Sport & Fitness

After years of waiting (six-and-a-half to be exact), Wembley opened its doors to Brent residents last Saturday for a community day. Apart from allowing locals to prod, poke and peruse the new ground, the event was one of two ‘ramp-up’ events which the venue has to undergo by law in order to get its safety licence from Brent Council.

Alighting at Wembley Park tube, the very first thing you see is that huge metallic arch; undeniably it’s a triumphant sight. However, the initial sense of wonderment is dulled by the fact that you still have to walk past a Comet to get there.
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An unlovely concrete causeway leads to some NCP car park-style stairs, at the top of which are a row of stainless steel ticket booths which already look like they’re in the early stages of rusting. As queues begin to form by the turnstiles, the excitement is palpable, with the two middle-aged men stood in front of me earnestly speculating on whether they could afford a private box if they were to sell off ‘the caravan’. Corporate boxes range from £60,000 to £270,000. Other options include £4,583 for a ten-year licence to buy pre-reserved tickets; you’ll need to fork out £1,587 on top of that for a season ticket.

When the doors open 16 minutes late, we get our first taste of the security: bag checks, crowds of ushers on every doorway (including the lavatories) and a full-body frisk. Once through the turnstiles and into the main hub, many families descend into sensory overload like they’ve just entered a new theme park for the first time. However, it soon hits them that apart from sitting down and quietly enjoying the event, there is little else on offer. The food concessions are uninspiringly named after some of the venue's great sporting moments, selling lager and pies for astronomical sums; you can pick up a £3.50 pint, a pie for £4.50 or a £7 cheeseburger at the Henry Cooper vs Cassius Clay food outlet during the half-time break.

The entertainment includes a sub-pub-team kickabout by a mixture of sponsors and celebrities, the highest profile of which is ex-Leeds journeyman, Lee Chapman. For a football game, cheering was markedly absent and the repeated naming of sponsors over the booming loudspeaker system didn’t help the atmosphere. But there was a ripple of applause when ex-Crystal Palace striker Mark Bright volleyed in the stadium’s first ever goal – and a collective sneer whenever Jamie Theakston touched the ball.

Overall, reactions on the day appeared to be positive, with many excited at the prospect of visiting the stadium again. Was this the complementary tea, coffee or 220ml soft drink speaking? We’ll only know in time.

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