Has anyone on here ever been under the impression the new Wembley has a roof?

As in a full roof over the pitch.

I know it never has but I've been surprised by how many people I've had to argue this with. Just been reading some stuff on various sites about the fight tonight and there's loads of people asking "are they closing the roof" or words to that effect.

The place has never had a roof that opens and closes (except for that slidy bit over the ends to allow more light to the pitch), very few stadiums in the world have these roofs, why do so many people think Wembley has one??*


*I suppose maybe for what it cost it should have had one, leather seats for everyone and gold-plated toilet seats.

 

"Wembley Stadium furthermore has a sliding roof that sits 52 metres above the pitch. Even though the roof does not completely close, it does cover every seat in the stadium, which makes Wembley the largest fully covered stadium in the world."

 

Yeah I mentioned that in my post, not sure where you lifted that from but it's very misleading, of course the seats are covered, they are almost everywhere these days.

 

Oakwell's got a roof, well actually its got 4.

 

The one at Cardiff was closed when we were there - felt wierd

 

I was on about more along the lines of the Millennium Stadium where the seats are always covered, but the roof over the playing area can be opened and closed. A lot of people seem to be under the impression Wembley has that facility.

 

I was glad they did, really helped the atmosphere, and it rained pretty much constantly that day.

 

I know Jed, sorry mate I was being a Knob!

 

I've been to the Speedway Grand Prix there and they always have the roof closed incase it rains, air horns and Bike engines fookin deafening, great atmo tho.

 

I thought the atmosphere was immense with the roof close.

Oh, and it's "weird" not "wierd" Mr Teacher

 

It was a shame they couldn't cover the whole of Cardiff in a dome that day we were there, pubs were so full we were generally stood outside, my pint was filling back up with rain almost as quick as I was drinking it.

No wonder I was so nervous during the penalties I'd basically been drinking pints of shandy all afternoon!

 

I remember this sort of opera song but remixed with a beat behind it and it didn't half make it feel like the place was pumping with reverb bouncing off everywhere that would obviously normally escape through the hole in the roof.

 

I am of the understanding that the new Wembley was originally intended to have a roof, but things went awry with the building and they had to ditch the roof idea. Something to do with them mucking up the plans and one side sinking a bit lower than it should so the top wasn't level, hence the roof couldn't go all the way across. Of course, after spending so much money and taking so long over it, they haven't made any of this public and claim that the roof was never intended to go all the way across!

 

I didn't know that mate, although I'm sure I saw models of it years before and it just looked as it does now, could have imagined that though. I was a saddo who used to watch the webcam of them building it, always been a geek for stadium architecture.

 

Millenium Stadium cost 1/3 of the price of Wembley, with Wembley costing close to £1 billion (I understand). I would have much preferred them to build another three millenium stadiums, one at the traditional wembley site, one in the midlands, and one in the north. The convenience for major finals and semis etc would have been superb (wembley is still a pig to get to) and the England team could move between venues, rather than just being, effectively, a London Club.

Not only do I think that Millenium is cheaper and equal to Wembley, I actually think that the Millenium was much better for atmosphere and better equipped for the weather.

What I think is particularly scandalous, though, is that shortly before they started work on Wembley they spent a ridiculous sum on the Millenium Dome, and then subsequently the London Olympic bid. All money pouring into London.

 

The Millennium Stadium cost £126m

 

Chuffing hell.

 

They did only build three quarters of a stadium I suppose, any idea why they kept a section of the old one?? Did anyone sit in that part for the play-off final, just wondered if it had been refurbed on the inside or not?

 

They couldn't develop the last part as it's part of the Arms Park (where Cardiff Blues play) - and owned by Cardiff Athletics Club. Apparently, there have been talks recently to complete this section