Wembley under the lights

It is a Saturday evening in March, the sun has been out all day, and it had been the warmest day of the year so far, giving people a glimmer of hope that spring is on the way. However, at Wembley, hope is always in the air.

The open roof at Wembley Stadium is letting in the warm air that had been brewing all day. The lights in the stadium are bright, and the crowd light their torches, but the full moon is shining much brighter over Wembley tonight. The moon is positioned exactly over the stadium, while thin clouds are passing by, away from the 83 674 people in the arena, but this night, the moon stayed for the game.

When you step into London you can feel the atmosphere of the capital. The air is different, and it is crowded, which makes you feel a little less lonely, it’s a special and freeing feeling. It is the same feeling when standing outside of Wembley Arena, even if you’re walking alone to the game, surrounded by families and friend groups that may have had just one too many, loneliness is the furthest feeling. 

When you arrive at the end of the long road leading up to Wembley, you almost forget to look up at the Stadium which tends to make one feel so small. 

Fans from all walks of life, from different cities and backgrounds are gathered for the same reason. In normal circumstances, one can tell the difference, but at Wembley, for 90 minutes, they’re all together, cheering for England.

Minutes before kick-off, drum and bass music is played loudly through the speakers and the English orchestra is in the stands with their drums and trumpets. The players enter the pitch, the fans are cheering. The players line up in front of the flag show, in time for the national anthems. A minute’s applause is held in memory of English legend Terry Venables and then the whistle blows.

The atmosphere in Wembley makes a non-English fan become a fan. It is evident, even for an outsider, that being an England fan comes with so much passion for football and culture. Sitting and watching the game, although you’re not English, you can’t help but hope that they score, just to see, feel and hear the Wembley roar. If there is as much as a foul or wrong pass, the fans rise from their chairs.

It is the second half of the game but there were empty seats everywhere, people were still downing their pints at the bar. If that isn’t typical English, what is? 

When the fans are gathered again, you see them turning to the person next to them, they talk about the game or what they had been doing in the sun during the day. 

The most beautiful part of the atmosphere in Wembley is its ability to bring people together, or maybe it’s just the English mannerisms. 

Nevertheless, people from all walks of life confide in each other and support each other, when in reality they probably wouldn’t have had a conversation with each other or had anything in common. 

When England scores, oh when they score, people hug each other, without even knowing each other’s name. They just hug.

After 90 minutes, they shake each other’s hands, tut or cheer about the result of the game and go home to their own very different lives, accepting that they’ll probably never cross paths again. 

England lost this night, so no roars or hugs were shared. But that doesn’t hide the fact that it is something anyone would want to be a part of. To share the joy of winning but also the sorrow of losing, together. That is the beauty of the game.

When international football is on, for 90 minutes fans are united, all because of one common factor. England.

That is Wembley, the perfect representation of English football.