Why the Net has the advantage in the ‘Undies world’
- Shopping blogger Emma Iannarilli
Nice stadium, not so nice place
Thursday 31st May 2007, 12:01PM BST.
Four days on from the trip to Wembley and my shoes still haven’t dried out, writes Andy Toft.
That’s an appropriate epitaph to a day which finished as a damp squib.
The result of Monday’s play-off final left us all feeling dismayed and depressed as we made our weary way back to the West Midlands.
But there were other factors that left me feeling more than a little nonplussed by our visit to the national stadium – chiefly the national stadium itself.
Don’t get me wrong, once inside Wembley you cannot fail to be impressed by football’s spectacular new home.
I had already visited the stadium in the run-up to Kidderminster’s FA Trophy final, but even so the sight of it on match day still knocked some of the wind from my lungs.
As fantastic as this new arena is though, the FA forgot the key mantra in property development – location, location, location.
Plonking this wonderful new stadium slap bang where the old one was akin to recreating Westminster Abbey on Coronation Street.
It should be no surprise the FA lacked vision in deciding the site for the Empire Stadium’s replacement, after all they gave one of the biggest managerial jobs in the world to erm, Steve McClaren.
In sticking with Wembley the Soho ditherers have lumbered most football fans for decades to come with a dismal journey, blighted by congestion, a desperate scramble for parking spaces miles from their destination, topped off by a soul-sapping queue for a seat on the tube.
It was a trek which passed its sell-by date years ago, but one the FA was happy to saddle supporters with through a misguided sense of nostalgia.
The only thing Wembley had in its favour was the delapidated old stadium and its towers.
The decision to dispense with all trace of that arena removed the only fragment of a sensible reason to stick with the site.
And it’s not just the accessibility that makes a mockery of the FA’s planning.
Sensibly most fans got to the ground two or three hours before kick-off.
But once at Wembley, what was there to do?
Go for a drink in one of the many bars perhaps? Have a bite to eat in the plethora of restaurants?
Take a browse around the shops? Or perhaps visit the museum dedicated to the national game?
Well sorry, no. Because the first three options simply aren’t available (unless you count a visit to Comet but I can’t believe many fans were in the market for a new kettle) and if you fancy the last one you need to go to Preston.
One group of hardy Albion fans looking for somewhere to congregate settled for a car park just off Wembley Way – bleak doesn’t quite sum it up.
Combine the total absence of facilities around the ground with weather that would have sent Noah running for cover and you have a thoroughly miserable pre-match experience.
And can I just stress again this is supposed to be our NATIONAL stadium.
So not only was the FA happy to inflict this abject affair on our own fans it actually believed this was a fitting setting to host supporters from around the globe.
There’s nothing quite like creating the right impression – and yes this is nothing at all like creating the right impression.
It’s a bit like inviting the neighbours around for dinner and then telling them they’re eating in the shed.
I can’t say I was any more impressed with Wembley’s environs after the game, particularly as the walk back to the tube station involved sidestepping a pretty unsavoury set of messages left by the police horses.
I shan’t use its Anglo-Saxon name but safe to say it was a rose gardener’s dream.
And maybe, in some way, it acted as poetic judgement on the FA’s decision to site one of the finest stadiums in the world in a location only someone as shortsighted as Mr Magoo would deem appropriate.
Sponsored Links
Business Awards
Book a Business Awards table
Join our celebrations of the region's best in business on Thursday March 22 - book your table now
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Express & Star and Shropshire Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases
OUR NEW APP
Get the new E&S app
Download the Express & Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
expressandstar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
have to be honest – i weren’t impressed by the stadium itself! it’s supposed to be acoustically designed to hold in the atmosphere, well that is rubbish!! i saw thousands of people singing but the sound just disappears through the roof! also it lacks a certain something, the old stadium (although a dump) had a special feel, new wembley is like any other new stadium
Report abuse
I must admit the whole Wembley experience still troubles me. Obviously it was disapointing being an Albion fan and missing out on the day but I expected a far more memorable affair.
