We too came from this direction and ended up wandering around for a while trying to find the way up to the gates. I assumed it was to try and make you go through the shops and food places. Generally it was a good experience and Wembley was exactly as I thought it would be so was surprised it was so hard to actually get to the gates!
Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
[Albion] Wembley a Disappointment
- Thread starter Forster's Armband
- Start date
We too came from this direction and ended up wandering around for a while trying to find the way up to the gates. I assumed it was to try and make you go through the shops and food places. Generally it was a good experience and Wembley was exactly as I thought it would be so was surprised it was so hard to actually get to the gates!
I agree with your atmosphere comments. And the large empty seated areas either side of the tunnel didn’t help either.
The concourses I used were fine. And the food will be overpriced.
I'm no expert, so probably wrong, but I thought the concourse where we were in the gods was way too narrow for the volume of people...
At half-time, there was a pretty tight squeeze of people which obviously wasn't everyone from the block...If there was a panic or a rush I would have been worried about getting squashed...
I was at a Pittsburgh Steelers match a few years back and a huge lightning storm emptied the stadium into the concourses and it was bloody frightening getting swept along with a crush of people...I managed to nip into a door where there was an office and avoided the squeeze...
No doubt it's all ok at Wembley but seemed a bit cramped to me.
At half-time, there was a pretty tight squeeze of people which obviously wasn't everyone from the block...If there was a panic or a rush I would have been worried about getting squashed...
I was at a Pittsburgh Steelers match a few years back and a huge lightning storm emptied the stadium into the concourses and it was bloody frightening getting swept along with a crush of people...I managed to nip into a door where there was an office and avoided the squeeze...
No doubt it's all ok at Wembley but seemed a bit cramped to me.
I agree.
I loved the twin towers, the arch is just a poor replacement.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
brightn'ove
cringe
It seems like the experience differs considerably depending on where you sat. In the lower tier there were tonnes of food stalls and options, the queues weren’t too bad either. For that first 20 minutes of the 2nd half it was absolutely deafeningly loud and the ground actually felt like it was bouncing. I had a great time, didn’t have any problems getting there or getting away and plenty of shops nearby if you don’t fancy overpriced food (we got some packet sandwiches from the Tesco right next to our end of Wembley).
I have sat in the upper tier for England and it’s a poor experience at best up there.
I have sat in the upper tier for England and it’s a poor experience at best up there.
It was what I expected of a modern, massive stadium that was built relatively recently.
Most if not all of my complaints come down to the atmosphere at one end of the ground and the corporate middle tier barely being in use. The FA really need to have a good look at this situation, a gate of 71,000 between a moderately well supported provincial club who haven't been in decades, and a top 6 club ought to be totally unacceptable. I don't blame city fans for their empty seats - ticket prices are simply too high for a game relatively low in their priorities, especially when you have to factor in travel at a late, television friendly kick off time. If you are going to let TV call the tune, then compensate fans with lower prices and get them in the stadium. As for the swathes of empty corporate seats, this is an absurd situation. Why have the FA not put in stipulations for the consequences of not using these seats? It is a terrible terrible look having the middle band of the whole stadium empty. Indeed, it was 20 times worse than the pockets of seats in the City end.
Most if not all of my complaints come down to the atmosphere at one end of the ground and the corporate middle tier barely being in use. The FA really need to have a good look at this situation, a gate of 71,000 between a moderately well supported provincial club who haven't been in decades, and a top 6 club ought to be totally unacceptable. I don't blame city fans for their empty seats - ticket prices are simply too high for a game relatively low in their priorities, especially when you have to factor in travel at a late, television friendly kick off time. If you are going to let TV call the tune, then compensate fans with lower prices and get them in the stadium. As for the swathes of empty corporate seats, this is an absurd situation. Why have the FA not put in stipulations for the consequences of not using these seats? It is a terrible terrible look having the middle band of the whole stadium empty. Indeed, it was 20 times worse than the pockets of seats in the City end.
Ditto. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but whatever it was - I was disappointed. Still enjoyed the day though, but definitely there was no 'wow' factor to the stadium itself. I think the Millennium Stadium (or whatever it's called now) in Cardiff is better and that's older. I'd heard about the infamous Wembley 'Ring of Indifference', but it really doesn't add to the atmosphere.
darkwolf666
Well-known member
This, why do designers of football stadia not think that fans might want to use the facilities, before they get in the ground?
