150 years of Blackfriars, Embankment and Temple stations

Today marks the 150th Birthday of three zone-1 stations. On 30th May 1870 the Metropolitan District Railway extended their route from Westminster to Blackfriars, with stations in between at Embankment and Temple. The construction of this section of the railway was in conjunction with the building of the Victoria Embankment. Now served by the Circle and District lines, these three stations are busy stations used by commuters and tourists alike. Embankment station also joined deep level railways of the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway in 1906 and the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway in 1914, now part of the Bakerloo and Northern lines respectively.

Embankment

The first station east of the former Metropolitan District Railway (DR) terminus of Westminster is Embankment. When the new DR station opened in May 1870 it was the closest underground station to Charing Cross mainline railway station, which opened in 1864 and to this day links central London to many areas of the South East of England. Due to this proximity, the new DR station we know today as Embankment opened as Charing Cross. In 1906 the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway (BS&WR) opened its deep-level tube line and named its station as Embankment despite the platforms being almost directly below the DR platforms.

The naming of the now Embankment station as Charing Cross back in 1870 became confusing when the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway (CCE&HR), now part of the Northern line, terminated at a station which at the time was called, you guessed it, Charing Cross. The CCE&HR station called Charing Cross is now the station we know today as Charing Cross. When the CCE&HR extended south to connect with the BS&WR Embankment station in 1914 a new station was built to accommodate both the deep-tube lines and this was called Embankment (Charing Cross), but the DR sub-surface station was still called Charing Cross. Things finally became clearer in 1974 when the complex with the now District and Circle lines, Bakerloo and Northern lines became named Embankment. This was also the year that the separate Trafalgar Square Bakerloo line station and Charing Cross northern line station merged to form one station complex under the name Charing Cross. 

I cannot talk about Embankment station without mentioning Oswald Lawrence and Dr Margaret McCollum. Oswald Lawrence is one of the voices behind the famous "mind the gap" announcements that has become synonymous around the world. Oswald's announcement was used on the northern line, but like most things, was gradually replaced or removed, Embankment was the last station to continue using his voice until 2012. Oswald died in 2007, however, when his widow noticed her husbands voice was not being used at Embankment she inquired if Transport for London could provide her with a recording. TfL not only provided a recording but were able to upload the old 40 year old recording to the new system. Once restrictions have been lifted regarding COVID-19 and you visit Embankment station you will now here Oswald Lawrence's voice. 

Temple

The next station travelling east to open on 30th May 1870 is Temple, or as it was called at the time, The Temple. The station name takes its name from the nearby Temple Church, built by the Knights Templar in 1185. The church is believed to be on the site of a former Roman Temple of Londinium. It is also thought that the definite article was rarely used and it is therefore difficult to find a date that the station became Temple as it is known today.

There were plans in the 20th Century for the Great Northern, Piccadilly & Brompton Railway, which is now the Piccadilly line, to extend from Holborn to Temple via. Strand. The only part of this that opened was the branch to Strand, or Aldwych as it was named in 1915, however the branch closed in 1994. Today on the station building you can find a map preserved from 1932 that displays the message "an up-to-date Journey Planner is located inside the station". 

Blackfriars

The final station that has its 150th Birthday today is Blackfriars. When the station opened in 1870 it was named St Paul's, however, this was renamed to Blackfriars in 1937 to avoid confusion with the Central London Railway's station that is closer to St Paul's Cathedral. The Central London Railway station opened in July 1900 as Post Office due to the nearby headquarters of the General Post Office. The mainline station that we know today as Blackfriars opened in 1886 and was also named St Paul's. In 2009 both the underground and mainline stations underwent major refurbishments that were completed in 2012. 

