Sport Venues in London

 
 
 
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Lord's Cricket Ground

(c) Sarah Williams

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Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground
Twickenham Stadium
Kempton Park King George VI Race
Wimbledon: The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
Wimbledon: The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
Wimbledon: The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
The Oval Cricket Ground
The Oval Cricket Ground
The Oval Cricket Ground
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
Emirates Stadium
The O2 Arena
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium
The Queen's Club
Emirates Stadium
The O2 Arena
The Mall
The Mall
Hyde Park
Hyde Park
Hyde Park
Wembley Arena
Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
 

 

Sports fans are spoiled for choice in London, home to the two biggest stadia in the UK as well as numerous other sporting arenas. Check out our list of the top London sporting venues and see what sporting events are coming up for your diary.

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Wembley Stadium

Britain's largest stadium and venue for the 2011 and 2013 Champions League finals

Empire Way, Wembley, London, HA9 0WS

Tube: Wembley Park Station

 
 

The national stadium of the England football team, Wembley Stadium was re-opened in 2007 after a full rebuild to the tune of £757 million. The second largest stadium in Europe, Wembley took over three years to build and is located on the site of the previous 1923 Wembley Stadium, often referred to as 'The Twin Towers' or Empire Stadium, which was demolished in 2003. The much-loved old stadium played host to some incredible games during its 70-year life, starting with the infamous 'White Horse' FA Cup Final in 1923 when over 240,000 spectators crammed their way in to watch Bolton Wanderers beat West Ham United 2-0. The famous twin towers have been replaced with the new stadium's trademark soaring 134m-high arch - the longest single span roof structure in the world - which is visible from all over London. Early teething problems with the standard of the pitch meant the turf had to be relayed 10 times in the first three years. As well as being the national home of the England football team and hosting the latter stages of various domestic club football competitions (such as the FA Cup Cup, Community Shield and Championship/League play-offs), Wembley Stadium also hosts the Rugby League Challenge Cup final and the annual NFL International Series game. In 2011, Wembley held the UEFA Champions League Final between Barcelona and Manchester United. The Stadium also hosts the 2013 Champions League final. Outside the sporting world, Wembley is also a large venue for top music acts, and has played host to the likes of Take That, Muse, Oasis, U2 and Coldplay.

 
 
 

Twickenham Stadium

Atmospheric home of English rugby is London's second biggest stadium with a capacity of 82,000

Rugby Road, Twickenham, London, TW1 1DZ

Tube: Hounslow East Station

 
 

The home of English rugby at Twickenham is England's second largest stadium (after Wembley Stadium), with steeply banked stands that create an impressive roar when an international match is in progress. While rugby remains very much a second-choice sport in the rest of southern England, the stadium has had a profound effect on the whole surrounding area: Twickenham is the only part of London where the pubs will show rugby matches in preference to football, and where you're far more likely to hear Swing Low, Sweet Chariot than any football club songs. As well as all of England's home games - including Six Nations matches - the 82,000-capacity Twickers hosts the World Series Sevens, the Aviva Premiership final, the LV Cup and Heineken Cup matches, rugby league's Challenge Cup final, Harlequins' annual Big Game on the last Saturday of December and the majority of Barbarians international matches. Twickenham Stadium has also hosted the likes of U2, The Rolling Stones and Bon Jovi - while the venue has also been used annually for over 50 years to host, oddly enough, Jehovah's Witnesses conventions.

 
 
 

Lord's Cricket Ground

The home of English cricket with a stunning Victorian pavilion and futuristic media centre

Lords Cricket Ground St. Johns Wood Road, St John's Wood, London, NW8 8QN

Tube: St John's Wood Station

 
 

This revered ancient cricket ground has been the site of many a historic victory and many more England batting collapses. While Lord's Cricket Ground has long been seen as the "home of cricket" and the game's spiritual headquarters, its importance does not lie merely in its historic past. It hosts many important matches, including a Test match for every international tour, and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the MCC Museum. There is also an excellent guided tour, which explores the history of the ground and the game. It is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club whose teams play about 500 games a year and who take their role as guardian of the laws and spirit of cricket very seriously. Lord's Test matches are amongst the most sought-after for tickets due to the prestige of the location - an Ashes (England v Australia) Test match at Lord's is thought to be just about the biggest game in cricket. The ground has a capacity of 28,000 and is a wonderful blend of the ancient and the modern, with the resplendent Victorian-era Pavilion facing the award-winning and stylishly futuristic Media Centre. During the London 2012 Olympics, Lord's played host to the Olympic Archery competitions.

