Wembley Stadium is an iconic venue, and since its redevelopment was completed in 2007, it has hosted many of the world's biggest events. From FA Cup and Champions League finals, to NFL games, Tyson Fury's fights, and Taylor Swift concerts. However, there is one feature of the venue that is not even known to English fans.

The great redevelopment

The last match of the England national team at the Old Wembley took place in 2000, and the demolition of the stadium's famous twin towers officially began two years later. The original Wembley Stadium, which had stood since the 1920s, required a complete overhaul. The design was led by Foster + Partners and Brent Council.

In addition to iconic features like the arch—which originally had four masts—another key element of early designs, which began to emerge in the 1990s, was the requirement to include a running track around the pitch, allowing for athletics events to be hosted. The plans included a platform system that would allow the stadium to be transformed for athletics, although this would temporarily reduce the capacity from 90,000 to 60,000 spectators.

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Olympics at Wembley? It’s possible

Originally, Wembley Stadium was intended to be the athletics venue for the 2012 London Olympics, which is why the stadium's initial designs included plans for its conversion. However, this wasn't necessary after the expansion of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the construction of London Stadium, now home to West Ham. For this reason, the track system has never been used. Redeveloping Wembley for athletics would take many weeks and cost millions of pounds.

© Nick Howells