The grey lifeless stadium and developing surrounding area stank of a corporate future. (Infact the only colour I can remember was the loose Coca Cola banners in the wind – damn they’ve got me)
The area/stadium lacked any soul and the mass army of West Brom and Derby knew it – fans walked around in circles and confusion, admiring the various degrees of grey, and lack of toilets. The whole affair was seemingly second rate – an FA deliberation (pre England v Brazil) – probably.
The fans tried their best but the atmosphere was similar to a futile union march. Unfortunately I can’t see the FA putting fans before their own commercial interests.
A wasted opportunity and a poor launch.
Report abuse
I paid £60 for a seat virtually at pitch level by the corner flag. The view was awful and I got wet when it rained. I expect better than that.
Report abuse
Absolutely correct. The area of the NEC would have been so much more sensible. It is a real frustration to any real fan that the authorities can make such awful decisions. They do seem to be out of touch anyway on so much (why does football not use technology on major decisions like rugby etc etc??). Magnificient stadium in an awful location.
Report abuse
I found it easy getting there and back. Okay the land around the ground was a mess but there were signs showing what it would look like when the property developments around the ground are finished, and they looked really slick. To start talking about horse faeces being on wembley way really shows that there is no substance to your article. Should the FA have genetically modify horse to not poo anymore!!?
Report abuse
don’t blame the height of the roof ,the fans just did’nt turn up, do you remember 1989 at the boggies 89th minute bully chested the ball smashed the roof of the net and their was no roof on the smellyend then but you could hear the roar in dudley,like the team you just was’nt there, boing twang sob sob.
Report abuse
I agree whole heartedly with Andy Toft’s article. I was expecting to be able to escape the weather before the game by browsing the shops or having a drink in a nice bar, but there was nothing! We were just left to hang about aimlessly until the turnstiles opened.
Report abuse
Personally, I cannot comment, as I live in Spain. But a relative said it looked like an airport and was very, very difficult to drive into – and out of. My own view is more cynical – why on earth do we need a national stadium in a dump like Wembley. Why do they make it so difficult for fans to visit? Is there something wrong with siting a stadium in mid-country? What’s wrong with a stadium just off the M1 so everyone can drive easily to it, and park in acres upon acres of open spaces. That would be fair to all fans travelling from the north east, north west, Midlands and London. Or is there a more devious reason. Perhaps all the corporate hangers on live near London. I wonder what the answer is. Wembley is certainly not the answer for me. Perhaps it’s £ notes, £ notes, £ notes……!!! I wonder.
Report abuse
I agree – Wembley is a big flop. Nothing to do outside the ground, no where to sit or escape from the weather, couldn’t even find anywhere buy a programme. Had to wait an hour and a half in the freezin wind and rain for a train after the game, herded along like animals with no toilets or any facility to get a warm drink. Inside the ground was nice but there was no atmosphere – its too big. I much preferred the old wembley the atmosphere was always electric. I wont be in such a hurry to go again!!
Report abuse
boing twang bish bop,,, lolol
how funny is this winging…
wolves4ever
Report abuse
Well done Besty, bring something up from 18 years ago, about the last time you had any success against us! As for the stadium it’s pretty good once you’re inside but drab from outside, nothing to do and a nightmare to get to. I suppose losing and the constant rain might have coloured my judgement though!!!
Report abuse
wembley only wants the prawn coctail brigade but we have got to get used to it have we will back there on many more occasions for cup finals and semis.but next year it will be promotion before easter. boing boing.
Report abuse
not before you get relegated!!!
Report abuse
I live in Wembley, 5 minutes walk from the ground, and will be going to the England v Brazil game. I really sympathise with you and feel sorry for anyone that has to make the long journey. All I can say is that Wembley is still a building site and all those things you mentioned such as shops and entertainment are part of the plans to make Wembley more than just a pilgrimage for football fans. This will take several years to complete so its not an issue that will go away overnight. But eventually, Wembley really will be a fitting national sporting venue.
Report abuse
Andy
I went to work Monday and couldn’t really say how I felt about Wembley but, you have written exactly how I feel. How far do FA esteem themselves its sad to say what a mistake!!!!!
