Emirates Stadium

General

Image gallery

Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove
Emirates Stadium
Full name	Emirates Stadium
Owners	Arsenal F.C.
Location	Ashburton Grove, London
Broke ground	July 2003
Opened	22 July 2006
Tenants	Arsenal F.C.
Capacity	60.432
Field dimensions	105 x 68 metres (114.8 x 74.3 yards)
Highest attendance	60,161 (Arsenal-Manchester United, 3 November 2007)

The Emirates Stadium is a football stadium in Holloway, London, England, and the home of Arsenal Football Club. With a capacity of 60,338, the Emirates is the third-largest football stadium in England after Wembley and Old Trafford.

In 1997, Arsenal explored the possibility of relocating to a new stadium, having been denied planning permission by Islington Council to expand its home ground of Highbury. After considering various options (including purchasing Wembley), the club bought an industrial and waste disposal estate in Ashburton Grove in 2000. A year later they won the council's approval to build a stadium on the site; manager Arsène Wenger described this as the "biggest decision in Arsenal's history" since the board appointed Herbert Chapman. Relocation began in 2002, but financial difficulties delayed work until February 2004. Emirates Airline was later announced as the main sponsor for the stadium. Work was completed in 2006 at a cost of £390 million.

The stadium has undergone a process of "Arsenalisation" since 2009 with the aim of restoring Arsenal's heritage and history. The ground has hosted music concerts and international fixtures featuring Brazil.

Arsenalisation

In August 2009, Arsenal began a programme of "Arsenalisation" of the Emirates Stadium after listening to feedback from supporters in a forum. The intention was to turn the stadium into a "visible stronghold of all things Arsenal through a variety of artistic and creative means", led by club CEO Ivan Gazidis.

Among the first changes were white seats installed in the pattern of the club's trademark cannon, located in the lower level stands opposite the entrance tunnel. "The Spirit of Highbury" – a shrine depicting every player to have played for Arsenal during its 93-year residence – was erected in late 2009 outside the stadium at the south end. Eight large murals on the exterior of the stadium were installed, each depicting four Arsenal legends linking arms, such that the effect of the completed design is 32 legends in a huddle embracing the stadium:

Ian Wright	George Armstrong	David Jack	Martin Keown
Cliff Bastin	Tony Adams	Liam Brady	Thierry Henry
David Seaman	Ted Drake	David Rocastle	Alex James
Patrick Vieira	Reg Lewis	Lee Dixon	Joe Mercer
Dennis Bergkamp	Bob Wilson	Eddie Hapgood	Charlie George
Nigel Winterburn	David Danskin	Kenny Sansom	Jack Kelsey
Robert Pirès	John Radford	David O'Leary	George Male
Ray Parlour	Frank McLintock	Steve Bould	Pat Rice

Around the lower concourse of the stadium, further murals depicting 12 "greatest moments" in Arsenal history voted for by a poll on the club's website. Prior to the start of the 2010–11 season, Arsenal renamed the coloured seating quadrants of the ground as the East Stand, West Stand, North Bank, and Clock End. Akin to Highbury, this involved the installation of a clock above the newly renamed Clock End which was unveiled in a league match against Blackpool.

In April 2011, Arsenal renamed two bridges near the stadium in honour of club directors Ken Friar and Danny Fiszman. As part of the club's 125 anniversary celebrations in December 2011, Arsenal unveiled three statues of former captain Tony Adams, record goalscorer Thierry Henry and manager Herbert Chapman outside of the stadium. In February 2014, before Arsenal's match with Sunderland, the club unveiled a statue of former striker Dennis Bergkamp, outside the west stand of Emirates Stadium.

Banners and flags, often designed by supporters group REDaction, are hung around the ground. A large "49" flag, representing the run of 49 unbeaten league games, is passed around the lower tier before kick off.

International football matches

The stadium has also been used for a number of international friendly matches all of which have featured the Brazil national football team. The first match was against Argentina on 3 September 2006 which ended in a 3–0 victory for Brazil.

3 September 2006	Brazil	3–0	Argentina	London
16:00 BST	Elano  3', 67' Kaká  89'	Report		Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 59,032 Referee: Steve Bennett (England)

5 February 2007	Brazil	0–2	Portugal	London
20:00 GMT		Report	Simão  82' Carvalho  90'	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 59,793 Referee: Martin Atkinson (England)

26 March 2008	Brazil	1–0	Sweden	London
19:45 GMT	Pato  72'	Report		Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,021 Referee: Mike Riley (England)

9 February 2009	Brazil	2–0	Italy	London
19:45 GMT	Elano  13' Robinho  27'	Report		Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,077 Referee: Howard Webb (England)

2 March 2010	Brazil	2–0	Republic of Ireland	London
20:05 GMT	Andrews  44' (o.g.) Robinho  76'	Report		Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 40,082 Referee: Mike Dean (England)

27 March 2011	Brazil	2–0	Scotland	London
14:00 GMT	Neymar  42', 77' (pen.)	Report		Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 53,087 Referee: Howard Webb (England)

29 March 2015	Brazil	1-0	Chile	London
15:00 GMT	Firmino  73'			Stadium: Emirates Stadium

16 November 2018	Brazil	1–0	Uruguay	London
20:00 GMT	Neymar  76' (pen.)	Report		Stadium: Emirates Stadium Referee: Craig Pawson (England)

External links

• Official website
• Profile of Emirates Stadium
• Profile of Highbury