Arsenal Stadium
Highbury The Home of Football | |
The North Bank stand of the stadium in 2005, a year prior to demolition | |
| Full name | Arsenal Stadium, Highbury Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location | Highbury, London, England |
| Coordinates | 51°33′28″N 0°6′10″W / 51.55778°N 0.10278°W |
| Owner | Arsenal Holdings plc |
| Operator | Arsenal |
| Capacity | 38,419 (at closure), 73,000 (peak) |
| Field size | 109×73 yds / 100×67 m |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 6 September 1913 |
| Renovated | 1932–1936, 1992–1993 |
| Closed | 7 May 2006 |
| Demolished | 2006; redeveloped as housing |
| Construction cost | £125,000 (1913 original) adjusted for inflation: £15.5m £175,000 (1930s redevelopment) adjusted for inflation: £14m £22.5m (1990s redevelopment) adjusted for inflation: £58.8m |
| Architect | Archibald Leitch (1913 original) C. W. Ferrier and W. Binnie (1930s redevelopment) LOBB partnership (North Bank) |
| Tenants | |
| Arsenal F.C. (1913–2006) | |
Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, London, which was the home of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006. It was popularly known as "Highbury" from the name of the district in which it was located, and was given the affectionate nickname of "The Home of Football".
It was originally built in 1913 on the site of a local college's recreation ground, and was significantly redeveloped twice. The first reconstruction came in the 1930s, from which the Art Deco East and West Stands date. There was a second development; the first phase, which added executive boxes to the Clock End, was completed in 1989, and afterward in 1993 a new North Bank Stand was constructed. These latter developments both followed the recommendations of the Taylor Report by replacing the terraces to make the stadium an all-seater with four stands. However, further attempts to expand the stadium were blocked by the community, resulting in a reduction in capacity and matchday revenue. This led to Arsenal opting to build a new stadium, the Emirates Stadium. After the club moved to its new stadium upon the conclusion of the 2005–06 season, Highbury was redeveloped as a residential development known as Highbury Square, with the Clock End and North Bank stands being demolished; parts of the East and West Stands remained and were incorporated into the new development due to their listed status.
The stadium also hosted international matches – both for England and in the 1948 Summer Olympics – and FA Cup semi-finals, as well as boxing, baseball and cricket matches. Its presence also led to the local London Underground station being renamed as Arsenal in 1932, making it the only station on the Underground network to be named after a football club.
In addition to its architecture, the stadium was known for its small but immaculate pitch and for the clock that had been positioned in the southern side of the ground since its introduction in 1930.