Thankyou
Report abuse
Agree with everything Andy Toft says here. On the following Tuesday morning, the question from co-workers was “what’s the stadium like?” and the only elements I found impressive were the number of seats and the escalators to the Upper Tier – and that’s it. There is no “wow!” factor to the place at all.
I’ve struggled to explain to people just how grim and bleak the approaches to the stadium are, I can’t even think of a local road that compares to the low-rent 60s era commercial units and ugly office car parks that surround it and we live in the Black Country for heavens sake!
Sitting to go into the coach park I was confronted with a wonderful, scenic view of a scrapyard and the kind of scrap tyre mountain that I thought we didn’t have anymore in this age of recycling. Do we really expect foreign football fans to leave with a positive image of London after making a trip to the self-proclaimed Mecca of football? This is our exciting approach to the home of football?
Coach parks that aren’t big enough (Derby weren’t able to prebook parking for all their coaches as we snaffled the first 150 places), the Club Wembley middle tier farce (imagine being a professional tout realising that you can buy every non-playoff match ticket for the next ten years in one go – you’d wet yourself in joy) and a roof that closes – but only partially…
I’ve been to Cardiff’s Millenium Stadium three times now, twice for the Speedway GP and once for a Red Hot Chili Peppers gig and Wembley just doesn’t compare. The mass rebuilding of league grounds over the past fifteen years or so has raised the bar for what we expect in footy stadiums and for the National “all singing, all dancing” Stadium, new Wembley just doesn’t seem to offer anything greater rather than a 90k capacity and escalators.
We are continually hearing how the US money coming in the Premier League is trying to change footy attendance into an all-day thing with shops and restaurants and othe r attractions at the ground in an attempt to get whole families present for longer periods of time – if, and it’s a big if, this takes off Wembley will look even more archaic lacking these sort of features. It’s supposed to be the cream of stadiums and the way things look, Old Trafford will overtake it quickly.
And there was no singing of Abide With Me…. :(
Report abuse
On the flip side, I thought the ground was superb.
Walking from the concourse into the stadium is just gobsmacking.
Regarding the toilets – if you come stright out to the concourse you will queue for the nearest toilets…yet 50 yeard further away you’ll find virtually empty ones just like we did every time passing the sheep like queues.
Dont drive to Wembley itself – its built for public transport in mind. M40 to Hillingdon, free on road parking, £4.20 retrun on the tube to Wembley Park and well managed queues back to the station after the game.
In a couple of years when the areas surrounding Wembley will be developed it will be a great place to go.
The world looks better on a sunny day – one thing we just didnt get
Report abuse
I too am a dissapointed Albion fan like the many thousands of others, But this Wembley Stadium looks very impressive, I agree with others that the atmosphere left a little to be desired (not like the old stadium) BUT can someone explain to me Why the roof leaked????
£800 Million pounds later £60 out of pocket and we all got wet!!!!!
Report abuse
Agree with Andy Toft.
Walking from the stadium to the station was a joke.
If the authorities do not sort SAFETY out, there will be a disastrous crush one day and people will die – seriously!!
Why is it that Wolves fans cannot spell or consruct a sentence properly????
Report abuse
Toft, your blogs were much more entertaining when you didn’t bang on about football all the time.
And in answer to:
“Why is it that Wolves fans cannot spell or consruct a sentence properly????”
I take it you mean ‘construct’ Jeff? Tee hee…..
Report abuse
people in glass house’s and all that, look at ya own spelling jeff.
Report abuse
Totally agree with everything here. At one point I could see somewhere between 20/30,000 baggies boing boinging but couldn’t hear a thing!
My mate sat 20 rows from the front and got soaked!
Why didn’t they close the roof? It looks impressive but lacks everything else.
Report abuse
Same view from me i’m afraid folks. Very dissapointed in the stadium itself let alone its surrounding area ouside the ground near the station. Got there for 10.00 and enjoyed a few hours in jj moons pre match, that was about the only highlight of my day in london. I for one won’t be in such a hurry to go back to wembley and this comes from a big england fan who attends loads of games at wembley. Roll on next season!!
Report abuse
I agree, I live in Wembley and over the last few years it has become a dump. There is nothing on offer.
Report abuse