The Most Iconic Sporting Locations in the UK
Sport is one of the most popular pastimes in the UK, whether playing or watching. A nation with a rich history of many sports, in this piece we give you an overview of the 5 most iconic venues.
Over the years, there’s been much drama, some of the elation but others of heartbreak. We hope to see great sporting events in the future too!
So let’s dive in, here are the 5 most iconic venues in the UK:
Aintree
The home of the world's most famous horse race – the Grand National, Aintree is located in Liverpool and has hosted the event since 1838. It’s notoriously difficult to pick the winner because of the complexity of the course as well as the distance.
The race is held every April and most people in the UK will have a flutter normally on the name of the horse that appeals to them. It’s not rare that an outsider will win with odds of 50/1+, so there’s a lot of excitement. Traditionally punters would go to bookmakers at the course, but nowadays most of that has moved online. With just a tap of a button, you are able to find the best horse racing betting sites in the UK, with attractive odds. Moreover, comparison sites will help you find a top welcome bonus and give advice on how to get started making a bet.
Silverstone
F1 is a super popular sport in the UK with most of the teams having their headquarters in Oxfordshire. More so, many of the factories are located nearby Silverstone in Northamptonshire and there is a Grand Prix every year. It’s held in the summertime, normally July, and has been part of the schedule since 1987.
The first race was actually held in 1950, but the British Grand Prix did chop and change between Silverstone and Brands Hatch. Over the years we have seen many legends race from Alain Prost to Senna to modern-day drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
Wembley
The home of football, Wembley was re-opened in 2007 at an eye-watering cost of £1bn. Wembley was of course where the triumphant 1966 World Cup winning side lifted the trophy, but since then has not seen any glory. The closest England came was runners-up in EURO 2020, which was at Wembley. In addition to the England team, the stadium is the venue for the FA and League Cup finals and has also hosted the UEFA Champions League final on numerous occasions.
The stadium also hosts other sporting events such as boxing. The most famous fight was when Anthony Joshua defeated Wladimir Klitschko in 2017 to unify the heavyweight boxing division. Wembley has also been used to hold concerts and even American football games – which are increasingly growing in popularity in the UK.
Wimbledon
Wimbledon has been the most iconic tennis tournament since the sport began. It’s famous for requiring all players to stick to a strict dress code of all white and having grass courts. The main arena – centre court has seen some incredible tennis over the last century. All the greats have played and won there, from Pete Sampras to Roger Federer. Moreover, memories were made as well as dreams were dashed.
When it comes to British tennis, Andy Murray was the first Briton for 50+ years to win the title, after many years of Tim Henman only making it to as far as the semi-final. If you are able to visit, you should. It's a wonderful day out watching tennis, sipping champagne, and eating strawberries and cream.
Twickenham
The home of England Rugby, we have seen some of the greatest rugby union fly halves play at Twickenham including Jonny Wilkinson, Dan Carter, and Matt Giteau. The venue is not used too often, only for 6 Nations matches and Autumn internationals, often against a Southern Hemisphere team.
Nonetheless the atmosphere when England play is electric, and when the crowd starts singing swing lo, sweet chariot, it leaves you with goosebumps. Over the years, there’s been so many iconic matches, with the most recent one being when England thrashed the All Blacks in the World Cup back in 2015.
