ROON SHINE! WAYNE LIGHTS UP WEMBLEY WAY
22 June 2004
A stunner on the skyline: the newly raised Wembley Arch can be seen from miles around. |
Fans celebrating England’s stunning victory against Croatia thought they were in football heaven last night, when a giant halo appeared on the London skyline.
But the dazzling golden light was actually the new Wembley Stadium Arch, which was fully lit for the first time, to mark England’s progress to the EURO 2004 Quarter Final.
England M-Arch On
As Rooney’s second goal crashed in to the net, FA officials in Lisbon called Wembley Stadium to order the 133 metre high Arch to be lit up in a blaze of golden light that could be seen by fans across the city.
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| Wembley Way lights up for England victory. |
Work began to lift the Arch just before the start of EURO 2004 and the 1,750 tonne structure is now fully raised to create the greatest landmark in world sport.
The glowing Arch will become a familiar sight to the England players and fans when the stadium opens in less than two years’ time. The Three Lions will return to their spiritual home in 2006 and the Arch will be lit up every night they play.
FA Chief Executive Mark Palios explained:
“We wanted to do something special to mark England’s progress to the knockout stages of the European Championships for the first time on foreign soil. What better way than to light the new Wembley Arch?”
Michael Cunnah, Chief Executive of Wembley National Stadium Limited, added:
"England gave an electric performance last night and we wanted to show the team we’re rooting for them all the way. The day that the team can play under the Wembley Arch will be a special one for all the fans – now more than ever we can’t wait for the roar to return."
Rooney is England’s youngest-ever goal scorer and looks destined to become an England legend. Incredibly, he will still only be 20 years old when England play their first match at the new Venue of Legends. Speaking after the match last night, Rooney said:
“It felt fantastic to play in front of so many England fans here in Portugal, it has given the team a real lift. We’re all looking forward to the chance to play in front of 90,000 England fans at the new Wembley – it will be the greatest stadium on earth!”
To view the time-lapse video clip of the Arch lift Click Here
For more details about the Arch Click Here