Smyth steps up as new Wembley General Manager

Article posted by Coliseum, December 8^th, 2023

Image: Wembley Stadium

Wembley Stadium connected by EE has promoted Paul Smyth to the role of Stadium General Manager.

Smyth, who was formerly Head of Event Operations at the stadium, will be responsible for overseeing the overall delivery of events at the stadium, in addition to managing day-to-day operations.

Having been part of the Wembley team since the new stadium opened in 2007, Smyth has contributed to numerous enhancements in event delivery, maintaining Wembley’s status as one of the world’s premier multi-purpose venues.

The 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium stands on the site of the original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 2002 to 2003. The stadium hosts major football matches including home matches of the England national football team and the FA Cup Final.

Smyth’s recent accomplishments include the collaborative effort with his teams to introduce two sensory rooms and British Sign Language (BSL) at every event.

These initiatives have played a huge part in reinforcing Wembley’s commitment to leading on inclusivity.

Smyth’s promotion coincides with the departure of Stadium Director Liam Boylan, who, after nine successful years, is embarking on a new venture in the music industry next year.

Under Boylan’s stewardship, Wembley played a key role in helping to get events back up and running during the COVID crises, with the venue heavily involved in the United Kingdom Government’s Events Research Programme (to examine the risk of transmission of COVID-19 from attendance at events and explore ways to enable people to attend a range of events safely) and staging seven EURO 2020 matches.

Chris Bryant, the current Director of Tournaments & Events at The FA, will serve as the Interim Stadium Director while the search for Boylan’s successor is underway.

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