Emirates Stadium is Arsenal’s new stadium, situated just five hundred yards from the old Highbury stadium. The new stadium sits in an area called Ashburton Grove, an industrial estate that was transformed into one of the best stadium complex in the UK.
The actual construction of Emirates Stadium began in February 2004. The estimated construction cost was set around £300 million, but the actual construction work was completed with a total spending of £390 million. Until today, improvements and other additions made the total investments put into the Emirates Stadium £490 million.
When the stadium was first opened in July 2006, everyone was excited. It was one of the most beautiful and carefully designed stadiums in the world, filled with modern features and tons of supporting amenities. The stadium itself has a seating capacity of 60,361 plus 152 executive suites.
The naming of this stadium originated from a sponsorship deal. In 2004, Emirates Airline signed a 15-year sponsorship deal worth £100 million, hence the name Emirates Stadium. Emirates Airline’s logo also appears in Arsenal’s shirt starting the 2006-07 season.
Although the stadium is officially known as the Emirates Stadium, many Arsenal supporters and fans still refer to the stadium as Ashburton Grove or simply “The Grove”. This stadium is noted as the second largest football club stadium, losing only to Manchester United’s Old Trafford.
A lot of historical moments – including Ajax’s Klaas-Jan Huntelaar becoming the first player to score a goal at the stadium and Thierry Henry scoring the first ever Arsenal goal during the opening match – are what make this stadium special.