Old Wembley's First Game: What Was It?
Lue Schuster
2025-05-07 21:30:58
Count answers: 5
The original Wembley, which was first known as the Empire Stadium, opened in 1923 after it was built in exactly 300 days at the cost of £750,000.
It hosted its first ever FA Cup final just four days after building work was completed, between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United.
The ‘White Horse’ final was not ticketed, and huge numbers of fans crammed through the turnstiles, with some estimates suggesting 300,000 people got inside the 127,000 capacity stadium.
Douglas Durgan
2025-05-07 20:03:15
Count answers: 6
The Empire Stadium, as it was know in it's early years, was opened in 1923 for the British Empire Exhibition of 1924-5 and held its first England match in April of that year against Scotland.
In fact, it was only used by the FA to accommodate the vast numbers that attended the biennial England/Scotland fixture until Argentina’s visit in April 1951.
Henri Jacobs
2025-05-07 19:35:07
Count answers: 4
The stadium’s inaugural match was the 1923 FA Cup Final between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United, on 28 April. With the stadium only being ready four days before the final took place, the event was fraught with logistical problems. The match was not ticketed, with fans simply able to pay for entry on the gates. But the FA massively underestimated the number of people who would attend – the stadium had a capacity of 127,000, but it is estimated that there were between 240,000 and 300,000 spectators in attendance that day. The match kicked off only 45 minutes late, and Bolton won 2-0, with inside forward David Jack claiming the honour of scoring the very first goal at Wembley Stadium.
Edward Wiza
2025-05-07 19:33:27
Count answers: 4
The first match played on the hallowed pitch was the 1923 FA Cup final. The match was threatened with cancellation when the crowd spilled onto the pitch until policeman George Scorey and his white horse 'Billy' drove the crowds back onto the terraces. Forever remembered as the 'white horse final', the match ended with Bolton Wanderers defeating West Ham United 2-0.
Garland Kuhic
2025-05-07 18:20:58
Count answers: 4
The first meeting between England and Ukraine was a friendly at the old Wembley Stadium back in 2000 and it is a significant date in English football history for a number of reasons. The opening goal was scored by Robbie Fowler, who reacted quickest to a rebound from Shearer’s powerful header. It was the final warm-up game for Keegan’s side before the 2000 European Championships, co-hosted by Belgium and Holland.
Gilberto Terry
2025-05-07 18:19:08
Count answers: 5
The building was completed on April 24, 1923. 4 days later it hosted its first major sporting event: the 1923 FA Cup final between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United.
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