Top facts about Emirates Stadium, The Gunners 2nd Home

The Emirates Stadium (formerly known as Ashburton Grove and for UEFA competitions as Arsenal Stadium) is a football stadium in Holloway, London, England, and is the home of Arsenal. It is the fourth-largest football stadium in England, after Wembley Stadium, Old Trafford, and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with a capacity of 60,260.

After being denied planning permission to extend its home stadium, Highbury, by Islington Council in 1997, Arsenal looked into the prospect of transferring to a new stadium. In 2000, the club purchased an industrial and waste disposal site in Ashburton Grove after evaluating numerous options (including purchasing Wembley Stadium).

They got council approval to build a stadium on the site a year later; manager Arsene Wenger called it the "biggest decision in Arsenal's history" since Herbert Chapman was appointed to the board. Work on the relocation began in 2002, but due to budgetary constraints, it was not completed until February 2004.

The stadium's primary sponsor was eventually revealed to be Emirates. The stadium was finished in 2006 for a total cost of £390 million. Highbury Square, the club's previous stadium, has been converted to an apartment complex.

Since 2009, the stadium has been undergoing an "Arsenalisation" process with the goal of restoring recognizable links to Arsenal's history. International football matches and music concerts have been held at the stadium.

Top facts about Emirates Stadium, Telling You All You Need to Know

We will be covering most of the important things the arena has gone through all these years.

Emirates Stadium History – The Late 1900s

Following incidents of hooliganism and disasters such as the Bradford City stadium fire and the Heysel Stadium tragedy in 1985, and the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, spectator safety at football stadiums became a major concern in the 1980s.

In January 1990, the Taylor Report investigating the Hillsborough disaster was completed, and it suggested that terraces (standing areas) be removed in favor of seating.

In preparation for the 1994–95 season, the amended Football Spectators Act 1989 made it mandatory for first and second-division English clubs to have their stadia all-seated.

, like many other clubs, had to find a way to fund the conversion of terraced areas, one of the Top facts about Emirates Stadium.

Local locals objected to Arsenal's initial proposal to rebuild Highbury because it involved the demolition of 25 nearby homes. After lengthy debates, the club decided that a seating capacity of 48,000 was insufficient.

Arsenal next looked at the prospect of relocating to Wembley Stadium and made an official proposal to buy the stadium in March 1998, one of the Top facts about Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal's offer was challenged by the Football Association (FA) and the English National Stadium Trust, who claimed it harmed England's bid for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, which FIFA denied. 

Arsenal dropped their bid in April 1998, and the English National Stadium Trust purchased Wembley. For the 1998–99 and 1999–2000 seasons, however, the team was granted permission to hold its UEFA Champions League home matches at Wembley.

Despite quitting the tournament twice in the group stages, Arsenal established a record home attendance (73,707 vs Lens) and earned a record gate income in the 1998–99 season, demonstrating potential profitability.

Arsenal looked into the possibility of building a new stadium in Ashburton Grove in November 1999. After examining North London for potential areas, Anthony Spencer, estate agent, and club property adviser, recommended the location to director Danny Fiszman and vice-chairman David Dein.

The land, which was 450 meters (490 yards) from Highbury, was made up of a garbage processing factory and an industrial park that was 80 percent owned by Islington Council, Railtrack, and Sainsbury's at various levels.

Arsenal submitted a planning proposal for a new-build 60,000-seater stadium in November 2000, after passing the first significant milestone at Islington Council's planning committee.

The Islington Stadium Communities Alliance (ISCA) was formed in January 2000 as a body to oppose the reconstruction. It was made up of 16 groups representing local households and businesses.

A poll conducted seven months after the planning application was submitted revealed that 75% of respondents (2,133 residents) were opposed to the project. 

By October 2001, the club claimed that a poll of Islington residents revealed that 70% were in favor, and it had the support of Ken Livingstone, the then-Mayor of London.

In the run-up to Christmas, the club launched a campaign to support the project, with the slogan "Let Arsenal support Islington" appearing on billboards and in the background of manager Arsene Wenger's news conferences.

On December 10, 2001, Islington Council approved Arsenal's planning proposal, voting in favor of the Ashburton Grove development.

In January 2005, the club won a court challenge brought by smaller companies, when the High Court backed Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's decision to grant a compulsory purchase order in favor of the scheme.

In May 2006, the stadium became a hot topic in the local elections, another one of the

Top facts about Emirates Stadium.

On match days, the Metropolitan Police limited access to 14 streets and required fans' coaches to park in the neighboring Sobel Sports Centre rather than the underground stadium car lot.

