DailySun
LOCATED within a northern London park lies one of the last remnants of the original Wembley.
A modest yet meaningful tribute to a stadium that now exists only in our memories.
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The Home of Football closed its gates exactly 25 years ago this Tuesday, after a rain-drenched 1-0 defeat for England against Germany, culminating with a Didi Hamann goal and Kevin Keegan resigning in a restroom.
Demolition crews moved in, and seven years later, the venue re-emerged, reinvented as a grand structure featuring a famous arch, missing the iconic Twin Towers.
Discussions about the notable concrete towers persist, but their legacy has primarily contributed to landfill rather than enhancing the environment.
Yet, one fragment of football’s past quietly sits in Brent River Park.
Just a mile from the new Wembley, on a grassy slope, stands the flagpole holder that once crowned the East Tower.
Measuring 1.5 meters and weighing four tonnes, this unassuming concrete piece resembles the FA Cup and has witnessed historic events like the White Horse Final in 1923 and England’s 1966 World Cup triumph.
Unfortunately, this rich history often remains overlooked.
A silver plaque recounts its story, yet joggers and dog walkers pass by, unaware of this hidden gem that once gazed down upon legends such as Stanley Matthews, Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, and Paul Gascoigne.
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When the stadium was demolished in 2003, instead of relocating the flagpole holder, it was gifted to the local council and installed in the park, where it has remained, just steps away from a housing estate.
Pele famously referred to Wembley as “the cathedral of football,” yet the nearest resemblance of sacred ground for the flagpole holder is St. Patrick’s, located nearby.
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Red buses have now supplanted team buses, and the only echo of ‘home’ is the Arch peering through the trees.
Sadly, for nostalgic football enthusiasts, not much of the old Wembley is left.
The original flagpoles have found a new home on Sir William McAlpine’s Fawley Hill estate, still crowned with their iconic tops.
The cherished black and red Royal Gates that welcomed teams on FA Cup final days now grace Chile.
Originally acquired by the Brooking Trust, they were later sold to Chilean entrepreneur Jorge Yarur for £5,875.
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