Chapter 123 Wembley Stadium (2)
Wembley Stadium was built in 1923, when King George V personally cut the first inch of grass for the stadium. Of course, it was not called Wembley at the time. The official name was Empire Stadium. It was built for the British Empire Exhibition in 1924. It was called Wembley Stadium because it was located in the Wembley district in northwest London.
There is a pair of white towers in front of the main entrance of Wembley Stadium. The design of this tower originated from the Governor's House in New Delhi, British India. Since then, the Wembley Twin Towers have long become the symbol of the stadium and one of the famous buildings in London.
The two ends of the vertical field of Wembley Stadium are two semicircular shapes, corresponding to the shape of the runway. The stands are also built in a vertical shape, which can accommodate 60,000 spectators. The stadium is 105 meters long and 69.5 meters wide. To ensure drainage, the center of the stadium is 25 centimeters higher than the sideline.
As for the design of the stand structure, methods such as building horizontal passages, stairs, and opening each individual stand area were adopted. The roof is also long. In the 1920s, if the stadium roof was not built with pillars, it would not be technically feasible. Like other stadiums built before the war, Wembley Stadium also has certain defects in this regard, and the audience's sight when enjoying the game will be affected to a certain extent.
Now, the English Football Association is preparing to rebuild the stadium, and the demolition work of the stadium is already underway.
However, don't underestimate this ancient stadium because of its structural defects or luxury. Its history is full of glory. Wembley Stadium is one of the most famous stadiums in Europe and has always been the home of the England team. In other aspects, it should not be underestimated. Take the Champions League for example. Wembley Stadium has hosted the Champions League final five times, which is tied with the Heysel Stadium in Belgium as the stadium that has hosted the Champions League final the most times.
Apart from football, Wembley Stadium is also very famous in other aspects. It once became the home stadium of the London Olympics in 1948 and hosted the closing ceremony of the Olympics. Before the 1980s, Wembley often hosted the car championship and motorcycle championship. NFL, rugby, various concerts, etc. were often held here. It can be said that Wembley Stadium is the most famous stadium in England. It is not an exaggeration to say that its historical origin and practicality are definitely much better than Old Trafford Stadium or Highbury Stadium.
This year, although the stadium is still being demolished and a large number of mechanical facilities have been under construction in the peripheral areas, the Swede Eriksson still regards it as the training base for the England team to prepare for the European Cup, because it carries the glory and sorrow of English football for nearly a hundred years, and carries the hope and loss of English fans. This will give more encouragement to the warriors who are about to fight in the European Cup and make them work harder for the victory of the game!
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Today, Wang Li was very low-key, wearing a black sun hat, and came alone to the northwest of London, to the gate of this great stadium. With his current fame in England, if he blatantly walked on the streets of London, he would definitely be recognized by fans, and then attract constant autographs, group photos, etc. Although he also likes the feeling of being sought after by everyone, it will definitely be annoying after a long time.
Yes, he hated trouble.
Led by the stadium staff, Wang Li walked into the historic stadium. Looking at the various commemorative badges, murals, and photos of players hanging on both sides of the passage, he felt a sense of anticipation from the bottom of his heart.
For a large European stadium, the decorative murals next to the stadium tunnel are the best way to illustrate its history. Europeans are accustomed to enlarging photos of those "classic moments" and hanging them on both sides of the stadium tunnel to preserve these wonderful moments in history. Therefore, although everything in the newly built stadium looks cheerful, open-minded and clean, there will be nothing hung in the stadium tunnel. This will make veteran fans always feel that something is missing. Yes, that's honor!
The 1923 Matthews Final, the 1953 White Horse Final, the 1966 World Cup opening match between England and West Germany, large photos of superstars in English history such as Stan Mortensen and Bobby Moore, the final moments between AC Milan and Benfica, Beckham's tears and other classic pictures. This is the history of Wembley Stadium, the history of England, and it can even be said to be an important part of the history of the entire world football process!
These classic moments in history kept appearing in front of Wang Li. Although Wang Li had never seen many of them, and he couldn't even name the players in most of the photos, he still felt a sense of excitement all over his body. Perhaps this is the feeling that history and honor can bring to people! Wang Li felt that he had no regrets about joining the England team. Being able to become a member of such a team was worth his rebirth!
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Walking out of the stadium passage, Wang Li followed the staff, turned a small corner, walked along the edge of the stadium to the back of the stadium, and came to the players' dormitory. On the third floor of the small building behind the players' dormitory was the office of England's head coach, Eriksson of Sweden.
"Knock, knock, knock." Jeff knocked on the door and then whispered into the crack: "Sir, can you come in?"
"Come in." A clear voice came from the office.
It was the first time that Wang Li met Eriksson in person. He had a slightly bald forehead, gray hair, and a wrinkled but energetic face. At this moment, Eriksson was wearing a black and blue sportswear, sitting in front of his desk, staring at the tactical board in a daze.
Workaholic, this is Wang Li's first impression of Erickson. In his opinion, people with this kind of appearance will be very passionate about work, and often this kind of passion will be exchanged for success. In other words, Wang Li has a very good impression of Erickson. Compared with Dave Jones, Erickson's resolute face has a hint of kindness, which makes Wang Li feel sincerely cordial.
"Alan Wang? Well, you're here. Follow Jeff to the players' dormitory to pack your things. After you change your clothes, go to the stadium to get to know your teammates." Seeing Wang Li next to Jeff, Erickson recognized him at a glance. He didn't say much and sent him away with just one sentence. He was usually like this, not wasting time talking about useless nonsense. Everything seemed neat and tidy. Seeing the two leave the office, he put his mind on the tactical board again.
Wang Li shook his head helplessly and followed Jeff towards the players' dormitory. He didn't care about Eriksen's attitude. This kind of head coach who regards work as everything will cherish every moment to think about work matters. It is normal for him to have a somewhat unkind personality, but communicating with people with this kind of personality is indeed not a pleasant thing.
However, Wang Li thought about meeting many of his England teammates soon, and he was looking forward to it. Wang Li ran to the players' dormitory, put his backpack directly on the bed, changed his clothes and walked out of the players' dormitory.
Now, there are only a few people scattered on the small training ground behind the big stadium. Today is just the 14th, and Eriksson requested that the training camp start date is tomorrow, so those stars, or the players who are "going through fire and water" for the club have not reported yet.
Standing at the edge of the field, Wang Li looked inside the field. The only name he could call out was that of a burly little fat man who kept swinging his legs to shoot next to the goal - Wayne Rooney.
Wayne Rooney is hailed by the media as the number one talent on England's front line, even more famous than Wang Li!
PS: It seems that Xiao X hasn't asked for anything for a long time. Taking advantage of today's update, I'm asking for some collections. If you have already collected it, Xiao X will also accept it with a thick face.
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