The three stations by being located close to the West End and the river Thames, as well as proximity to office buildings, mean in the 21st Century they are busy for commuting and tourists. 150 years on, the London Underground is currently perhaps more familiar to life as it was constructed, due to amazing heritage preservation, than 2019. As London shut down in spring 2020, Temple station was one of the many stations to temporarily close in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Visiting 'that' station - Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

Earlier in the year I visited the station that almost everybody in the UK knows but has probably never visited. By travelling to the Isle of Anglesey I ticked off two major things from my bucket list; visiting Wales and a railway station I have always wanted to visit. Whether it is TV weatherman Liam Dutton nailing the village during a weather report in 2015, the numerous times it has cropped up in Buzz Feed style videos - American's try pronounce Welsh place names, or from a general knowledge pub quiz, the station Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is famous throughout the UK and the world, but is it for the correct reason? 

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is a village on the Isle of Anglesey in north Wales with a population of over 3,000. The village has a railway station that is on the North Wales Coast Line from Crewe to Holyhead. With the name of the village being 58 characters in length, not only is it the longest place name in the world, it is the longest railway station name in the world, right?

Well, that is what most people and online articles will make you believe. According to the Guinness World Records, the longest place name in the world is Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhen in New Zealand. The place that locals have shortened to Taumata does not have a railway station, so the famous station in Wales still takes the record for the worlds longest railway station name, surely? 

If you try to book a ticket to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch online it will come up with an error message saying 'no search results'. That is because there is no such railway station named Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, it is actually named Llanfairpwll. Llanfairpwll is not the longest station name in the world, it is not even the longest station name in the UK. The longest station name in the UK is also in Wales, but not as difficult to pronounce as Llanfairpwll and so on, Rhoose Cardiff International Airport.

As for the longest railway station name in the world an article in the Indian Express says a station in Chennai has missed out on the title of the longest station name by just one letter. The station called Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central is 57 letters in length, but the article incorrectly names Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch as the worlds largest station. If you are reading this from Chennai trying to squeeze two more letters into the station name, there is no need.

So where did this incorrect fact come from? According to the Welsh-language poet Sir John Morris-Jones the name was created by a local tailor as a publicity stunt in the Victorian era to encourage tourists to the longest railway station in the country when it opened in 1869. It is believed only Sir John Morris-Jones knew the name of the tailor and unfortunately their name has remained a secret ever since. The translation into English has been some debate, so I will go along with the James Pringle Weavers shop that translate the name as 'St Marys Church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the rapid whirlpool of Llantysilio of the red cave'.

It is amazing in the 21st Century that a 19th Century publicity stunt is still drawing in tourists. Although Llanfairpwll is a request stop, it was certainly not quiet on my visit. I was not the only person to get off the train and when I left the village two couples got on the train to Birmingham International and two individuals joined me on the train to Crewe. I had planned to spend a nice day in the village, go for a walk, have a pint and lunch in a local pub, however, it say it chucked it down would be an understatement.

I did manage to visit the James Pringle Weavers shop. It is an amazing shop, you could buy anything in there, clothes, food, gifts, toys, anything! I had a walk up and down a wet Holyhead Road and learned that over 70% of people in the village can speak Welsh. I also learned that Rocketman star Taron Egerton went to school in the village. Once we return to some sort of normality I highly recommend a visit to the Isle of Anglesey and of course a visit to the famous station, even if it is not officially the longest station name in the world! 

20 years of Tramlink

Today marks 20 years of Tramlink. I had planned to spend the bank holiday weekend travelling around south London when I penciled in key transport related dates in 2020 back in January . If there is one transport related activity I want to do when it is safe and practical to do so, travelling on the trams is high up there. Similar to a challenge I completed in February on the DLR, I would like to try and visit all Tramlink stops as quickly as possible.

The Tramlink network is comprised of 39 stations that are all located in south London. After timetable restructuring in February 2018 there are now 3 routes that catered for over 28 million passengers in 2018/19. The 28km of track serves Croydon and surrounding areas in south London including Wimbledon, Bromley and Sutton.

Route 3 between Croydon and New Addington opened on 10 May 2000 and became the first tram system in London since 1952. Route 2 from Croydon to Beckenham Junction opened on 23 May 2000 and route 1 from Elmers End to Wimbledon opened on 30 May 2000. In June 2012 route 4 opened from Elmers End to Therapia Lane, and onto Wimbledon in 2016. Most of the Tramlink network is comprised of former National Rail lines including the Addiscombe line, Crystal Palace line and West Croydon to Wimbledon line. Part of the former West Croydon to Wimbledon line that is now on the Tramlink network opened in 1802 as the Surrey Iron Railway, a horse-drawn railway that was one of the first public railways in the world.


