The Twin Towers may have gone, and FA Cup semi-finals arrived, but Wembley Stadium still holds an irresistible aura. On Sunday, it is 90 years since the front doors first opened and in recognition of this particular birthday, Sportsmail has been granted access to the vault of photographs which tell the history of the grand old ground.
We have unearthed previously unseen pictures from the very beginning to the modern day, from the minutiae to the magnificent. They offer a hidden insight of life witnessed during nine decades of existence.
There is a shot of workmen surveying a freshly built Wembley from atop wooden scaffolding surrounding one of the towers in 1923. Ladders are propped up against the construction, which at that point is relatively indistinguishable from the iconic 126-foot tall structure it would become; perhaps resembling more the makings of a helter skelter. Health and safety has come a long way.
Taking shape: Labourers hard at work on one of the famous Twin Towers at the original Wembley Stadium in 1923. At this point in construction, the rickety wooden structure is indistinguishable from the iconic 126ft tall towers it would become
There is an image of a huge roller being pulled by hand later that year before the FA Cup final between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United – the ground’s inaugural football match on April 28. A group of six mostly flat-capped men yank on ropes to stir the machine, while another steers it, and a further chap at the back drags an oversized broom to brush the flattened grass.
Heave! A team of Wembley ground staff, mainly in flat caps, drag an enormous pitch roller as they make preparations for the inaugural FA Cup final at the stadium in 1923 between Bolton and West Ham
It would later be trampled on by a large section of the estimated 300,000 supporters – pictured arriving at the turnstiles in one of our photographs – who descended to watch the ticketless game, requiring the talents of Police Constable George Scorey and his white horse Billy to slowly push the masses back to the sides of the field so play could begin.
Throng: Just a fraction of the estimated 200,000-strong crowd that assembled at Wembley for the first FA Cup final in 1923. The match was not all-ticket, the only Cup final at Wembley not to be so
In the minutes before then, we have discovered the charming moment three players wait patiently for the spectators to clear. A look of bemusement is displayed by one of the men and each wears a crisp, logo-free kit. The hair is slicked back and there is not a fluorescent boot in sight.
Waiting game: Players from West Ham and Bolton wait patiently as police attempt to clear the pitch of spectators prior to the 1923 Cup Final
One of our photographs is of that day’s Royal Box, occupied by King George V, who presented the trophy to the victorious Bolton team. The stadium had only been finished four days previously, having taken 300 days and £750,000 to complete.
Packed: A view of the Royal Box during the 1923 FA Cup final, one of the more comfortable seats in the house. King George V presented the trophy to the victorious Bolton team after their 2-0 win
Another shot from that period is of Bolton captain Joe Smith, showing off the FA Cup to a throng of fans following the 1926 final. One cannot quite imagine Vincent Kompany or Gary Caldwell doing the same next month.
The spoils: Supporters surround the Bolton Wanderers captain Joe Smith as he shows off the FA Cup following his team's 1-0 win over Manchester City in 1926
There is an amazing colour photograph of players reacting to Geoff Hurst’s second goal in the 1966 World Cup final, which put England 3-2 ahead. Bobby Charlton has his hands raised in hope and expectation while Swiss referee Gottfried Dienst looks across to his Russian linesman Tofik Bakhramov for assistance. What drama hangs in the balance that second as a decision over whether the ball crossed the line awaits.
Did it cross the line? Players react to Geoff Hurst's second goal in the 1966 World Cup final, which put England 3-2 up in extra time. Referee Gottfried Dienst can be seen running towards Russian linesman Tofik Bakhramov as England appeal
Also from that memorable match – still the reference point for any England squad – is a picture of the crowd, which shows both West Germany and England fans mingling together in the stand. Rival flags and banners mix. It is unlikely such a scene would be seen at the new Wembley.
Flying the flag: English and German supporters mingle in the Wembley crowd at the 1966 World Cup final, our finest hour
Two years after that is another great football moment. Manchester United become the first English club to win the European Cup, a decade on from the Munich Air Crash which claimed the lives of Busby’s Babes. The manager is seen rousing his new team in the seconds before extra time begins against Benfica.
At that point Busby is addressing midfield enforcer Pat Crerard, while George Best, who would score three minutes after the restart, props himself up with hands behind his back and looks into the distance.
Pep talk: Manchester United manager Matt Busby tries to rouse his exhausted players ahead of extra time in the 1968 European Cup final with Benfica. United won 4-1, winning England's first European Cup
Twenty years before then, London hosted the 1948 Olympics and Wembley was the venue for much of the action. A view from one end of the stadium shows the equestrian event underway, while a close-up shows a discus thrower preparing to launch his effort.
Multi-purpose: Wembley hosted a number of events during the 1948 London Olympic Games, including the equestrian showjumping, which attracted enormous crowds
Olympian: The American decathlete Robert Mathias throws the discus at Wembley during the 1948 Olympics
Sport has not been the only inhabitant of Wembley. Countless music concerts, most notably Live Aid in 1985, which raised a staggering £150million for charity in total, have been staged there.
The Twin Towers were knocked down and fragments sold as souvenirs in 2003, before being reopened in 2007, with an enormous arch in place. Chelsea’s Didier Drogba scored the winning goal against Manchester United in that year’s FA Cup final.
Ninety years has echoes of 90 minutes – but what can be sure is that full time on Wembley is a long way off. Happy birthday.