Wembley fanzone caught in OVO Arena crosshairs

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The Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London (UK) has applied for a license to install a fanzone in the Arena Square for up to 3,000 people on event days with plans for a row of temporary food and drink stalls, a stage and big screen.

‘MyLondon’ stated that the square – named the Arena Square – is situated right outside the main entrance to the 12,500-capacity OVO Arena Wembley in Wembley whose owners are seeking assurances that there will be “no adverse effects” for the venue.

A document submitted against the applicant on behalf of the OVO Wembley Arena suggests that the Wembley National Stadium Limited (WNSL) has agreed to host the fanzone somewhere else if there was a clash of events but adds there is “nothing in writing” to confirm that.

The 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium (sometimes referred to as The New Wembley and branded as the Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is an association football stadium in Wembley, London (UK). It opened in 2007 on the site of the original Wembley Stadium which had stood from 1923 until 2003. The stadium is England’s national football stadium.

‘MyLondon’ further stated that the Wembley National Stadium Limited (WNSL – the company that operates the Wembley Stadium) has submitted the licensing application to the Brent Council which will be heard this month. The Arena Square is already licensed as part of an overarching one issued to the Wembley Park Limited – which covers the Wembley Park Boulevard, the Arena Square, the Events Pad, and the Market Square. The new license would only be operated by the WNSL in place of the existing one to support the stadium events.

If given the green light, the square will be used for the ‘away’ fans and will operate similar to the existing ‘East Village’ Square which hosts the England fans. The plans show that it would only be accessible to those with a ticket to the stadium event. It will close at the latest 30 minutes before the start time – with alcohol sales ceasing one hour before – and will not reopen afterwards.

The owners of the OVO Arena are seeking further clarification on the plans after raising concerns about the potential impact it could have on public safety and crime if it was also hosting an event on the same day. The Arena Square is currently used for the attendees to queue to enter the venue as well as where they would exit following the show.

The lawyers representing the AEG Facilities (UK) Limited (a private company that manages and operates venues for sports and live entertainment in the United Kingdom), the license holders and operators of the OVO Wembley Arena, said, “The application premises are directly outside the front of the OVO Wembley Arena. This is a space that our clients have been using for the past six+ years and is essential for the safe running of the Arena.”

They added, “Our client wishes to make it clear at the outset that whilst they have no objection to licensable activities being provided in the space proposed they have genuine concerns about how the operation of the proposed premises will promote the licensing objectives. There is currently a lack of detail and transparency which makes it difficult for our clients to comment further on the application at this time.”

There is also some ambiguity around which events this will cover. In the written representation submitted by the OVO Wembley Arena, the operators appear to believe that the application is for “football- only events and activities”. However, the original application submitted by the WNSL states that the square “may also be used to support the other stadium events, including the National Football League (NFL) and the other sporting games as well as music concerts”.

The stadium is permitted to host 54 large events a year.

The Brent Council’s Entertainment and Alcohol Licensing Sub-Committee will review the application at a meeting to be held on (December 11^th) before making a decision.

The Brent London Borough Council, also known as the Brent Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Brent in Greater London, England. It is a London Borough Council, one of 32 in London. The Council has been under Labour majority control since 2010. It is based at the Brent Civic Centre in Engineers Way, Wembley.

New York (US)-based the National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams divided equally between the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference.

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