Transport for London purchased Tramlink in 2008. Prior to this, the network was known as Croydon Tramlink and served by trams with a red and white livery. TfL introduced the green, blue and white livery we know today and the Tramlink first appeared on the tube map in June 2016. BBC News reader, and Tram enthusiast, Nicholas Owen is the voice for the onboard announcements.

With just 62,000 passengers in 2017 Avenue Road is the least used tram stop on the Tramlink network. The next 3 least used stops on the network, like Avenue Road, are located on the route to Beckenham Junction. The Tramlink is the fourth busiest light rail network in the UK behind the DLR, Metrolink in Manchester and the Tyne & Wear Metro. At Addington Village tram stop the buses from the nearby bus station have been scheduled to complement the tram services.

Have you ridden the Tramlink? What is your favourite aspect? Please comment below or join the conversation on Twitter or Instagram where I am @TubespottingDan At the start of this post I said I would like to attempt visiting all 39 stops as quickly as possible. According to explorerticket.co.uk the current fastest time is 1 hour, 35 minutes and 15 seconds.

VE Day - London Underground during World War Two

Today marks Victory in Europe Day, commonly known as VE Day, and recognises the acceptance by the Allies of Nazi Germany's surrender on 8 May 1945. This year marks 75 years since the celebrations across Europe and the first UK May bank holiday was moved to today to signify the occasion. Street parties were encouraged across the country, a Battle of Britain memorial flight planned over Buckingham Palace and an exhibition was due to be set up in St James's Park. As we are currently going through the most unprecedented times in decades, it is as important now as ever to remember what life was like during a global war.

The London Underground, similar to during this current crisis, played an important role during World War Two. The tube has currently modified which services and stations are open to facilitate social distancing, whilst running services for key workers. During World War Two the Underground was used by many as shelter during the Blitz, munitions factories and was even used by the government to host the war cabinet. A lot of lives were also lost on the London Underground network and when things go back to normal there are many things that you should look out for on your tube journeys to signify the London Underground during World War Two.

Air Raid Shelters

Starting in September, Adolf Hitler and Hermann Goring ordered a new policy, the bombing of the UK's capital, port cities and industrial cities. Many towns and cities suffered during these aerial attacks, but in London over 20,000 people died and over a million houses were destroyed or damaged. From 7 September 1940 the Luftwaffe carried out bombings on 56 of the next 57 days or nights. By October, the Luftwaffe carried out more nighttime raids to avoid RAF attacks, and they became known as the Blitz, German for lightning, by the British press. The Blitz lasted for over 8 months and ended in May 1941. The London Underground provided shelter for 1000s during the aerial attacks.

World War Two was not the first time London used its underground transport network for shelter during aerial attacks. German airships known as Zeppelins carried out over 50 attacks across Britain, but the UK and London were ill prepared for this. According to the Imperial War Museum over 300,000 people unofficially sheltered in the London Underground, which is double the amount of people who needed shelter at the height of the Blitz. Between the wars, the government  actively discourage Londoners using the tube for shelter in any future aerial attacks.

Liverpool Street

On the second night of bombings on 8 September 1940 many people living in the East End sought shelter at Liverpool Street. Although illegal, station staff opened the gates to people without tickets, however some reports suggest troops and staff initially turned people away. It is believed that the events at Liverpool Street saw the government make a u-turn about the use of the tube as shelter and the station became a principal shelter during the Blitz.

Aldwych and Holborn

The now closed Aldwych station played an important role in both wars. The station was the only station on a branch from Holborn and was closed to trains from 22 September 1940 to June 1946. Aldwych and Holborn were used as an air raid shelter by Westminster City Council, demonstrating how quickly plans to discourage the network for shelter were scrapped. A section of the tunnel between Aldwych and Holborn was converted during the first World War as a shelter for the war cabinet, and never reopened. During World War Two this section was used to house exhibits from the British Museum.