These police limits were imposed as part of the stadium's health and safety certificate, which was required to have in order to operate and open. The road closures were approved by the city council in July 2005.

Emirates Stadium History – The Early 2000s

The stadium's actual construction began once Arsenal had obtained money. The club hired Sir Robert McAlpine to oversee construction in January 2002, while Populous, the architects behind Stadium Australia (home of the 2000 Olympics and the South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL club) and the redevelopment of Ascot Racecourse, built the stadium.

Arcadis, a construction agency, and Buro Happold, an engineering firm, were also involved in the project. The initial phase of the demolition was finished in March 2004, and stand piling on the West, East, and North stands was completed two months later.

The stadium was additionally connected to Drayton Park by two bridges across the Northern City railway line, which were finished in August 2004.

The stadium was complete in August 2005, and the external glazing, power, and water tanks were installed by December 2005.

One of the Top facts about Emirates Stadium is that Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby ceremonially installed the first seat at the new stadium on March 13, 2006.

Hewitt Sportsturf was hired to design and build the playing field, and DD GrassMaster was chosen as the pitch installer.

On June 25, 2006, the floodlights were successfully tested for the first time, and the goalposts were placed the next day.

The Emirates Stadium hosted three non-full-capacity events in order to get the licenses required to operate.

The first "ramp-up" event was a shareholder open day on July 18, 2006, followed two days later by an open training session for 20,000 selected club members.

's testimonial match versus Ajax on July 22, 2006, was the third event. On October 26, 2006, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, officially opened the Emirates Stadium; his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, having suffered a back injury and was unable to perform her duties.

"You may not have my wife, but you have the world's second-most experienced plaque unveiler," Prince Philip joked to the gathering.

The Queen's uncle, the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), was also present during the official opening of Highbury's West Stand in 1932.

As a result of the change of plans, the Queen honored the club by inviting the chairman, manager, and first team to Buckingham Palace for afternoon tea, one of the Top facts about Emirates Stadium.

The meeting, which took place on February 15, 2007, was the first time a football team had been invited to the palace for such an occasion.

Emirates Stadium Arsenalisation

After listening to feedback from supporters on a forum, Arsenal initiated a program of "Arsenalisation" of the Emirates Stadium in August 2009.

The goal, according to Arsenal Chief executive Ivan Gazidis, was to make the stadium into a "visible stronghold of all things Arsenal through a variety of artistic and creative means."

White seats with the pattern of the club's characteristic cannon were inserted in the lower level stands opposite the entrance tunnel as one of the initial changes.

In late 2009, near the stadium's south end, "The Spirit of Highbury," a tribute depicting every player who has played for Arsenal throughout its 93-year residency, was created.

Eight enormous murals were painted on the stadium's exterior, each portraying four Arsenal legends linking arms, giving the overall image of 32 legends in a huddle embracing the stadium, one of the

Top facts about Emirates Stadium.

Additional murals can be found throughout the stadium's lower concourse, portraying the 12 "greatest moments" in Arsenal history, as determined by a poll on the club's website. 

Arsenal renamed the colored seating quadrants of the ground the East Stand, West Stand, North Bank, and Clock End prior to the start of the 2010–11 season.

The installation of a clock above the newly renamed Clock End, similar to Highbury, was unveiled in a league match versus Blackpool.

Arsenal renamed two bridges near the stadium after club directors Ken Friar and Danny Fiszman in April 2011.

Arsenal installed three statues of former captain Tony Adams, record goalscorer

, and manager Herbert Chapman outside the stadium in December 2011 as part of the club's 125th anniversary celebrations.

Arsenal installed a statue of former striker Dennis Bergkamp outside the west stand at Emirates Stadium before their match against Sunderland in February 2014.

The pitch is covered in banners and flags, many of which were designed by the supporters' organization REDaction.

Another one of the Top facts about Emirates Stadium is that, Before some games, a giant "49" flag is waved around the lower deck, signifying the league's unbeaten streak of 49 games.

Emirates Stadium Uses

The Emirates Stadium also serves as a conference center when not in use for athletic events. Because the stadium was viewed as "a shining example of Anglo-French cooperation," it hosted a summit between British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy on March 27, 2008.

The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent, and Big Brother have all used the stadium as a site for the audition stage. The Emirates hosted Celebrity Masterchef in 2016 when candidates cooked meals for club members.

Apart from athletic events, the Emirates has also been used as a music venue, bringing the total capacity to 72,000 people.

On May 30, 2008, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band became the first band to perform in the stadium. The following night, they played a second performance.

