It really is terrible viewing a game at Wembley on TV in the afternoon sun. The nearest wing is in absolute darkness. It was the same for the play offs the other week. Considering how modern Wembley is, and the cash spent on it, is this a design flaw?

What? It being sunny?

What? It being sunny?

Not as bad as Newcastle

Haha. Nothing to do with the sun, more to do with our showpiece stadium being beamed live around with a third of the pitch invisible.

Would the floodlights not help to equalise the contrast? Probably a stupid question.

Totally agree, considering we had to spend a fortune on lights for the tele when we got into the Prem the shadow was annoying. Nothing you can do about the sun and stadium orientation, however filming from the other side might have improved it or floodlights.

I well remember our playoff win v Blades with their fans in the full Sun and us in the shade
Its little wonder they all legged it 10 seconds after the final whistle.

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 13, 2021 7:25 pm

Not as bad as Newcastle

I know they play in stripes but there is no good reason to have them all down the wing. It really is off putting when watching.

I remember the problem with the old Wembley was that one half was always in the shade, hence they rotated it?

minnieclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 13, 2021 9:06 pm

I know they play in stripes but there is no good reason to have them all down the wing. It really is off putting when watching.

It’s the roof at St James’ Park. Dreadful when the sun is coming through.

Alanstevensonsgloves wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 13, 2021 9:15 pm

I remember the problem with the old Wembley was that one half was always in the shade, hence they rotated it?

I have heard this myth that they rotated the stadium 90 degrees fairly often and I have no idea where it has come from. The pitch was not rotated.

it is an awful stadium; especially when compared to other showcase stadiums around the world.

they should have built one in the midlands at a third of the price and designed by somebody forward thinking.

functionality should be a given.

yTib wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 13, 2021 11:37 pm

it is an awful stadium; especially when compared to other showcase stadiums around the world.

they should have built one in the midlands at a third of the price and designed by somebody forward thinking.

functionality should be a given.

I’d say that Norman Foster is pretty forward thinking. There’s better stadiums but I don’t think it’s close to being awful. It’s also 14 years old already.

Rileybobs wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 13, 2021 11:41 pm

I’d say that Norman Foster is pretty forward thinking. There’s better stadiums but I don’t think it’s close to being awful. It’s also 14 years old already.

from the outside it looks like a prison from an 80's dystopian film.

and the bird's nest in china, though admittedly not a footy ground, is 13 years old yet still looks infinitely more modern than wembley.

yTib wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 14, 2021 12:03 am

from the outside it looks like a prison from an 80's dystopian film.

and the bird's nest in china, though admittedly not a footy ground, is 13 years old yet still looks infinitely more modern than wembley.

It’s certainly not as striking as the bird’s nest, I agree with that. They seemed to go all out with the ‘iconic’ arch and the retractable roof, which in fairness was forward thinking, although perhaps not the best use of what ended up being a ridiculous build cost. I don’t think the stadium is too bad though, and if I recall there was an emphasis on the acoustics which is something unlikely to be realised for the national team.

I’ve been to the new Wembley just twice. To be honest I didn’t find it anything special. Even the walk from the station to the stadium which was once iconic, and gave you goosebumps. Is now just a walk.

All the other games are later kickoff times (mostly 8pm) so won’t be an ongoing issue for the Euros

And UEFA's bizarre micro-management of every tiny aspect of the tournament including the strips that teams wear. The Croatians' black strip meant they disappeared completely into the shadows.

In answer to a post further up the thread, the floodlights were on and it didn't make the slightest difference

It made for poor viewing at the beginning. Not sure whether the design of the roof or the positioning of the cameras is to blame.

would partially closing the roofs have helped a bit? Also I'm not sure if the experience ould have been different for viewers on an HDR tv over standard ones. If the broadcast was in 4k that could also have helped.

RammyClaret61 wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 14, 2021 4:40 am

I’ve been to the new Wembley just twice. To be honest I didn’t find it anything special. Even the walk from the station to the stadium which was once iconic, and gave you goosebumps. Is now just a walk.

Been three times, play off and two league games against Spurs. Big changes since the play off with all the buildings that have gone up around the stadium.

Not an attractive stadium, the fantastic walk up from the station is gone now.

But it’s a huge improvement on the decaying one knocked down.

thelaughingclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 13, 2021 11:18 pm

I have heard this myth that they rotated the stadium 90 degrees fairly often and I have no idea where it has come from. The pitch was not rotated.

Shame that, I'd have liked to have seen them rotate the stadium 90 degrees, fairly often

thelaughingclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 13, 2021 11:18 pm

I have heard this myth that they rotated the stadium 90 degrees fairly often and I have no idea where it has come from. The pitch was not rotated.

er if you look at yesterday with the shadow along the length of the pitch and then fire up you tube and look at say Charlie George cup winner for Arsenal amongst many other cup final goals, and you will see the shadows being cast completely from the left hand end of the stadium. just saying.

corporal jones wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 14, 2021 8:17 pm

er if you look at yesterday with the shadow along the length of the pitch and then fire up you tube and look at say Charlie George cup winner for Arsenal amongst many other cup final goals, and you will see the shadows being cast completely from the left hand end of the stadium. just saying.

The stadium and pitch is the same orientation as the previous stadium. Obviously it’s a lot higher, and as there is no running track the stands are closer to the pitch. Therefore the roof oversails the pitch more and the shadow is more prominent.

I don’t know about the Charlie George goal but without wanting to state the obvious, the direction and degree of shading varies depending on the time of the year and the time of the day.

Side by side map of old and new grounds. You can see from the houses at the bottom that the new stadium is oriented the same way as the old one.

paganini's birthplace crossword


paganini's birthplace crossword

as you can see the pitch has always had the same orientation.

omg chris you mindreading lovely.

Should have built it in Burnley, it would only be a problem a couple of times a year

If you have a good TV and watch in HDR it makes it so much easier to see players in the shadow due to the increased contrast.

Articles regarding the new stadium did suggest that the pitch would be rotated.

Pitch rotation

“Glass walls surrounding the expanded structure will provide a spectacular backdrop for spectators as they walk up a refurbished Wembley Way - before taking their places in six tiers of seating overlooking the pitch.”

“The pitch is expected to be rotated through 90 degrees from its current position and the arena will be given a running track, an indoor warm-up area, improved dressing room facilities, as well as themed bars and restaurants.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/406613.stm

This was obviously a pre-arch design.

They did rotate the pitch but just not 90 degrees as originally planned. In the end they opted to rotate 180 degrees and swapped the East and West ends of the ground around.

You'd better ask Cat Stevens...

Meanwhile, side-by-side map of a football pitch on the right (new Wembley) and a tennis court on the left (old Wembley).

Clearly not just an issue for Wembley. And in Spain they should be a bit less surprised at it being sunny

To be frank with the last 3 matches at Wembley, I wish the whole pitch had been covered with a very very dark shadow, that you couldn't see through.

One to consider for future stadiums though, incorporating one of the demountable pitches like Spurs have got:
Build the stadium/seating circular with sufficient space for the whole playing area to slowly rotate as the match proceeds - say two circuits in each half - that way every seat would at some point be on the half-way line and you could charge top dollar for them all.