Balham

On the evening of 14 October 1940 a bomb created a crater in the road above the northern end of the platforms at Balham station. The bomb created a large crater that a bus crashed in and lead to the collapse of the tunnel at the northbound platform and a flood due to burst water mains. Over 60 people died as a result of the bomb and a plaque has been in place at the station since 2000. The plaque that is now at the station is the third as some sources say 66 people lost their lives and some say 68, so the plaque now in place does not state a number.

Sloane Square

Sloane Square station opened in 1868 by the District Railway, however, by the 1930s the station needed upgrading as part of the New Works Scheme. The works were completed in March 1940, including a new station building and the first escalators of their kind at a sub-surface station. On 12 November 1940 a bomb heavily destroyed the station building and killed over 35 people who were mostly travelling on a train that was leaving the station. 

Bethnal Green Tube Disaster of 1943

The biggest loss of civilian life in the UK during World War Two did not happen during the Blitz. A heavy RAF raid on Berlin in early March lead to many sheltering in Air Raid Shelters to preempt any retaliation air attacks. On the night of 3 March 1943 air-raid sirens sounded out across East London and many, as they did during the Blitz, headed to the unopened Bethnal Green station. Although eye witnesses say an orderly flow of people entered the station, unfortunately a woman and child fell over on the stairs which caused many others to fall. 173 people lost their lives in this disaster. A memorial plaque has been installed on the south-eastern staircase. In 2017 a more public memorial was installed in Bethnal Green Garden called the Stairway to Heaven. 

Central line extension in East London

Before the start of World War Two the Central line ran from Liverpool Street to Ealing Broadway. Prior to the war, the Central line was being extended further in the east of London with substantial tunneling work and fitting out of stations taking place. Works on the extension were holted in June 1940.  The unopened tunnels from Leytonstone to Newbury Park were used by the Plessey Company as factory for aircraft components that employed 2,000 people. Out west, the unopened Ruislip depot was converted as a factory making anti-aircraft guns. Both the eastern and western extensions of the Central line were completed by the 1950s. 

Making use of a former station - Down Street

Located in Mayfair and opening in 1907, Down Street station is on the now named Piccadilly line and is located between Green Park and Hyde Park Corner. The station was rarely used as it served predominantly residential area and both Green Park (at the time was called Dover Street) and Hyde Park Corner stations are just 500 metres away. Within just two years some trains skipped the station altogether and by 1918 it lost a Sunday service. The station was finally closed in 1932, however, it would reopen in 1939 for a different purpose.

Down Street station was a perfect location for a secret bunker; a closed and forgotten about deep-level station, close to central London and the government and able to house telephone connections. The station was fitted out in 1939 and was mainly used by the Railway Executive Committee throughout the war to oversee the operations and logistics of Britain's railways. It is thought that Winston Churchill used Down Street to house the war cabinet before the Cabinet War Rooms were ready underneath Whitehall, although there is some debate as to whether Churchill ever visited or slept at Down Street. 

Many lives were lost on the London Underground network during World War Two. For a more compressive list of these events and analysis of casualty and fatality figures, I highly recommend Nick Cooper's blog. I often conclude my posts with a fun fact or an invitation to my social media pages, however, today I just ask that you pause to reflect upon the lives lost and how life changed during World War Two. 

Rating the 12 Football League stadiums in London

I am at a bit of a loose end at the moment. Other than being a transport enthusiast, I am also a massive fan of following live sport, especially football. Both of these have been majorly impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19. Live sport around the world has been postponed or cancelled, and non-essential use of public transport has been restricted. I will continue to blog about public transport to keep my sanity, but right now it is important only those who really need to use public transport are the only passengers.

Similar to my goal of visiting all 270 London Underground stations (currently at 242), I also want to watch football at as many football stadiums as possible, or 'doing the 92'. There are 12 football league stadiums in London, and I have been to all bar one. So I am going to rank them in terms of facilities, atmosphere, charm and ease of visiting. 

