100 Years of Wembley
FourFourTwo UK|May 2023
England's national stadium celebrates its centenary in April. Ever since it opened in 1923, it's hosted great football history, from the iconic to the downright weird...
By Chris Flanagan
100 Years of Wembley

BOLTON 2-0 WEST HAM 1923

When Wembley Stadium was first built, it was only due to remain open for a year.

Officially known as the Empire Stadium, it was constructed amid the fields of Wembley Park for the 1924 British Empire Exhibition but was ready ahead of schedule, and so it opened for the FA Cup final on April 28, 1923. The showpiece fixture had previously been held at various venues including The Oval, Crystal Palace and Old Trafford, and Stamford Bridge for the previous three seasons.

Around 53,000 people had turned up to Chelsea’s ground to watch Huddersfield beat Preston in the 1922 final. This time, an estimated 250,000 wannabe spectators flooded to the new stadium in north-west London – far more than the official capacity attendance of 126,047, which is still a record at Wembley. King George V’s motorcade just about found its way through the hordes; no such luck for the Bolton team, who had to walk the last mile of their journey.

Thousands of ticketless fans climbed over walls to get in and 10,000 had spilled onto the pitch come 3pm, the scheduled kick-off time. Crowds were pushed back by mounted police, one of them riding a light grey horse called Billie, which looked white on Pathé’s monochrome footage – hence the White Horse Final, as the match became known.

This story is from the May 2023 edition of FourFourTwo UK.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the May 2023 edition of FourFourTwo UK.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM FOURFOURTWO UKView All
WHAT WOULD WOODWARD DO?
FourFourTwo UK

WHAT WOULD WOODWARD DO?

Sir Dave Brailsford isn't football's first interloping innovator from another sport, as Southampton fans will recall

time-read
5 mins  |
April 2024
THE ARQUND GROUNDS EFL-NON-LEAGUE-SCOTLAND
FourFourTwo UK

THE ARQUND GROUNDS EFL-NON-LEAGUE-SCOTLAND

The Wigan gaffer on why he could have taken up tennis, seeking Sir Alex's advice and memories of cup glory with the Latics

time-read
4 mins  |
April 2024
HOW LUTON TOWN BECAME A PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM
FourFourTwo UK

HOW LUTON TOWN BECAME A PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM

The Hatters were tipped to finish bottom of the table at the start of the campaign, but have adapted their game to give themselves a chance of avoiding the dreaded drop

time-read
10 mins  |
April 2024
"WE WON 3-0 AT SPURS.TWO GAMES LATER.IWAS SACKED"
FourFourTwo UK

"WE WON 3-0 AT SPURS.TWO GAMES LATER.IWAS SACKED"

Two-and-a-half years since his Manchester United reign came to an end, Ole Gunnar Solskjder sits down with FFT for a rare interview, opening up on the club’s post-Fergie struggles, Cristiano Ronaldo and the challenges of managing modern superstars

time-read
10+ mins  |
April 2024
LOCAL HERO
FourFourTwo UK

LOCAL HERO

Like Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, Sean Longstaff has shone for his boyhood club this season. The midfielder tells FFT all about his Newcastle revival under Eddie Howe, a £50m move to Manchester United that never was, and why he hasn't been herding sheep...

time-read
10+ mins  |
April 2024
NOISY NEIGHBOURS
FourFourTwo UK

NOISY NEIGHBOURS

Part-owned by the City Football Group, minnows Girona emulated Manchester City by surging past Barcelona to gain Catalan supremacy and even topped La Liga this season. FFT speaks to those in the know to find out how

time-read
10 mins  |
April 2024
CALM DOWN! CALM DOWN! CALM DOWN!
FourFourTwo UK

CALM DOWN! CALM DOWN! CALM DOWN!

There's been plenty of noise around Trent Alexander-Arnold's performances for club and country over the past 12 months, but the man himself has maintained a cool head. Donning a retro shellsuit for FFT, the Merseyside maestro insists he's still got lofty ambitions - none more so than becoming the best footballer on the planet...

time-read
10+ mins  |
April 2024
THE DEBATE
FourFourTwo UK

THE DEBATE

Are the Financial Fair Play rules really working?

time-read
3 mins  |
April 2024
ENGLISHMEN ABROAD
FourFourTwo UK

ENGLISHMEN ABROAD

Qualification for the 2026 World Cup resumes in various parts of the globe this month meet five English managers hoping to steer their adopted nations to unlikely success

time-read
3 mins  |
April 2024
MY FOOTBALL
FourFourTwo UK

MY FOOTBALL

The Barking-born singer-songwriter and activist recalls meeting Bobby Moore, making Stuart Pearce roar, and playing a gig during a Euros final

time-read
6 mins  |
April 2024