 
 
 

Wimbledon: The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club

Home of the world-famous Wimbledon championships, the only Grand Slam tournament played on grass

Church Road, London, SW19 5AE

Tube: Wimbledon Park Station

 
 

The only Grand Slam tournament to be played on grass, Wimbledon is the favourite of many players and a highpoint of the tennis year. Held at the resplendent All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in south-west London since 1877, Wimbledon now no longer relies on good weather too: Centre Court's new retractable roof - unveiled in 2009 as part of a £100m renovation - means play can continue despite those very English early July showers. Grass is traditionally a very fast surface and produces thrilling games when the world's best clash. The leafy grounds of the All England Club contain 19 tournament courts, 16 other grass courts (which serve as competitors' practice courts during the championship) as well as five red shale courts, three Continental clay courts, one American clay court, and five indoor courts. Centre Court sits 15,000 spectators, No.1 Court 11,429, No.2 Court 4,000 and No.3 Court (formerly known as 'The Graveyard of Champions') 2,000. Other landmarks include the statue of Fred Perry - the last home player to win Wimbledon back in 1936 - and the grassy Aorangi terrace (known invariably as Henman Hill, Rusedski Ridge or Murray Mount) where hoards of fans gather to watch games on the outdoor big screen each year, in the hope that Britain's winless sequence will be bought to an end. There is also the award-winning Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum and plenty of shops selling the tournament staples, such as glasses of Pimm's and bowls of strawberries and cream. The Olympic Tennis competition for London 2012 Summer Games were also held at the All England Club.

 
 
 

The Oval Cricket Ground

Home of Surrey County Cricket Club and the traditionally venue for the fifth and final Ashes Test

Harleyford Street, Kennington, London, SE11 5SS

Tube: Oval Station

 
 

Though it does not have quite the same kudos as Lord's, The Kia Oval (known so because of a sponsorship deal, but usually referred to simply as The Oval) is in many ways just as pleasant to watch a day's cricket. Test matches against the West Indies and teams from the Indian subcontinent are particularly atmospheric, with south London's large Caribean and Asian populations turning out in force to support their heroes. The Oval is often the venue of the last Test match of the English summer and has played host to many famous finishes to a series, not least England's historic final day Ashes win in 2005. It is also the home of Surrey County Cricket Club and supports a busy programme of fixtures throughout the summer. Believe it or not, but The Oval was first a football ground before giving away to cricket - and the first ever FA Cup Final was played there back in 1872. As such, The Oval is one of two sports ground (Bramall Lane in Sheffield being the other) to have staged both England Football and Cricket internationals, as well as FA Cup Finals. The 23,500-capacity stadium also holds an exhibition match for Australian Rules Football in October each year - and in 2005 drew a record Aussie Rules crowd of 18,884.

 
 
 
 

The Queen's Club

Multi-sports centre that plays host to the AEGON Championships tennis tournament

Palliser Road, West Kensington, Hammersmith, London, W14 9EQ

Tube: Baron's Court Station

 
 

Established in 1886 during the reign of Queen Victoria, the Queen's Club was the first multi-purpose sports complex to be built anywhere in the world. But as rugby, football and the like moved to large purpose-built stadiums, the Queen's Club came to focus increasingly on racquet sports and in particular tennis. Located in Baron's Court in west London, Queen's boasts 27 outdoor Lawn Tennis courts (of which 12 are arguably the finest grass courts in the world) and 10 indoor Lawn Tennis courts within its grounds, as well as a cluster of real tennis, rackets and squash courts, plus a gymnasium. The Queen's Club used to home of the Lawn Tennis Association until it relocated to Roehampton in 2007. Today the club still hosts the world-famous AEGON Championships (formerly Stella Artois Championships) in the second week of June. The AEGON Championships remains one of the six most prestigious grass competitions on the men's ATP Tour, attracting the biggest international stars of the men's game ahead of the grass-court Grand Slam event at Wimbledon two weeks later.