12) Kingsmeadow

I start my review of the 12 football league stadiums in London at the only stadium I have not visited. With a seating capacity of over 2,250 people, Kingsmeadow is the home to League One AFC Wimbledon and Chelsea FC Women. Kingsmeadow has four stands, the two behind the goals are both terraces. The Paul Strank Stand is the largest stand with over 1,250 seats and houses the changing rooms, offices and bars.

Kingsmeadow is one of the more difficult stadiums to visit from central London. The nearest station is Norbiton with South  Western Railway services to Waterloo. AFC Wimbledon was founded in 2002 by supporters of Wimbledon FC. The owners of Wimbledon FC moved the club over 60 miles away to Milton Keynes. Kingsmeadow, however, is over 5 miles away from Wimbledon FC's former home stadium of Plough Lane. I look forward to visiting Kingsmeadow soon either for a AFC Wimbledon game or to watch Chelsea FC Women. 

11) Griffin Park

Next is a stadium that will not be around for much longer, Griffin Park, the home of Brentford. The ground has a capacity of 12,300, with the stands behind both goals housing terrace sections. Griffin Park is famous for being the only football league club in England to have a pub in every corner of the ground. The Griffin pub was used as film location in Green Street as the Abbey, the watering hole of the Green Street Elite. The Griffin also featured briefly in the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody as a crowded pub watched Live Aid.

Griffin Park is also not the easiest stadium to get to from central London. The closest station is Brentford which has South Western Railway services to Waterloo and South Ealing on the Piccadilly line, a one mile walk from the ground, provides services to the West End and King's Cross. The atmosphere at Girffin Park is not the most intense in London, but with an old school style, it is definitely worth a visit. The Bees are due to move into 18,500 all-seater Brentford Community Stadium at Kew Bridge at the start of the next season. 

10) Brisbane Road

Brisbane Road is home to the lowest ranked football league club in London, Leyton Orient. The stadium has been home to Leyton Orient since 1937 and has an all-seater capacity of 9,271. There are flats located in each of the four corners of the ground, giving residents a great view of the O's in action. The ground has a friendly atmosphere with the Leyton Orient Supporters Club bar open before and after the game for both sets of fans and a rather unique concourse in the Tommy Johnston South Stand.

Brisbane Road is easy to get to with a short walk away from Leyton station on the Central line and plenty of pubs in the area. Although football is currently suspended, Leyton Orient have been doing their bit to continue to entertain football fans. Leyton Orient have created and hosted the virtual 'Ultimate Quaran-Team' FIFA tournament. 128 clubs from all over the world have taken part and Orient have raised over £50,000 in the process. The O's have also announced they will give NHS staff 100 free tickets to every home game next season. A club in E10 have been doing their best to entertain fans all across the globe.

9) London Stadium

Just down the road from Brisbane Road is the 66,000 seater London Stadium, the new home of West Ham United. Venue for the opening and closing ceremonies and athletics at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Hammers moved to the Stratford stadium in 2016. Since the Olympics, the stadium has also hosted games for the 2015 Rugby Union World Cup, the 2017 World Athletics championship and a Major League Baseball series between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

London Stadium, however, has a poor reputation amongst football fans. Unlike the other stadiums in the list, the seats are far from the pitch and subsequently does not have half the atmosphere of West Ham's former home at the Boleyn Ground. The views from large parts of the stadium are not great and despite currently being a Premier League stadium, it is the least familiar or traditional in this list. The queue for transport services at Stratford station after an event can be horrendous.

8) Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium

Another stadium with poor views is Loftus Road at the other end of the Central line. The 18,500 all-seater stadium in White City has been home to Queens Park Rangers since 1917. The stadium was renamed to Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium for the start of the 2019/20 season in honour of a former youth team member who was fatally stabbed in 2006.

There is a somewhat old school charm about the ground, however, on all four of visits to the ground I have found my views shocking. From the away end where you cannot see the goal line to being stuck behind a roof support along the side of the pitch, perhaps I need some QPR fans advice for where to sit next time I visit? 

