Wembley Stadium

Wembley Stadium variant UK US

Main entry: Wembley

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Wembley [Wembley] (also Wembley Stadium)

a famous sports ↑stadium in the district of north-west London of the same name. It first opened in 1923 and was considered to be England’s national sports stadium. It closed in 2000 to allow for a new Wembley National Stadium to be built on the same site. It opened in 2007. The most important sporting event held at Wembley is the football ↑FA ↑Cup Final, which takes place every year. The Olympic Games were held there in 1948 and England’s national football team plays its home games there. Important Rugby League and ↑hockey matches are also played at Wembley. Next to the stadium, a separate building, the Wembley Arena is used for rock concerts, shows (especially on ice) and sports events, especially competitions in ↑showjumping (= the sport of riding horses over difficult barriers). The original name for the Wembley Arena was the Empire Pool as it contained a big swimming pool. Close to the Arena and Wembley Stadium site is the large Wembley Conference Centre, which opened in 1977.