One of the Top facts about Emirates Stadium is that Coldplay, a British band, performed three performances at the Emirates in June 2012, with the first two dates selling out within 30 minutes of being on sale.

They were the first band to sell out a stadium just for the purpose of performing music. When Green Day performed at the Emirates in June 2013, they set a new record for concert attendance.

The stadium has also hosted a handful of international friendly matches, all of which have featured members of the Brazilian national team.

The first match was against Argentina on September 3, 2006, with

winning 3–0.

Emirates Stadium Records

It's difficult to get accurate attendance data because Arsenal doesn't share them and instead relies on ticket sales.

In the stadium's first season, 2006–07, the average attendance for competitive first-team matches was 59,837, compared to a

average of 60,045.

The reported average home league attendance for the 2016–17 season was 59,957. Arsenal reported to the Metropolitan Police an average home match attendance of 54,918, ranging from a high of 60,007 against Aston Villa to a low of 44,878 against West Bromwich Albion during the 2015–16 season.

As of June 2017, the greatest attendance for an Arsenal match at the Emirates Stadium is 60,161, which occurred on November 3, 2007, during a Premier League match versus

, one of the

Top facts about Emirates Stadium

.

The lowest attendance at the stadium is believed to be 25,909 during a UEFA Europa League match against FC BATE Borisov on 7 December 2017, but the official attendance is 54,648.

After 53 minutes, Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg became the first player to score at the Emirates in a competitive match. Gilberto Silva scored Arsenal's first competitive goal at the stadium in the same match.

In February 2007, Jay Simpson became the first Arsenal player to score a hat trick at the Emirates Stadium, while

scored Arsenal's 100th goal against Newcastle United in January 2008.

The 7–0 win over Slavia Prague in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League on October 23, 2007, was Arsenal's biggest win at the Emirates Stadium.

When they were crushed 5–1 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League round of 16, second leg on March 7, 2017, it was their worst defeat at the ground.

With 64 goals,

holds the record for most goals scored at the Emirates Stadium.

Emirates Stadium Naming and Financial Struggles

Arsenal did not get any government funding for the stadium project, making it difficult to find investors. Arsenal was compelled to buy the property outright in one of London's most expensive locations, despite Wenger's claims that French clubs "pay nothing at all for their stadium, nothing at all for their maintenance," and "

paid one euro for their ground."

As a result, the club looked for alternative sources of revenue, such as profiting from player trades. Arsenal made a profit of approximately £50 million thanks to the sales of

to Real Madrid and Marc Overmars and Emmanuel Petit to Barcelona. The club's new training ground in London Colney, which opened in October 1999, was partially sponsored by Anelka's transfer.

Arsenal launched a new bond program to raise revenue for the new stadium and Highbury refurbishment. New sponsorship agreements were also reached by the club. Granada Media Group paid £47 million for a 5% share in Arsenal in September 2000.

As part of the deal, Granada was appointed as Arsenal's primary media agent, overseeing advertising, sponsorship, merchandise, publishing, and licensing deals.

In a statement, the club's managing director, Keith Edelman, announced that the money would be utilized to directly build the new stadium. The bankruptcy of ITV Digital (part-owned by Granada) in April 2002 coincided with the announcement that the firm was obligated to pay £30 million once the new stadium's agreements were finalized.

Arsenal fans were given the opportunity to register their interest in a renewed bond scheme over the summer of 2003. 

The club intended to sell 3,000 bonds for a season ticket at Highbury, then at Ashburton Grove, for between £3,500 and £5,000 each.

Fans were outraged by the announcement, and AISA chairman Steven Powell issued a statement saying, "We are disappointed that the club has not consulted supporters before announcing a new bond scheme."

Arsenal did not say how many bonds were sold, but the scheme did raise several million pounds for the club. In an agreement worth £55 million over seven years, the club also extended its partnership with clothing provider Nike. Nike pays a royalty payment of at least £1 million each year, based on sales.

The stadium's funding was secured in February 2004. Later that year, Emirates paid £100 million for the naming rights to the stadium, which includes a seven-year jersey sponsorship beginning in the 2006–07 season.

Although some supporters continue to refer to the stadium as "Ashburton Grove" or even "The Grove," especially those who oppose corporate sponsorship of stadium names, the stadium name is commonly shortened from "Emirates Stadium" to "The Emirates."

For European matches, the ground is known as Arsenal Stadium, which was the official name of Highbury, due to UEFA limitations on stadium sponsors.

One of the Top facts about Emirates Stadium is that in November 2012, Emirates and Arsenal agreed to a new £150 million deal, with shirt sponsorship extended to five years and name rights extended until 2028.

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