7) The Den

The home of Championship side Millwall has a bit of a reputation. Whilst I am no doubt this part of South London is an area you would not want to get lost in, do not believe the movies or wanna-be football hooligans. Millwall regularly receive EFL Family Excellence status and won the Nickelodeon Family Club of the Year in 2017. The 20,000 all-seater stadium opened in 1993 and has a modern feel with all four stands featuring two tiers. 

The away end is a short walk to South Bermondsey station with plenty of services to and from London Bridge. With pubs aplenty and Borough market at London Bridge, and a well policed walk from the away end to the station, The Den makes a great experience for away fans. Millwall have recently revealed plans to massively redevelop The Den into a 34,000 seater stadium, but when the club currently average just over 13,000, this does seem bizarre. 

6) The Valley

The Valley has been home to Charlton Athletic since 1919, although the Addicks controversially ground shared with rivals Crystal Palace from 1985 to 1991. Charlton returned to The Valley in 1992 and into highly renovated stadium. The ground is modern with three stands usually occupied by home fans dominating the pitch. The away fans are housed behind the goal in the Jimmy Seed Stand, the only part of the ground to survive Charlton's move in the 80s. 

The ground is a short walk from Charlton railway station which has Thames Link services and London Cannon Street. I used this section of railway to travel between Woolwich Arsenal and Lewisham when I attempted to visit all 45 DLR stations as quickly as possible in February 2020. Alternatively there are plenty of bus services from North Greenwich. 

5) Selhurst Park

Often regarded as having the best home atmosphere in the Premier League, next on the list is Selhurst Park. The 25,000 seater stadium has been the home of Crystal Palace since 1924, but has also been the home of Charlton Athletic and Wimbledon FC. Selhurst, Norwood Junction and Thornton Heath stations are all a 10-15 walk from the ground and have services to and from London Victoria, with the later also having services to London Bridge. Norwood Junction also has London Overground services connecting fans to east London. 

Although there is a great atmosphere at Selhurst Park, the ground is massively in need of an upgrade. The view from Arthur Wait stand, which houses the away fans, is infamous for being one of the worst away ends views in English football. Although, some fans often enjoy the open air concourse for the away contingent. Crystal Palace plan to upgrade the stadium and the plans look spectacular, and yes the plans will finally see improvements to the away end. 

4) The Emirates

Opening in 2006, The Emirates is the home to Arsenal. With 60,000 seats, three tiers and premium hospitality, The Emirates is a fantastic place to be entertained, but it goes against the charm of being a football fan. The atmosphere at The Emirates is regularly ridiculed by opposition fans, not helped by the home upper and lower tiers being dissected by a middle tier exclusively comprised of hospitality bars, suites and boxes. 

As a student I often worked in one of the hospitality bars at The Emirates, and I thoroughly enjoyed this job. The stadium is impressive and I doubt there is a bad seat in the house, but on my three visits in the stands I have questioned if I am watching an Arsenal home game or an Arsenal game at neutral venue? However, with 60,000 fans potentially in attendance it is a good job there is plenty of transport options when leaving the game, but Caledonian Road, the closest station to The Emirates is closed before and after the game. 

3) Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham find themselves in an almost similar situation to north London rivals Arsenal. Tottenham have recently moved into their new 62,000 seater stadium on the site of their previous home, White Hart Lane. The stadium is incredibly impressive, with a dominating single-tiered 17,500 stand behind one of the goals. Similarly with The Emirates, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is designed like a bowl but unlike the Gunners' home, Spurs' ground still has four distinct stands. 

I have only visited the ground once, and I thought the atmosphere was alright, but certainly better than The Emirates. The ground, in my opinion, similar with the London Stadium and The Emirates, are not football stadiums, they are entertainment venues. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has an onsite brewery, bakery and a cheese room, and from the outside it looks like a mix-mash between an airport and a shopping centre. 

2) Craven Cottage

Once existing Putney Bridge station, football fans walk through Bishops Park along the banks of the river Thames before being greeted with the Cottage Pavillion and the old school facade of the Johnny Haynes stand. The walk I described is not just one of the best approaches to a stadium in London, it is arguably the best out of the entire Football League. The stadium opened in 1896 and is the answer to many a classic pub quiz question. There is a tree in the corner of the Putney End, which is the only tree to be found in a British senior football stadium. 

