arsenal - don't know about MK Dons though.

I have been to Wrestling before Rod, so that is out of the question. If I went to Rugby, it would be Twickenham I would be visiting and not Wembley, but thanks for the offer.

[Glyn]

A bit more here on stadium:mk

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wimbledon/7079697.stm

Visit highly recommended if/when you get the chance, most comfortable seats I've ever sat in at football - maybe next season when we go there in the FA Cup 1st Round Proper....

:rolleyes:

Not sure though that its geography makes it far-enough away from London to overcome objections about too many grounds in the South-East? - although it's a damn sight easier to get to....

[MikeM]

There are lots of football supporters who would not, even if they follow their clubs home and away, set foot in The Franchise's stadium at Milton Keynes. A colleague who's a season ticket holder at Swindon reckons that was the majority view of League 2 supporters last year, and I know you read When Saturday Comes, Glyn, which, you will have noticed, refuses to give the club any coverge at all. This links with the American football mentions earlier in this thread. Do we really want clubs to become businesses which can be moved round the country at their owner's wishes? Or premier league games played in the USA? So, while it's my ambition to join the 92 club when I retire - I think I'm actually a couple down over the last five years with new buildings - I'll have to stick at 91 if the Franchise are still in the league.

[Glyn]

Where d'you reckon Wimbledon would have been playing now if Winkleman hadn't moved the club to MK?

Nowhere.

I fully understand that the fans of Wimbledon were outraged at what happened (we would be too if it happened to us) but I don't see why the thousands of fans of MKD (who do include some ex-Dons fans) should be ostracised.

Not going to get into an extended argument on this one Mike, it would be a circular one; just off to Airdrie Utd....

:rolleyes::doh:

[SRFC 4 EVA]

Not wanting to show off, as I know there are other visitors to this board that have gone, but I made my first visit to Wembley yesterday to see the NFL game. I don't think that I will be rushing back.
Those who visited the "old" Wembley (like me) will see the improvement 100 fold, but I was a bit dissapointed. It is hard to justify spending that amount of money on a ground, when it doesn't look like it cost that much.
Where did all that money go?? :doh:

That arch thing is a lot smaller than I though it would be, and even less inspiring - they even put some little lights on it so is lit up when it gets dark, but adds little as you can't really see it from inside.
My seat was right at the end of a section on the top tier and next to a gap infront of a giant screen, and right behind the goal. It was almost like playing a game of Madden on PS2 (that lasts 3 hours!) It also felt a little bit like being inside - the roofs on the stands were build so that only the pitch is open to the elements, hence I stayed dry for 5 hours unlike the poor but still gorgeous Cheerleaders. :p

Everything was well signed though, Females get their own turnstiles (as everyone is searched). If you want to take drinks in, you could just say you are diabetic, then you get to keep them and the screw tops. :rolleyes:

Unless you spend silly money to sit in "Club Wembley" then I don't think the average fan will see that much difference than going to any other newish ground, apart from the size. Unless of course you want a padded seat, an extra couple of inches leg room and a cup holder for your £3.50 pint.

The food is expensive and doesn't justify its own cost. £6.00 for a Beef Pie Meal Deal is OTT, especially when you realise there is no deal and the only meal is the pie and Coke. Wot no chips - only when you want Fish!
One stall never had any Hot Dogs, one ran out of beer and another ran out of cups. Teething problems I am sure, and I hope things change when I go and see Hednesford play there in the Trophy Final in May.
That of course will be different, as I will be visiting as a fan to watch a match, not as a spectator at an event.
Public Transport was of course a lot busier after the game than before, but there are plenty of nice friendly Stewards shouting the way and giving Directions to the 3 Train Stations that serve the ground.
An experience that everybody should have at least once. Now I have been there is no reason to return, unless of course its us playing. :)Stp Moaning... this is our national stadium and it will take time to grow....

I've not been yet but I'll let you all know when Rangers get ther....

[Howww Much!!!]

You should be allowed to tease the ex Rushden glory hunters who have gone to MKD though. :doh:

[Glyn]

England v Croatia, a vital (in football terms) game worth allegedly £10m to the FA and £bns to the English economy, and the pitch is still scarred by the markings from American Football.

UNBELIEVABLE!

:mad:

[Glyn]

The latest wonderful news emerging from Wembley is that apparently with a 12.15 scheduled ko for today's SF (which of course shouldn't be being played there in the first place) the car-park gates haven't been opened yet as at 9.45am!!

The words "pi$$-up" and "brewery" spring to mind....

:mad::doh:

[Glyn]

oh, and with Wembley officially a "public transport venue", Waterloo station (the mainline terminus for fans from Portsmouth) has been closed since mid-morning....

:doh:

[Glyn]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7367287.stm

Going well so far then....

:doh:

Expect to pay more than £25 for your FA Trophy Final tickets next season - if you haven't been and want to to take a look it may be worth jumping on the coach for this year's game (£10 return fare is a steal!!)

[Glyn]

I hear that tickets priced £50 are still, amazingly, available for Wednesday night's utterly meaningless England v USA friendly at Wembley....

.... how many would you like?

:doh:

[MikeM]

Went to community shield yesterday in gold club seats - son's corporate connections so no idea how much - and agree that the legroom and view are excellent, but the atmosphere was dire and anyone going to local tube was held up in pouring rain by police on horses, so they clearly haven't solvced the transport problems that dogged the old one. I've solved the problem of why no one is visible till 10 mins into 2nd half. There are plenty of mens' toilets, but a shortage or in one case total lack of urinals in there; I imagine the latter had been converted from womens' when the problem emerged.About half the people in our section went to the lavs at full time and most of them missed the (admittedly brief!) penalty shoot-out

[Glyn]

Pathetic isn't it.

Maybe they should hand everyone a rolled-up newspaper, to hark back to the halcyon days of the old Wembley.... in the Gold Club seats, it would presumably be the Times......

:rolleyes:

[rodh]

When I went fans were using the sinks as there is still a lack of urinals despite having more toilets than any other stadium.

I have to disagree with MikeM though as I found that getting in and out of Wembley by tube was very good. Yes you have to go down a crowded Wembley Way but isnt that part of the day. I find it very nostalgic. The police on horses ensure the crowd leave orderly and that no one is crushed by "funnelling" supporters into the next section of Wembley Way.

If I had a gold class ticket I certainly would not be leaving with the majority of the crowd, Mike Couldn't you have had another prawn sandwich and a glass of pimms and left when it was quite.

[Glyn]

Gaunty on talkSPORT is running the story that tickets for this game are now on sale, priced £40 with NO DISCOUNTS for kids....

Just thought I'd check the story before commenting on it, googled and found this link....

http://www.wembleystadium.com/events/majorevents/englandkazakhstan.htm

.... and if you then click on "tickets now on sale" it will take you to a page on TheFA.com offering you tickets for England v USA on 28th May

About sums them up doesn't it??

:doh:

[Sid Snot]

is that right that setanta have got all the away world cup qualifiers and sky have all the home ones ,if thats right its an effing disgrace :mad:

[Glyn]

Who cares, I think I'd rather watch paint dry

:mad:

[rodh]

Sentanta have all the away games but the home matches will be on ITV as they have won the contract off the BBC. This is the same for the FA Cup, also you can now watch the FA cup prelims on ITV local/grassroots.