APACHE
LONGTIME DIEHARD
That middle tier of seats at Wembley looks terrible. The 2 ends should just be banks of fans, but of course it's all about the money. If the Amex was double in size it would IMO be better, so not that impressed and Wembley already looks dated.
The men's toilet arrangements inside the ground are very odd. In one block there are toilets with just a small number of cubicles; 30 metres
away are toilets with huge numbers of urinals. But nobody/nothing is there to points this out. So, long queues for the former (and real congestion on the concourse) and empty
in the latter simply due to poor design/signage/etc.
I need to point out that I am not obsessed by toilets.
away are toilets with huge numbers of urinals. But nobody/nothing is there to points this out. So, long queues for the former (and real congestion on the concourse) and empty
in the latter simply due to poor design/signage/etc.
I need to point out that I am not obsessed by toilets.
Hastings gull
Well-known member
- Nov 23, 2013
- 4,635
Yes, it was generally good. Strangely, as others have mentioned it, I too thought the signage outside was slightly confusing, but I would not say for one moment that this is a major issue.
Captain Sensible
Well-known member
My daughter Absolutely loved it. But I also found it underwhelming. The mystic of seeing your team play at Wembley has largely disappeared for me. The view was great and the stadium Bowl is superb but maybe we are spoilt at the Amex. I found the acoustics quite bad, the seats hard, the service for food worse than Sodexo. With regard to noise and acoustics, from the upper tiers it was quite difficult to make out what was being sung (unless you were directly behind the goal a mate tells me). I found it a bit grey and dark, the weather didn’t help I suppose, I just found the place a bit...meh. Wembley itself is not the nicest area. Then again it never was, I had forgotten that. There’s a few things around the stadium these days but it still needs better access, better outside stalls and bars, a bit more around it to make it special.
Milano
Well-known member
The biggest mistake being made with Wembley is all the new buildings going up. You can no longer see the whole stadium when walking down Wembley Way, which is a shame.
When they built the new stadium I thought they put a time limit on the semi’s being played there?
When they built the new stadium I thought they put a time limit on the semi’s being played there?
Palacefinder General
Well-known member
- Apr 5, 2019
- 2,594
As a neutral venue they arguably shouldn't have played Wonderwall (or FBS had we won). At the Ethihad fair enough, but the national stadium? Just seems a bit tacky and unnecessary.
clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,301
Ha ha.
For those looking back misty eyed to a glorious age that never was, here is the uncomfortable truth.
The old Wembley stadium was a very large but sh#t stadium in a sh#t area of London with rubbish transport links.
The new Wembley stadium is a very large but sh#t stadium in a sh#t area of London with rubbish transport links.
Sent from my BLA-L09 using Tapatalk
For those looking back misty eyed to a glorious age that never was, here is the uncomfortable truth.
The old Wembley stadium was a very large but sh#t stadium in a sh#t area of London with rubbish transport links.
The new Wembley stadium is a very large but sh#t stadium in a sh#t area of London with rubbish transport links.
Sent from my BLA-L09 using Tapatalk
I think what makes it look tired is the fact that the red seats are fading to an awful pink colour and this was really obvious because a fair number of seats were empty.
I’ve been to Wembley for an England v Scotland game and I’d say the atmosphere was absolutely fantastic with all the build up, national anthems and no empty seats.
Not complaining though. I loved Saturday’s game. UTA!
I’ve been to Wembley for an England v Scotland game and I’d say the atmosphere was absolutely fantastic with all the build up, national anthems and no empty seats.
Not complaining though. I loved Saturday’s game. UTA!
MattBackHome
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 11,722
Yeah it's very big. very expensive and very corporate. I don't like it.
Wembley Central? That was your first mistake. Your second was expecting anything other than rip-off food prices in the stadium.
Wonderwall was very annoying though, yes.
banjo
GOSBTS
No cushioned seats. How uncouth.
Gazwag
5 millionth post poster
While wonderwall was annoying (having watched the recording you can hear us over it which was great) the pre-match music annoyed me more, they played an Oasis track which the City fans could just be heard singing along to so I thought they would then play a FBS song, I even thought for a second they were playing SBTS (I thought the PA was awful, I couldn't make out much of what was said) but no they played the Will Grigg song.