Also in the Putney End, there is no segregation from the away end and the 'neutral end', making this the only football league club in Britain to have this arrangement. Fulham are currently redeveloping the Riverside Stand. During construction, Craven Cottage's temporary capacity is 19,000. This redevelopment will increase the capacity at Craven Cottage, improved hospitality areas and allow a public walkway across the bank of the river Thames. 

1) Stamford Bridge

Stamford Bridge is the home of the only team in London to win the Champions League, Chelsea. Chelsea were formed in 1905, however, the stadium was opened in 1877 and has been used for many different sports. Throughout its history Stamford Bridge has hosted athletics, baseball, greyhound racing and rugby union. The ground also hosted the FA Cup final three times and was the venue for the famous Chelsea V Dynamo Moscow friendly just ten weeks after the end of World War Two in 1945, over 100,000 people attended. 

Stamford Bridge is the closest stadium to central London and is perhaps the easiest to visit. Fulham Broadway on the District line is a stones throw away from the ground, and Earl's Court, West Brompton and Imperial Wharf stations provide plenty of options for when over 41,000 spectators leave at full time. Some parts of the stadium back to the 1970s, where as the most recent stand to be constructed, the West Stand opened in 2001. This gives a unique sense of charm and tradition of having four separate stands, however, the stadium still feels modern.

I cannot do a post about football in London and not mention the national home of football, Wembley! Opening in 2007, Wembley Stadium is the second largest in stadium in Europe, behind Camp Nou in Barcelona. The 90,000 seater stadium is home to the FA Cup final, EFL Cup final and football league play off finals. The stadium has also hosted other sporting events including Rugby League and Union, American Football and Boxing. Wembley has also hosted many concerts, houses a university and will host the semi-final and final of the next European Football Championship that was due to take place this summer.

There would not have been a 90,000 seater stadium, the Wembley Arena, the home of national football, a university or a box park (that opened in December 2018) in north-west London if it was not for Sir Edward Watkin and the Metropolitan Railway. Watkin was the chairman of the Metropolitan Railway and eight other railway companies, and he wanted to increase passenger numbers by giving people a reason to travel by railway, so he created Wembley Park. Wembley Park was a pleasure garden with lake, cricket pitches and waterfalls. The park opened in 1894 and attracted over 100,000 visitors within the first three months. Wembley Park station officially opened in 1894, however, it received a Saturday only service from October 1893 so people could access the sports facilities. 

However, a park was not ambitious enough for Watkin. Inspired by major engineering project involving steel such as Tower Bridge, Blackpool Tower, Crystal Palace and the Eiffel Tower, Watkins lead the construction of Watkins Tower. This octagonal tower was designed to be 370m tall and to rival the Eiffel Tower. Due to costs instead of having eight legs as originally planned, it was to have four. However, by September 1894 Watkin retired due to ill health and due to the tower having fewer legs than originally planned, the structure started sinking. By 1899 the company financing the project goes into liquidation and by 1902 it was deemed unsafe and by 1907 the tower was completely demolished. But it is not all bad news, the park continued to thrive, with the addition of more facilities and even a golf course in 1912. After World War One, the British Empire wanted to host an exhibition about the empire, they decided to pick Wembley as the host, which lead to the construction of the Empire Stadium. The stadium had a capacity of 127,000, was iconic for the twin towers and was on the site of the demolished tower. The stadium opened in 1923 but was later renamed to Wembley Stadium and has hosted numerous events such as being the home of the FA Cup final, the 1948 Olympics, 1966 World Cup Final, Euro 96 Final and Live Aid. 

Do you agree with my rankings of the 12 Football League stadiums in London? What are you favourite memories of watching football in London? Join the conservation below or on Twitter or Instagram where my account is @TubeSpottingDan and my DMs are always open for a chat. Take care and I cannot wait to be back at a football stadium as soon as it is safe to do so.