UNIFIED EMIRATES STADIUM

This weekend, Spurs may be in for a "timely" experience, when they visit The Emirates tomorrow for the North London Derby against Arsenal.

The Arsenal Stadium was sited in Highbury, London, and was the home of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006. It was popularly known as "Highbury" due to its location and was given the affectionate nickname of the "Home of Football" by the club.

It was originally built in 1913 on the site of a local college's recreation ground and was significantly redeveloped twice. Woolwich Arsenal moved from the Manor Ground in Plumstead, South East London to Highbury, leasing the recreation fields of St John's College of Divinity for £20,000. The lease negotiation also agreed that no matches were to be played on "holy days" and that no "intoxicating liquor" would be sold at the stadium; however, these stipulations were dropped within a year.  Phew!

Arsenal bought the stadium site outright in 1925, for £64,000.

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 was completed in 1989 which added executive boxes to the Clock End. In 1993 a new North Bank Stand was constructed, both following the recommendations of the Taylor Report which replaced the terraces  to make the stadium an all-seater with four stands. However, further attempts to expand the stadium were blocked by the community, and the resulting reduction in capacity and matchday revenue eventually led to Arsenal opting to build a new stadium, to become known as the Emirates Stadium, in nearby Islington. 

After the club moved to their new stadium (below) upon the conclusion of the 2005–2006 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. (below-below!)

The stadium was hurriedly built over the summer of that year, and was designed by the famous Archibald Leitch, an architect of many other football grounds of that era. It featured a single stand on the eastern side and the other three sides had banked terracing. The new stadium cost £125,000. It opened whilst not fully complete, with Arsenal's first match of the 1913-14 season, a 2–1 Second Division win against Leister Fosse, on 6 September 1913. Leicester's Tommy Benfield scored the first goal at the new ground while George Jobey was the first Arsenal player to do so. 

Highbury hosted its first England international match in 1920.

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 rugby matches. Its presence also led to the local Underground station being renamed to 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, with one of the first clubs to install underground heating and for the clock which had been positioned in the southern side of the ground since its introduction in 1930

The Emirates stadium is home to Arsenal Football Club and also home to one of our most famous clocks. 

The story of the clock goes back a long time, and to Arsenal’s earlier home at Highbury. The “clock for all to see” became well known, so much so that the South end of the stadium became known as The Clock End. The firm, Smith of Derby was commissioned to recreate this famous clock, fit for the 21st century, for a new “clock end” at Arsenal’s Emirates stadium. Larger in diameter, but keeping the famous white and black design, it is equipped with a synchronous movement for accuracy and was revealed to a capacity crowd (59,867) on Saturday 21st August 2010. And so, Arsenal’s home triumphs and losses continue to be overseen by an iconic clock, and not just one clock, as there is another - its baby sibling which graces the wall of the Diamond Club lounge at the Emirates Stadium.

As the 1990's progressed there was a growing feeling that Arsenal had outgrown their historic Highbury home. In 1997 the Gunners had made a controversial - and unsuccessful bid to BUY Wembley Stadium and make it their new home but when they started their first Champions League campaign in 1998/99 Wembley did become their temporary home. 

With UEFA reducing the capacity of Highbury to around 35,000 for the competition - one of the lowest of clubs in the Champions League - Arsenal agreed a move to Wembley for their home fixtures in the Champions League for 1998/99 and later did the same for 1999/2000. 

The first of those was against Panathinaikos on 30th September 1998. Despite a 25 minute delay to kick off due to traffic problems delaying fans getting to the ground a new record Arsenal 'home' crowd of 73,455 witnessed a 2-1 victory over the Greek side. 

All the six group matches Arsenal played at Wembley over those two seasons attracted 70,000+ crowds with the Panathinaikos record being bettered two months later with 73,707 attending the match against Lens. But while the crowds were good the results weren't and over the two seasons Arsenal's record at Wembley was won 2, drawn 1 and lost 3. They didn't qualify for the knock-out stages in either season. Wembley then closed for a rebuild and Arsenal announced a move to a new home at Ashburton Grove.