 
 
 

Emirates Stadium

The state-of-the-art 60,365 capacity stadium has been Arsenal's home since 2006

75 Drayton Park, London, N5 1BU

Tube: Holloway Road Station , Arsenal Station

 
 

After a century at nearby Highbury, Arsenal FC moved to the state-of-the-art Emirates Stadium in 2006. The 60,365-capacity stadium - originally called Ashburton Grove before a 15-year sponsorship agreement was signed between the club and the Emirates airline - is a suitably slick home for London's best-supported (and historically most successful) football team. Shaking off a reputation for playing dull defensive football under George Graham in the 90s, Arsenal now vie with Spanish giants Barcelona to be the most attractive club team in world football. And yet, success has been elusive since Arsene Wenger's side left Highbury: the club are yet to win any silverware following a move that many claim has put Arsenal at a financial disadvantage to their rivals. Renowned for its flawless playing surface, the Emirates Stadium cost £470 million but has a reputation for the same tepid atmosphere that saw the Gunners' previous home labelled the 'Highbury Library'. In 2010, a clock was installed above the newly renamed Clock End of the Emirates in homage to the old, much-loved clock at Highbury in what was one of a number of measures to bring about the 'Arsenalisation' of the stadium. The Emirates has been used for music concerts - such as Bruce Springsteen and Coldplay - and it also has acted as a home-away-from-home for the Brazilian national football team's European friendly matches. The Emirates has been named as one of the stadiums that will host rugby matches during the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Tickets are hard to come by for Arsenal's home games - and remain amongst the most expensive in the league, despite Arsenal's recent barren run. Arsenal's official shop - the Armoury - is located on the southern side of the stadium. The club also operate special Emirates Stadium tours - visit www.arsenal.com for details.

 
 
 

The O2 Arena

The second biggest tennis venue in the world also hosts NBA basketball

Peninsula Square, London, SE10 0DX

Tube: North Greenwich Station

 
 

The centrepiece of the redeveloped Millennium Dome is the O2 Arena, the first purpose-built indoor sports and live music arena in London. With a capacity of 23,000, it offers the rather soulless Wembley Arena some serious competition, with a constant stream of big name musical acts making it the most visited music arena in the world. But in recent years, The O2 has become an increasingly popular venue for sport - as emphasised during the London 2012 Olympics where the 'North Greenwich Arena' (as it was named) hosted the basketball finals as well as artistic gymnastics and trampolining. Since 2009, the O2 Arena has hosted the ATP World Tour tennis finals - and the contract was recently prolonged until 2015. As a tennis venue, it is second only to New York's Arthur Ashe Stadium for size. A variety of other sports events take place under the dome - including darts, polo, gymnastics, martial arts, wrestling and basketball from the NBA.

 
 
 

The Mall

Cycling and marathon events usually finish in the shadow of Buckingham Palace

Westminster, St James's, London, SW1Y 5AH

Tube: St James's Park Station

 
 

Running from Buckingham Palace to Admiralty Arch and Trafalgar Square, The Mall is a long red tarmac road which splits St James's Park on the south side from St James's Palace and Green Park on the north. Closed to traffic on Sundays and public holidays, the tree-lined Mall offers one of London's most memorable views of the Queen's official residence. It is often decked out in Union Jack flags and is used in processions and marches - such as royal weddings and funerals. The annual London Marathon finishes on the western Buckingham Palace end of The Mall, while the London 2012 cycling road race events finished along the wide, tree-lined avenue, as well as the marathon events. In 2013, a new professional cycling race in and around London and the Surrey hills is set to finish on The Mall too.

