NESTLED in a north London park lies one of the few remaining relics of the old Wembley.
A small but significant symbol of a stadium lost in all but name.
A piece of old Wembley exists near the current stadium
It is over a hundred years old
The Home of Football closed its doors exactly 25 years ago tomorrow after a rain-sodden 1-0 defeat for England against Germany that ended with a Didi Hamann goal and Kevin Keegan resigning in a toilet.
The bulldozers moved in and seven years later it reopened, unrecognisable, a monstrous colosseum with a giant arch…but no Twin Towers.
Heart-over-head debates regarding those iconic concrete towers continue to rumble today but their presence now is more landfill than landmark.
Except, that is, for one fragment of footballing history still residing in Brent River Park.
There, sitting peacefully on a grassy mound, a mile away from the new Wembley, is the flagpole holder that once adorned the top of the East Tower.
Standing 1.5 metres tall, weighing four tonnes and bearing a striking resemblance to the actual FA Cup, this unassuming lump of concrete witnessed the White Horse Final in 1923 and the World Cup glory of ‘66.
Not that you would know it.
A silver plaque tells of its history yet joggers and dog walkers pass by without giving a momentary glance to a hidden treasure that once gazed lovingly down on the likes of Stanley Matthews, Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Paul Gascoigne.
When the stadium was finally demolished in 2003, rather than relocating the flagpole holder at its original dwelling, it was presented to the local council and plonked in the park, where it has lived ever since, a long throw away from a housing estate.
Pele once described Wembley as “the cathedral of football” yet the closest thing to religion for the flagpole holder is Saint Patrick’s round the corner.
Red buses have now replaced the sight of team buses and the only glimpse of ‘home’ is the Arch through the trees.
Sadly, for the nostalgic football fan, not much else remains of the old Wembley.
The actual flagpoles that sat in the holders live on Sir William McAlpine’s Fawley Hill estate, complete with the famous crowns on top.
While the iconic black and red Royal Gates that were seen on many an FA Cup final day welcoming the teams to the tunnel ended up in Chile.
They were originally bought by the Brooking Trust and then sold on to Chilean businessman Jorge Yarur for £5,875.
The flagpole holder once adorned the top of the East Tower at the old Wembley
It now resides in nearby Brent River Park
The old Wembley closed in 2000 
