Emirates Stadium Profile
Former Names: Ashburton Grove
Location: Holloway, Islington, London, England
Opened: July 22, 2006
Owner: Arsenal FC
Cost: 390 Million Euros
Architect: Populous
Capacity: 60,355
Betting fans of the British Premier League, have been packing the seats at Emirates Stadium since July of 2006. It is the home of Arsenal FC one of the top clubs in the BPL. Since being created in 2006, Emirates Stadium has housed over 60,000 sports betting fans per match. This is the second highest capacity in England as Arsenal’s chief rival Manchester United is the only club to hold more fans.
Although Emirates Airlines bought the naming rights to the stadium in 2004, Northbet die hard Arsenal supporters still continue to call it Ashburton Grove and The Grove, in protest to corporate ownership. Further as a result of Emirates Airlines not being a sponsor of the UEFA Champions League, officials from the league still call Emirates Stadium Arsenal Stadium even though that is the name of their old stadium in Highbury.
In the middle of the 1990s, Arsenal’s owners began considering moving to a new more modern stadium, as Arsenal Stadium in Highbury, was one of the smallest in the BPL. By 1999, the owners had decided to move the club to Ashton Grove, where a new larger more modern stadium was to be built. Even though the plan was for the Gunners to move to Ashton Grove Stadium in 2003, financial constraints prevented the venture from coming to fruition until 2006.
Some of the financial constraints included lawsuits from various local business owners in Ashton Grove, who were forced to move in 2002 because of the construction of the new stadium. As a result, Arsenal lost many fans in Islington while construction was taking place. Since 2006 Arsenal FC have slowly been gaining the fans trust back, as they put together wonderful squads at Emirates Stadium.