 
 
 

Hyde Park

Running, swimming and triathlon events are regularly held in Hyde Park over the summer

Rangers Lodge, Hyde Park, London, W2 2UH

Tube: Knightsbridge Station

 
 

Technically two different parks, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are in practical terms one huge, merging expanse. The 'split' dates back to 1728 when Queen Caroline, wife of George II, took almost 300 acres from Hyde Park to form Kensington Gardens. The 350 acres that remained has become one of London's best-loved parks. Almost every kind of outdoor pursuit takes place within its lush green landscape, including horse riding, rollerblading, bowls, putting and tennis, while informal games of cricket, rounders, football, touch rugby and frisbee spring up on the area to the south of the park known as The Sports Field. During the London 2012 Olympics, Hyde Park hosted the triathlon events as well as the marathon swimming in the boating lake. Every year, numerous major sporting events take in the park - including the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon.

 
 
 
 

Kempton Park

The closest racecourse to London hosts the prestigious King George VI Chase meet on Boxing Day

Staines Road East, Sunbury-on-Thames, London, TW16 5AQ

Tube: Heathrow Terminal 5 Station

 
 

The closest racecourse to London (just 40 minutes from Waterloo by train), Kempton Park has a very different atmosphere to the more rural courses with DJs and discos to keep the crowds entertained, cheap floodlit evening races to attract working punters on weekdays and no dress code beyond a vague adherence to respectability. The most famous races are held during the Christmas Festival on 26th and 27th December, including the King George VI Chase, which was won four times by Desert Orchid. There are around fifty race-days a year, many of them clustered in April and September. Kempton Park is now floodlit so you can enjoy a race as the sun goes down. Grab a pint, place a bet and cheer on your horse from the sidelines, gripping that lucky ticket tight, in case she comes home! A day at the races is a brilliant release from the usual humdrum activities. Between March and April the fixture list is chock-a-block with over 50 races. If you've got kids, you should try one of the family days with a creche and free activities for the little ones.

 
 
 

Wembley Arena

Huge range of indoor sporting events are held every year in the former 1948 Olympic swimming venue

Arena Square, Engineers Way, London, HA9 0DH

Tube: Wembley Park Station

 
 

Now primarily a venue for live music and comedy acts, Wembley Arena is also a major indoor sports venue, hosting the annual Masters Snooker tournament, boxing, mixed martial arts, ice hockey, darts, netball, basketball, five-a-side football, wrestling and even cage fighting. The Arena, which was built in 1934, originally housed a swimming pool, which was used during the 1948 Summer Olympics. In London 2012, London's second largest indoor arena was used for the badminton and rhythmic gymnastics events. A versatile space, Wembley Arena has also been used for the filming of popular TV shows The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing.

 
 
 

Crystal Palace National Sports Centre

Major swimming and athletics venue, soon to be redeveloped as part of the Olympic legacy plan

Ledrington Road, Anerley Hill, London, SE19 2BB

Tube: Denmark Hill Station

 
 

Situated in 200 acres of beautiful parkland in south-east London, just 10 miles from the city centre, the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre plays host to international athletics and swimming events. The Crystal Palace Athletics Stadium has a capacity of 15,500, which can be increased to 24,000 with temporary seating, and since 1999 has hosted the London Grand Prix annual athletics meet. The sports centre attached to the stadium also offers specialist facilities to London's Olympians-in-training, as well as indoor sports including a 50m swimming pool, squash, basketball, korfball, 5-A Side and 11-A Side, volleyball, trampolining, karate, climbing, aerobics, weight training, netball, hockey, badminton and gymnastics. With the opening of the London 2012 Olympic Stadium, the future of the Crystal Palace Athletics Stadium is up in the air. Responsibility for the Sports Centre has been transferred to the London Development Agency as part of the Olympic bid. One of the proposed plans is for Crystal Palace FC to rebuilt the stadium as a 25,000-seater football-only stadium without a running track. An earlier plan was for north London football club Tottenham Hotspur to redevelop the existing athletics stadium as part of their pledge in taking over the Olympic Stadium in Stratford - but with West Ham United winning the bid, this now looks unlikely.

 
 
 
 
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