Wembley Stadium in London is the current exclusive home stadium for the England national football team. This has been the case since it was opened in 2007, following on from the old Wembley Stadium it replaced. England have however also played many of their home games away from Wembley throughout their history, both in friendly matches and for competitive tournaments.
History Pre-1923: Before Wembley
The England team played their first official home match on 8 March 1873 (their second official international). During this period, England used various grounds around the country, including many cricket grounds, as their home venue. Surrey County Cricket Club's ground The Oval in south London was the first and most used venue of this time, following on from its use for the England v Scotland representative matches played between 1870 and 1872.
1924–1999: Old Wembley
England played its first game at Wembley's Empire Stadium the following year in 1924, although Wembley was then only used for games against Scotland until May 1951, when England played Argentina. Wembley was then used increasingly for the next half-century, meaning just 10 home games were played outside of the Empire Stadium in the period after 1951 until 1999.
2001–2007: On tour The next series of non-Wembley home games, 34 in all, took place between 2001 and 2007, in the period between the closing of the Empire Stadium and the opening of the new Wembley Stadium, due to it being built on the same site. When the Empire Stadium closed in October 2000, the national team went "on tour". The stadium was not demolished until 2003, and the new stadium was not completed until 2007, well behind schedule. Manchester United's home stadium Old Trafford was the most used ground during the tour period.
The tour programme saw the England team return to several cities, for the first time in over 50 years. While the tour was considered a success, the cost of the stadium meant The Football Association had no plans to stage home games away from Wembley after 2007.
2007–present: New Wembley
The first England game at the new Wembley Stadium was on 1 June 2007, against Brazil.
In the build-up to Euro 2016, England played two games away from Wembley for the first time since Wembley's opening. They played against Turkey at Etihad Stadium, Manchester and against Australia at Stadium of Light, Sunderland.
Non-Wembley home matches #DateScoreOppositionStadiumStatusNote(s)28 March 18734–2International matchPre Wembley Stadium era46 March 18752–263 March 18771–3818 January 18792–195 April 18795–41226 February 18810–11312 March 18811–6173 February 18835–01824 February 18837–01910 March 18832–32328 February 18854–01884–85 British Home Championship2414 March 18851–12521 March 18851–1295 February 18877–01886–87 British Home Championship3026 February 18874–03119 March 18872–33523 February 18894–11888–89 British Home Championship362 March 18896–13713 April 18892–3417 March 18916–11890–91 British Home Championship427 March 18914–1434 April 18912–14725 February 18936–11892–93 British Home Championship4813 March 18936–0491 April 18933–0539 March 18959–01894–95 British Home Championship5418 March 18951–1556 April 18953–05920 February 18976–01896–97 British Home Championship6029 March 18974–0613 April 18971–26518 February 189913–21898–99 British Home Championship6620 March 18994–0678 April 18992–1719 March 19013–01900–01 British Home Championship7218 March 19016–07330 March 19012–2763 May 19022–21901–02 British Home Championship7714 February 19034–01902–03 British Home Championship782 March 19032–1794 April 19031–28325 February 19051–11904–05 British Home Championship8427 March 19053–1851 April 19051–08916 February 19071–01906–07 British Home Championship9018 March 19071–1916 April 19071–19913 February 19094–01908–09 British Home Championship10015 March 19092–01013 April 19092–010811 February 19112–11910–11 British Home Championship10913 March 19113–01101 April 19111–111517 March 19134–31912–13 British Home Championship1165 April 19131–011714 February 19140–31913–14 British Home Championship12115 March 19201–21919–20 British Home Championship12210 April 19205–412323 October 19202–01920–21 British Home Championship12813 March 19221–01921–22 British Home Championship1298 April 19220–113021 October 19222–01922–23 British Home Championship13219 March 19236–1International match1393 March 19241–21923–24 British Home Championship14222 October 19243–11924–25 British Home ChampionshipWembley Stadium (1923) era1438 December 19244–0International match1481 March 19261–31925–26 British Home Championship14917 April 19260–115120 October 19263–31926–27 British Home Championship15828 November 19271–21927–28 British Home Championship16222 October 19282–11928–29 British Home Championship16922 November 19296–01929–30 British Home Championship17320 October 19305–11930–31 British Home Championship17918 November 19313–11931–32 British Home Championship1809 December 19317–1International match18217 October 19321–01932–33 British Home Championship1847 December 19324–3International match18915 November 19331–21933–34 British Home Championship1906 December 19334–1International match19514 November 19343–21966 February 19352–11934–35 British Home Championship2004 December 19353–0International match2015 February 19361–21935–36 British Home Championship20618 November 19363–11936–37 British Home Championship2072 December 19366–2International match21317 November 19372–11937–38 British Home Championship2141 December 19375–4International match22026 October 19383–0The Rest of Europe2219 November 19384–02226 October 19387–01938–39 British Home Championship22912 November 19463–01946–47 British Home Championship23027 November 19468–2International match2323 May 19473–02375 November 19472–21947–48 British Home Championship23819 November 19474–2International match24310 November 19481–01948–49 British Home Championship2442 December 19486–0International match24921 September 19490–225116 November 19499–21949–50 British Home Championship25230 November 19492–0International match26015 November 19504–21950–51 British Home Championship26122 November 19502–2International match26419 May 19515–22653 October 19512–226714 November 19512–01951–52 British Home Championship28311 November 19533–11953–54 British Home Championship3105 December 19565–21958 FIFA World Cup qualification32826 November 19582–21958–59 British Home Championship35128 September 19614–11962 FIFA World Cup qualification3633 October 19621–11964 European Nations' Cup qualifying3965 January 19661–1International match7128 June 19953–3Umbro Cup73324 May 19972–1International match76210 October 19992–1International match77628 February 20013–0International match"On tour" era77724 March 20012–12002 FIFA World Cup qualification77925 May 20014–0International match78115 August 20010–27835 September 20012–02002 FIFA World Cup qualification7846 October 20012–278510 November 20011–1International match78727 March 20021–278817 April 20024–07967 September 20021–179816 October 20022–2UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying79912 February 20031–3International match8012 April 20032–0UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying8033 June 20032–1International match80411 June 20032–1UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying80520 August 20033–1International match80710 September 20032–0UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying80916 November 20032–3International match8121 June 20041–12004 FA Summer Tournament8135 June 20046–181818 August 20043–0International match8219 October 20042–02006 FIFA World Cup qualification8249 February 20050–0International match82526 March 20054–02006 FIFA World Cup qualification82630 March 20052–08328 October 20051–083312 October 20052–18351 March 20062–1International match83630 May 20063–18373 June 20066–084316 August 20064–08442 September 20065–0UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying8467 October 20060–08497 February 20070–1International match95322 May 20162–1International matchWembley Stadium (2007) era95427 May 20162–19777 June 20182–098611 September 20181–099810 September 20195–3UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying1,0132 June 20211–0International match1,0146 June 20211–01,03311 June 20220–0 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A1,03414 June 20220–41,04520 June 20237–0UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying1,04603 June 20243–0International Match1,04711 June 20251-3The City Ground, Nottingham International Match1,04806 September 20252-0Villa Park, Birmingham2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
Not included is the Northern Ireland game in 1973 at Goodison Park as Northern Ireland were the intended home team; the match was moved from Belfast to Liverpool due to ongoing civil unrest.
References
External links