Editing Wembley Stadium (1923) (section)

== History ==
[[File:Postcard British Empire Exhibition 1924 25.jpg|thumb|left|Postcard depicting the "British Empire Exhibition" in 1924]]

The stadium's first turf was cut by [[George V of the United Kingdom|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 the [[British Empire Exhibition]] of 1924–25. First known as the "British Empire Exhibition Stadium"<ref>{{cite news |url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0C12FD385F17738DDDAE0994DE405B848EF1D3 |author=Staff |date=17 June 1924 |title=Asks Premier to Stop Rodeo Steer Roping; British Society Appeals 'in Name of Humanity' Against Contest of American Cowboys |work= [[The New York Times]]}}</ref> or simply the "Empire Stadium", the construction was carried out by [[Sir Robert McAlpine]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.srm.com/projects/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012024013/http://www.sir-robert-mcalpine.com/projects/index.html|title=Projects|archive-date=12 October 2007|website=Sir Robert McAlpine}}</ref> for the [[British Empire Exhibition]]<ref>[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040905/spectrum/art.htm Sunday Tribune of India (newspaper)] Article on exhibition (2004)</ref> of 1924 (extended to 1925).<ref>[http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75167 British Pathe (agency)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611090756/http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75167 |date=11 June 2011 }} Film of British Empire Exhibition, reel one</ref><ref>[http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75168 British Pathe (agency)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611090732/http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75168 |date=11 June 2011 }} Film of British Empire Exhibition, reel two</ref><ref>[http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75169 British Pathe (agency)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611090812/http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75169 |date=11 June 2011 }} Film of British Empire Exhibition, reel three</ref><ref>[http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75170 British Pathe (agency)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611090829/http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75170 |date=11 June 2011 }} Film of British Empire Exhibition, reel four</ref>

The stadium cost £750,000 (equivalent to approximately  £49.81 million in 2023) and was constructed on the site of a [[folly]] called [[Watkin's Tower]]. The architects were [[John William Simpson (architect)|Sir John Simpson]] and [[Maxwell Ayrton]]<ref>Sutcliffe, Anthony (2006). ''London: An Architectural History''. Yale University Press. {{ISBN|0-300-11006-5}}. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ONC1UsSpS4AC&pg=PA172 p. 172] (via [[Google Books]]). Retrieved 4 February 2009.</ref> and the head engineer [[Owen Williams (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 [[James Stevenson, 1st Baron Stevenson|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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wembleystadium.com/StadiumHistory/historyIntroduction/ |title=Wembley Stadium – Stadium History |access-date=18 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502015057/http://www.wembleystadium.com/StadiumHistory/historyIntroduction |archive-date=2 May 2009 }}. Wembley Stadium.</ref>

At the end of the exhibition, which proved to be a financial disappointment, the site at Wembley was considered by many to be a vast '[[white elephant]]'. It was bought by a property speculator, [[James White (financier)|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-[[Royal Flying Corps|RFC]] officer who had worked in a tobacco kiosk at the exhibition and had previous experience working for a scrap metal firm, 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".<ref name="g1">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2006/mar/14/architecture.communities|title=The height of ambition|last=de Lisle|first=Tim|date= 14 March 2006| work =[[The Guardian]]|access-date= 29 September 2008 }}</ref> 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.<ref name=wpwy>Jacobs, N and Lipscombe, P (2005). ''Wembley Speedway: The Pre-War Years''. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. {{ISBN|0-7524-3750-X}}.</ref>

[[File:The old Wembley Stadium (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Aerial view of Wembley Stadium, 1991]] 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 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.<ref name="wpwy"/>

Elvin was able to make a considerable profit with the introduction of greyhound racing from 1927<ref name="genders81">{{cite book|last=Genders|first=Roy|title=The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing|year=1981|p=77-81|publisher=Pelham Books Ltd|isbn=07207-1106-1}}</ref> and is credited with saving the stadium from closure and demolition.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cg71ger3zllo |title=The man who saved Wembley Stadium |website=BBC Sport |date=14 May 2025 | access-date=14 May 2025}}</ref>

The electric scoreboard and the all-encircling roof, made from aluminium and translucent glass, were added in 1963.<ref>{{cite book |first=Simon |last=Inglis |author-link=Simon Inglis |title=The Football League Grounds of England and Wales |publisher=Willow Books |year=1984 |isbn=9780002181891 |page=259}}</ref>

In 1977 fences were erected around the pitch following the [[1976–77 British Home Championship|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.

[[File:Royal Box at Wembley Stadium 1986.jpg|thumb|right|The Royal Box in April 1986. Trophy presentations took place here.]]

The stadium's distinctive [[Twin Towers (Wembley)|Twin Towers]] became its trademark and nickname.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.forbes.com/2005/10/20/microsoft-wembley-sponsorship-cx_cn_1020autofacescan08.html | work= [[Forbes (magazine)|Forbes]] | title=Gates' Microsoft Becomes Wembley Stadium Backer | date=20 October 2005}}</ref> Also well known were the 39 steps needed to be climbed to reach the Royal box and collect a trophy (and winners'/losers' medals). In 1934, the [[Wembley Arena|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 [[Wembley Stadium|redevelopment]]. The top of one of the twin towers was erected as a memorial in 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<ref>{{cite news |date=3 October 2001 |title=Eriksson 'backing' Birmingham stadium |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1576615.stm |access-date=5 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=30 April 2002 |title=Birmingham stands by |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/in_depth/2001/search_for_a_new_wembley/1959381.stm |access-date=5 April 2023}}</ref> following disputes and a political row regarding the new Wembley's construction.<ref>{{cite news |date=1 May 2001 |title=Uproar over Wembley 'fiasco' |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/1307258.stm |access-date=5 April 2023}}</ref> These bids were ultimately unsuccessful as the FA chose in 2002 to keep the national team at the new Wembley once completed.